Water Cycle Worksheets (7 Free Printables)

Water cycle worksheets are an excellent educational tool for teaching children about the natural processes of water on Earth.

These life cycle printables are designed to engage students in learning through interactive activities such as coloring, labeling, cutting and pasting, and playing matching memory games.

By incorporating new vocabulary words and their definitions, these worksheets not only enhance scientific knowledge but also build language skills.

These printables aim to make the concept of the water cycle accessible and fun for young learners.

Activities like matching vocabulary words to their correct meanings help reinforce understanding in a way that is both educational and enjoyable.

Through hands-on experiences, children can visually connect with the stages of the water cycle. Including evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and collection, fostering a deeper appreciation and curiosity for the environment around them.

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Let’s learn about the water cycle

Discover the wonders of the water cycle with our engaging and interactive worksheets.

These free science worksheets are perfect for both schools and homeschooling, and even better it is a no-preparation download.

Designed for children in grades 1-3, these free resources are an excellent way to introduce them to the fascinating world of rain and the water cycle.

Not only will they learn about the different stages of the water cycle, but we’ve also included a fun water cycle game to wrap up the lesson.

Whether you’re a teacher looking for classroom materials or a homeschooling parent, these printable science worksheets require no preparation and are readily available for download.

Supplies needed:

• cardstock (normal paper will work, but you might be able to see the images through it)
• paper cutter or scissors
• coloring pens and writing pens or pencils
• glue
• laminator (optional)

Water cycle worksheets for kids

Download the water cycle worksheets below. There are 7 pages included and they will print out in landscape. Make sure to check the printer settings.

The first page is all about the water cycle. This will print on 3 pages. The first page can be used as a poster, or just to add to the child’s folder.

The second page is exactly the same but will print in black and white so the children can color it in.

The third and fourth pages are the same as 1 and 2 but without the descriptions. One is black and white and can be colored and the second is in color.

Younger kids will enjoy our weather worksheets for kindergarten to use with this unit study too.

The water cycle coloring page is a great way for younger students to see the water cycle as they color it in.

In the next worksheet, the children will need to add the words to the water cycle, the missing words are: precipitation, evaporation, transpiration, run off, accumulation, and infiltration.

The next worksheet needs to be cut out and the children will have to add all of the elements of the water cycle with no prompts.

This is much harder than the previous worksheets, and a great activity to do at the end to see if the children have understood the process.

Make sure to add some hands-on activities with these fun water cycle experiments.

What is accumulation?

Accumulation in the water cycle refers to the process where water gathers or collects in large bodies, like oceans, rivers, lakes, glaciers, and aquifers, after falling as precipitation.

This is a key part of the cycle, linking back to evaporation and transpiration, continuing the movement of water through the Earth’s system.

What is infiltration?

Infiltration is when water on the ground surface enters the soil. It’s a crucial step in the water cycle, allowing water to move through the soil and recharge groundwater aquifers.

What is transpiration?

Transpiration is the process by which moisture is carried from plants to the atmosphere. Through it, water absorbed by plant roots is evaporated into the atmosphere from plant surfaces, mainly leaves.

This contributes to the return of water vapor to the air, linking the soil and plant water content with atmospheric processes.

Check out even more water cycle activities for kids!

What is runoff?

Runoff in the water cycle is water that flows over the land’s surface to bodies of water like rivers, lakes, and oceans. This happens when soil is saturated, frozen, or impermeable, preventing infiltration.

Runoff can carry nutrients, sediments, and pollutants, significantly influencing water quality and ecosystem health. It’s a key process for transporting water from land to water bodies, linking terrestrial and aquatic environments.

Labeling the water cycle worksheet answers

Match the description of the water cycle to the name.

• Infiltration: The process of water entry into the soil.
• Precipitation: Water that falls from the earth’s atmosphere to the earth’s surface.
• Evaporation: The process that changes liquid water to water vapor.
• Condensation: The process where water vapor in the air is changed to liquid.
• Accumulation: The collection of water into lakes, rivers, and oceans.
• Runoff: Water flows over the earth as surface water rather than absorbed into the earth or vapor.
• Transpiration: When plants take up water from the soil and release water vapor into the air from their leaves.

Water cycle matching game

Learning shouldn’t be boring, when all the worksheets have been completed have a bit of fun with this water cycle matching game. Perfect for kids of all ages, and can be played with only 1 player if required.

The final worksheet is a fun water cycle matching game that the children can play after they have done their work.

You will need to print the pages twice, so you can match the images.

We like to decorate the back of the images. So cut around the border at the edge so you are just left with the 12 images. Then just grab your coloring pens (these are the ones we love and use all the time) and have fun.

When you have printed the 2 pages you will need to cut out all of the different images. I prefer to use a paper cutter as it’s easier, quicker, and more accurate, but scissors will work too.

Now you will have two sets of 12 images.

Shuffle them up and lay them on the table randomly on the table.

If you are placing them in rows I find 4 rows with 6 images each works best.

Playing the game is simple. The children can either play on their own and turn over 2 images at a time. Or you can take it in turns to find a pair of images. If it is a match you can either remove them from the game and place them in front of you or leave them turned over face up.

The winner is the person who creates the most matches.

Water cycle books for kids

We always love adding books to all of our worksheets and these are the best water cycle books we could find that supplement these free worksheets really well.

• Water cycles is an excellent book. Not only does it talk in detail about the water cycle but also has information about some of the most popular animals that live in the water.
• The Great Big Water Cycle Adventure is a beautifully illustrated picture book.
• National Geographic book on Water is an easy-to-read book helping children understand the water cycle.
• Books about weather for preschoolers

Weather science labs is another great addition to these free worksheets with 20 experiments and projects to do all relating to the weather.

Need to print later? Add this to your Pinterest board or share it on Facebook. You’ll have it handy whenever you’re ready to use it!

Download your free water cycle printables

If you are running short on time you can download all of our life cycle worksheets. There are 247 pages over 23 different life cycles.

Ready to grab your free printable? Just pop your name and email into the form below, and it’s all yours!

Last Updated on 20 December 2024 by Clare Brown