The water cycle is the journey that water takes as it moves around our planet.
It goes from the ground to the sky and then back again.
There are important parts of this cycle: evaporation, condensation, and precipitation.
Evaporation happens when the sun heats water from rivers, lakes, and oceans, turning it into vapor in the air.
Condensation happens when the water vapor cools down and forms clouds.
Precipitation is when water falls back to the ground as rain, snow, or hail!
Examples:
A puddle on the ground gets smaller on a sunny day because the water is evaporating into the air.
When you see dark clouds in the sky, that is condensation, and it might rain soon!
After it rains, the water soaks into the ground or flows into rivers, starting the cycle again.
Fun Fact: The water you drink today might have been in a dinosaur's stomach a long time ago! Water has been around for millions of years and keeps moving through the cycle.
