Rain, Clouds, Rivers & Back Again – The Water Cycle Explained
Rain, clouds, rivers and the sea all connected in one brilliant cycle! This animated science story explains the water cycle in a way that clicks beautifully for children aged 2–7.
About This Video
Every drop of rain that falls today is water that has been on Earth for billions of years, cycling endlessly. This animated science story follows a single water molecule from the warm surface of the sea, evaporating invisibly upward into the air, condensing inside a cloud alongside billions of others, falling as rain onto a mountain slope, rushing down through a stream and river, filtering slowly through soil and rock, and eventually making its way back to the sea to begin the whole cycle again.
Perfect for children aged 2 to 7 curious about rain, clouds and weather. Create a mini water cycle at home by placing a clear container of water in sunshine with cling film over the top — condensation forms on the cling film and drips back down. One of the most popular primary classroom science demonstrations. Free to watch.
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Parents' Questions
What are the stages of the water cycle that this animated science video shows?
This water cycle story follows every stage clearly: evaporation (water from the sea, rivers and lakes turns to invisible water vapour in warm air and rises upward), condensation (water vapour cools high up, forming tiny water droplets that cluster into clouds), precipitation (the cloud becomes heavy enough that water falls as rain, sleet or snow), collection and runoff (rainwater flows into rivers and streams or soaks into the ground), and eventually returns to the sea — where the whole cycle begins again. The same water has been doing this for billions of years.
What water cycle experiment can children do at home after watching this video?
Place a bowl of water on a sunny windowsill and stretch cling film tightly over the top, sealing the edges. Put a small stone in the centre so the cling film dips slightly in the middle. Within an hour or two in sun, water vapour rises from the water surface, condenses on the cling film and drips down from the lowest point back into the bowl — a perfect miniature demonstration of evaporation, condensation and precipitation all happening in a glass bowl on a kitchen windowsill.
What age is the Water Cycle animated science story designed for?
Designed for children aged 2 to 7. Young children easily grasp the basic concept that rain comes from clouds and clouds come from water that has evaporated from the sea. Children aged 5 to 7 follow the complete cycle sequence and begin making connections to everyday observations — puddles evaporating, condensation on windows, clouds forming over the sea. The cling-film experiment is one of the most popular first science activities for primary classrooms and needs nothing more than a bowl, water, cling film and a sunny day.
