The Water Cycle for Schools and Kids
Science Center Objects
Earth's water is always in movement, and the natural water cycle, also known as the hydrologic cycle, describes the continuous movement of water on, above, and below the surface of the Earth. Water is always changing states between liquid, vapor, and ice, with these processes happening in the blink of an eye and over millions of years.
Note: This section of the Water Science School discusses the Earth's "natural" water cycle without human interference.
• Water Science School HOME • The Water Cycle •
What is the water cycle? I can easily answer that—it's me, Drippy, all over!
The natural water cycle describes the existence and movement of water on, in, and above the Earth. Earth's water is always in movement and is always changing states, from liquid to vapor to ice and back again.
The water cycle has been working for billions of years and all life on Earth depends on it continuing to work; the Earth would be a pretty stale place without it.
Note: Our information only covers the natural water cycle, which does not take human activities into account. In today's world, humans have a major impact on many components of the water cycle.
Water cycle basics
Interactive online water-cycle diagrams for kids and schools
Download the water-cycle diagram
- Image version (JPG)
- PDF version
The water cycle in many languages
- Afrikaans
- Albanian
- Bulgarian
- Croatian
- Czech
- Danish
- Dutch
- Esperanto
- French
- Finnish
- German
- Greek
- Hindi
- Hungarian
- Irish
- Italian
- Japanese
- Korean
- Lao
- Lithuanian
- Malay
- Mongolian
- Norwegian
- Persian
- Polish
- Portuguese
- Romanian
- Russian
- Serbian
- Slovak
- Slovenian
- Spanish
- Swedish
- Tajik
- Turkish
- Ukrainian
- Vietnamese
- Yorùbá
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Date published: September 25, 2018Status: CompletedInteractive Water Cycle Diagrams for Schools and Kids
Our interactive diagrams allow you to "mouse around" the parts of the water cycle and view explanations, pictures, and more.
Contacts: Ask USGS
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Date published: May 22, 2019Status: CompletedTeacher's Resources for Water Education
The USGS Water Science School offers many resources to teachers to help them teach their students all about water.
Contacts: Ask USGS -
Date published: September 20, 2018Status: CompletedThe Water Cycle for Schools and Kids in Over 35 Languages
From Albanian to Yoruba, the Water Science School has schools and kids all around the world covered. Volunteers from around the globe have provided us with a water cycle diagram just for schools and kids in over 35 languages.
Contacts: Ask USGS
The Water Cycle for Schools and Kids
Learn About Water!
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) have teamed up to create a water-cycle diagram for schools and kids. It is available in over 30 languages and also in an interactive version made for online
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El Ciclo del Agua Para Niños - The Water Cycle, Spanish (PDF)
El Ciclo del Agua Para Niños
El Servicio Geológico de los Estados Unidos (USGS por sus siglas en inglés) y la Organización de Alimento y Agricultura de las Naciones Unidas (FAO) han colaborado en la creación de un diagrama sobre el ciclo del agua para niños de las escuelas elementales e intermedias.
Quizás pienses que cada gota de lluvia que cae del cielo,
Our interactive water-cycle diagram for schools and kids.
Our interactive diagram lets you to "mouse around" the water cycle and view explanations, pictures, and more online. It is available for three levels of students: