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The Water Cycle in Action

Activity

Build Your Own Model

Create your own water cycle model by placing a container of water out in the sun! Use a clear cover over the water container and watch how the water levels change. How do you think it turns from liquid to gas? What about from gas to liquid?

Science Seed

The water cycle is a continuous process that moves water through the environment in different forms—liquid, gas, and solid. It starts with evaporation, where the sun heats up water in rivers, lakes, and oceans, turning it into water vapor. This vapor rises into the atmosphere and cools, forming clouds through a process called condensation. As the clouds gather more water, they can become heavy, and the water falls back to Earth as precipitation, in the form of rain, snow, or hail. Some of this water soaks into the ground, replenishing groundwater supplies, while the rest flows into rivers and lakes, eventually making its way back to the ocean, where the cycle begins again.

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earn Badges

Badges can be earned through hands-on experiences within each of the 16 branches of science, or “Science Slices.” You can earn a badge in each branch of science by doing four activities in these categories. We also encourage participants to keep a Nature Journal to record their memories, and to express themselves creatively through writing or drawing after each activity. We recommend that each child (and parent if they’d like) write or draw in a journal after each activity, with expectations of your children that match their age (the goal is self-expression, not perfection).

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join Families in Nature

It is our vision to inspire all families to fall in love with nature and foster the next generation of conservationists. Becoming a member of Families in Nature will give your family the opportunity to have adventures in nature, experience field science, develop as youth conservation leaders, and make memories that will last a lifetime. Memberships are free for everyone.

Who are we?

Families in Nature works to create opportunities for nature connection with the purpose of sparking a deep love and desire to protect, conserve and restore the environment. Our mission is to connect children and their families to nature and to each other through time spent learning, playing, and volunteering outdoors. It is our vision to inspire ALL families to fall in love with nature and foster the next generation of conservationists.

This project was made possible by HEB.