Cycle 2 Week 5 Science: Nature Cycles: Water Cycle Bag Activity


There are many cycles in nature: water cycle, nitrogen cycle etc. This activity helps kids grasp the concept of the water cycle a little bit better than just drawing a picture. My kids were still talking about this days after we did it.

Materials

  • quart ziploc bag (don’t used a gallon size, it will just fall off the window, I speak from experience)
  • sharpie marker
  • water
  • tape
  • blue food coloring (optional)

Water Cycle Bag

  • Draw on the ziploc bag: water line, fish in the water, clouds, sun.
  • Add water to the bag up to the water line. Add blue food coloring if desired.
  • Secure bag on a sunny window with tape and leave it for a bit.
  • Observe and discuss the water cycle:
    • Water is heated by the sun and turns into a gas (evaporation).
    • When the gas hits the sides of the bag it cools and becomes a solid again (condensation). Note: the droplets will not be blue.
    • As the water drops grow bigger and bigger and heavier, they fall back to the earth (rain).
    • The cycle repeats again. Water is not created or destroyed. God has given our planet a fixed amount of water that keeps going around the cycle.

*What are some cycles in nature…

Fast Facts

  • Water Cycle: movement of water between the earth and atmosphere by precipitation, evaporation, condensation.
  • Carbon and oxygen cycle: process where atmospheric oxygen is converted to carbon dioxide by animals (through respiration) and oxygen is made by plants (through photosynthesis).
  • Nitrogen Cycle: process where nitrogen is converted between forms in the earth and living organisms through nitrogen fixation and decomposition.

If you liked this activity, check out my whole guide for cycle 2 science weeks 1-24 here.

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