The Water CycleGrade 3 Science for Kids

Evaporation, condensation and precipitation: water's endless journey.

The Water Cycle helps third graders follow water around the cycle, race cups of water to see what evaporates first and make water appear on a cold glass. Clear, interactive lessons on evaporation and condensation.

  • Grade 3 · Ages 8–9
  • 3 lessons
  • 3 experiments
  • 12 practice questions
  • About 25 min
Start Learning Free Open the Course
  • Water's Journey
  • Water Cycle
  • Evaporation
  • Disappearing Water
  • Condensation
  • Sweaty Glass

Science lab course · Grade 3

The Water Cycle · Learning goals

What Your Child Will Learn

Follow water around the water cycle, race cups of water to see what evaporates first, and make water appear on a cold glass.

  • Water evaporates, condenses into clouds, falls as rain and collects again, over and over.
  • Water evaporates fastest where it's warm and open to the air.
  • Water vapor condenses into drops on cold surfaces. The colder the glass, the more drops.

Why it matters

Why This Matters for Kids

  • Where rain comes from

    The water cycle explains clouds, rain and puddles, things kids see all the time.

  • Changes of state

    Evaporation and condensation connect weather to states of matter.

  • Water on our planet

    Kids learn that the same water keeps moving around Earth again and again.

Inside The Water Cycle

How the Course Works

Each level has a short read-aloud lesson, an interactive experiment and a mini quiz.

  1. Step 1 · Lesson

    Water's Journey

    Earth's water is always moving in a loop called the water cycle.

  2. Step 2 · Experiment

    Water Cycle

    The same water has been going round and round for billions of years! Put the steps of the water cycle in order.

  3. Step 3 · Lesson

    Evaporation

    Evaporation happens faster when water is warm.

  4. Step 4 · Experiment

    Disappearing Water

    Three cups with the same water: in the sun, in the shade, and covered with a lid. Which one evaporates first?

  5. Step 5 · Lesson

    Condensation

    There is invisible water vapor in the air all around us.

  6. Step 6 · Experiment

    Sweaty Glass

    Let's fill three glasses with warm, room-temperature and ice water and count the drops that form on the outside.

Lesson preview

A Peek Inside the Lesson

This is the real lesson text your child hears, read aloud by a friendly voice.

Water's Journey

Earth's water is always moving in a loop called the water cycle.

The sun heats water and it evaporates into a gas called water vapor.

High up, vapor cools and condenses into tiny drops that make clouds.

When drops get heavy, they fall as precipitation: rain, snow or hail. Then water collects again.

Evaporation

Evaporation happens faster when water is warm.

Wind and a large surface also help water evaporate faster.

A lid traps the vapor, so covered water barely evaporates.

Condensation

There is invisible water vapor in the air all around us.

When vapor touches something cold, it turns back into liquid drops: condensation.

That's why a cold drink gets wet on the outside, and how clouds form!

For parents

Try It at Home

Learning sticks best when kids use it in real life. Here are simple ideas from this course.

Parent Tip

Put ice water in a glass and watch drops form on the outside. Ask your child where the water came from.

Water Cycle

  1. Put a little water in a zip bag and draw the sun, clouds and sea on it.
  2. Tape it to a sunny window.
  3. Watch drops form at the top and run down!

Water evaporates, condenses into clouds, falls as rain and collects again, over and over.

Disappearing Water

  1. Put the same water in 3 cups and mark the level.
  2. Sun, shade, and one with a lid.
  3. Check the marks every day for a week.

Water evaporates fastest where it's warm and open to the air.

Sweaty Glass

  1. Fill a glass with ice water and dry the outside.
  2. Wait 5 minutes.
  3. Wipe the outside with a tissue. Where did the water come from?

Water vapor condenses into drops on cold surfaces. The colder the glass, the more drops.

Practice

Grade 3 Science Practice Questions

Real questions from The Water Cycle. Try them with your child, then tap to see the answer.

  1. Question 1

    What powers the water cycle?

    • A.The sun
    • B.The moon
    • C.Wind turbines
    Show answer

    The sun

  2. Question 2

    Where does water evaporate fastest?

    • A.In a covered jar
    • B.In the warm sun
    • C.In a freezer
    Show answer

    In the warm sun

  3. Question 3

    What is condensation?

    • A.Ice melting
    • B.Water boiling
    • C.Vapor turning into liquid drops
    Show answer

    Vapor turning into liquid drops

The full course has 12 questions with instant feedback, stars and rewards. Create a free account to play them all.

The Water Cycle · Questions from parents

Frequently Asked Questions

What age is this course for?

The Water Cycle is a grade 3 science course for kids ages 8–9. That is Year 4 science in the UK and Year 3 in Australia. It also works well for review in the next grade, or as a challenge for a confident younger learner.

What will my child learn?

Follow water around the water cycle, race cups of water to see what evaporates first, and make water appear on a cold glass. Along the way they practice: Water evaporates, condenses into clouds, falls as rain and collects again, over and over; Water evaporates fastest where it's warm and open to the air; Water vapor condenses into drops on cold surfaces. The colder the glass, the more drops.

How long does the course take?

About 25 minutes in total, split into 3 short levels. Most kids finish it over two or three sessions. Progress is saved, so they can stop any time and pick up where they left off.

Is this course free?

The Water Cycle is part of SkillBloom Premium, which unlocks every course in every subject. Each subject also has free courses, so your child can try SkillBloom before you decide.

Does my child need to read well to use it?

No. Every lesson has a friendly read-aloud voice, questions are read aloud too, and the pictures help kids follow along. Confident readers can turn the voice off.

Can we use it for homeschool?

Yes. SkillBloom is built for homeschooling families. Kids work through lessons, games and quizzes on their own, and the parent dashboard shows what they finished and which skills need more practice. It works on phones, tablets and laptops.

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