---
title: "The Water Cycle"
description: "Understand the water cycle: the Sun heats water in oceans and lakes causing it to evaporate into water vapour, the vapour rises and cools to form clouds (condensation), and water falls back to Earth a"
canonical: https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/the-water-cycle-mt_fhqVdj4BYr
source: https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/the-water-cycle-mt_fhqVdj4BYr.md
retrieved: 2026-10-19
---

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# The Water Cycle

Understand the water cycle: the Sun heats water in oceans and lakes causing it to evaporate into water vapour, the vapour rises and cools to form clouds (condensation), and water falls back to Earth as rain, snow, or hail (precipitation) — then the cycle repeats

Subject: Science · Area: Weather & Climate · Ages 7 to 9
Page: https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/the-water-cycle-mt_fhqVdj4BYr

## Ready when they can

- Name the three main stages: evaporation, condensation, precipitation
- Explain the Sun's role in driving the water cycle
- Describe the water cycle as a continuous loop with no beginning or end

## Lesson: The Water Cycle: Nature's Big Loop

Water on Earth never sits still. It rises into the sky, turns into clouds, then falls back down as rain or snow. This trip is called the water cycle, and the Sun is what makes it happen.

The Sun warms water in oceans, lakes, and rivers. The warm water turns into an invisible gas called water vapour and floats up into the air. This step is called evaporation.

*(drawing: Follow the water on its trip: it heats up, rises, cools into clouds, then falls as rain.)*

**Example.** Mia sees a puddle after a sunny morning. By afternoon, the puddle is gone. The Sun warmed the puddle water until it turned into vapour and floated away into the air.

**Tip.** The water cycle has no beginning and no end. It just keeps going round and round, forever.

**Recap.** Water evaporates when the Sun warms it, condenses into clouds as it cools, falls back down as precipitation, then starts the whole trip over again forever.

## Practice

8 questions on this page, each with its working shown.

## Needs first

- [Cloud Types](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/cloud-types-mt_IhWzO4sQPg)
- [Where water is found on Earth](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/where-water-is-found-on-earth-mt_nRF_VRntrW)
- [Heating & Cooling Changes](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/heating-and-cooling-changes-mt_Pl-nsjYGZ3)
- [Temperature & Thermometers](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/temperature-and-thermometers-mt_PrWc-HZzDl)
- [Rain & Puddles](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/rain-and-puddles-mt_TlLE4cZgOr)

## Opens up

- [Extreme Weather Events](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/extreme-weather-events-mt_6EfevRyeFW)
- [Earth's Frozen Water](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/earths-frozen-water-mt_cMmG8VLbAp)
- [Evaporation & the Water Cycle](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/evaporation-and-the-water-cycle-mt_Qkewo5M3_c)
- [The Water Cycle in Detail](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/the-water-cycle-in-detail-mt_V2lNzEex_a)
- [Rainforest Water Cycle](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/rainforest-water-cycle-mt_ZWTk6eP1qF)