Travis has been learning about the water cycle in school, so here was a fun way to make the lesson hands-on at home.

In the morning before school, we each copied a template onto sandwich-sized zip-top plastic bags with Sharpies. Travis insisted that his sun have sunglasses and a smile! Make sure to draw the arrows showing evaporation, condensation, and precipitation, the three main movements of the water cycle.

We then added a little water to each bag (filling them about half way) and added a few drops of blue food coloring. Now it was time for a test! Travis’s bag went in a sunny window. Mine went in a window on the shady side of the house. The idea was to observe them for a few days and spot any differences.

After school, Travis could scope out the differences. The condensation was noticeably more apparent in the sunny bag. Obviously since the bags are a closed system, it won’t mimic a perfect water cycle, but kids can observe any changes over a few days and even take notes!