Hi, friends!  You’ll never believe that we are still getting snow over here…. in April!  I know!  Crazy, right?!  I’m dying for some springtime weather, but that isn’t keeping my kiddos from learning all about rain and the water cycle!  We just love this water cycle experiment for little learners!

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When we begin our rain unit, I always like to discuss the water cycle with the kiddos.  First, we read the story Splish! Splash! by Josepha Sherman.

WATER CYCLE ANCHOR CHART

As we were reading, we created an anchor chart of the water cycle.

WATER CYCLE EXPERIMENT

To complete the water cycle experiment, I gathered the necessary supplies.  You might also want another container for the hot water.

First, I heated up some water on the stove.  If you don’t have access to a stove at school, you could always heat the water on an electric burner or in the microwave.  As the water was heating, we discussed how the stove represented the sun and how the water represented the lake, ocean, river, etc.  Once the water was boiling, we could see steam.  We discussed how the warm stove (i.e. sun) was causing the water to evaporate.

Next, we dumped the ice into a large, circular container.  I chose to use a metal cake pan, but you could also use a large plate or even pie dish.  The ice represents the clouds, or cold air way up in the sky.

Then, we placed the cold clouds on top of the evaporating water.

We waited for the evaporated water to begin to cool back down and condense, causing droplets to form.

If we watched closely, we could see the evaporated water traveling up to the sky and condensing.  As the drops became larger, they fell down as precipitation, or rain.

This experiment can also be completed using a jar of hot water.  Simply heat the water, either on the stove or in the microwave; but make sure your glass jar is warm enough to withstand the hot water if you are pouring it into the jar.  Place the tray of ice on top of the jar and wait for the evaporated water to condense on the bottom of the tray.

WATER CYCLE ACTIVITIES

Once we finished our experiment, we labeled the steps in the water cycle.

We even read our very own booklet all about the water cycle!

Now, my kiddos are experts on the water cycle!

DON’T FORGET IT… PIN IT!

MORE RAIN ACTIVITIES

We will be finishing up our nonfiction studies with the books Down Comes the Rain, The Rainy Day and The Little Raindrop.

Later this week, the kiddos will be completing this “Rainy Facts” mobile and their “All About Rain” books.

Plus, we still have a few more vocabulary words to learn and add to the kiddos’ “My Rain Dictionary.”

We will even be further extending our learning with some of my favorite fiction stories about rain.

You can read all about these activities and many more rain activities for kids here!

If you’re looking for a fun poem about rain, head over to my post about “Poetry Activities for the Primary Classroom.”

Plus, you can read all about our “Rain Jar Experiment” here.

Don’t forget to check out my “Spring” board on Pinterest for more engaging springtime activities!

Here’s to hoping this snow goes away and spring finally makes an appearance!