How to explain it: Imagine you’re standing outside on a sunny day near a puddle. After a while, the puddle gets smaller and smaller, right? That’s because the heat from the sun is turning the water in the puddle into vapor, and it goes up into the air.

Key word: Evaporation is when water rises into the air.

How to explain it: Think of a cold glass of water on a hot day. If you look closely, you’ll see little drops of water on the outside of the glass. That’s because the water vapor in the air is cooling down and turning back into liquid, just like the clouds are made of tiny water drops!

Key word: Condensation is when water changes back into liquid and forms clouds.

How to explain it: Have you ever seen rain falling from the sky? That’s precipitation! The clouds get so full of water that it falls back to the ground. Sometimes it’s rain, sometimes it’s snow if it’s cold.

Key word: Precipitation is when water falls from the sky as rain, snow, or hail.

How to explain it: After it rains, you might see water in puddles or rivers. That’s where all the water goes after it falls from the clouds. The water goes back to places like lakes and rivers, where it will be ready to start the water cycle again!

Key word: Collection is when water gathers in oceans, lakes, or rivers.