The Water Cycle (Free Spanish Lessons for Kids)
El ciclo del agua — the water cycle in Spanish — is an amazing process that has occurred since life began on Earth!
Water is an important resource that living beings need to survive. The water cycle is key to keeping life on our planet healthy and thriving.
El ciclo del agua es el proceso de transformación y circulación del agua en la Tierra.
The water cycle is the process of transformation and circulation of water on Earth.
The water cycle has been happening for billions of years. That means our water is the same water the dinosaurs had!
Keep reading to learn about the water cycle in Spanish, why it happens, and all the important elements of this amazing process!
The States of Water (Los estados del agua)
Water is exists in three states, and its transformation from one state to another is part of the water cycle:
- Solid – el estado sólido
- Liquid – el estado líquido
- Gas – el estado gaseoso
Water in a solid state is hielo (ice). When it melts, it transforms into a liquid state, agua (water). Liquid transforms into a solid state in the process of solidificación (solidification).
When water evaporiza (evaporates), it changes from a liquid to a gas. When gas transforms into liquid, the process is called condensación (condensation).
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Water Cycle (El ciclo del agua)
Use these words to learn and talk about the water cycle in Spanish! They’re easy and fun to remember because you find them in nature all around you!
| English | Spanish |
| atmosphere | la atmosfera |
| climate | el clima |
| clouds | las nubes |
| condensation | la condensación |
| evaporation | la evaporación |
| plants | las plantas |
| precipitation | la precipitación |
| sun | el sol |
| vapor | el vapor |
| water | el agua |
| weather | el clima/el tiempo |
Bodies of Water in Spanish
| English | Spanish |
| lakes | los lagos |
| oceans | los oceanos |
| rivers | los rios |
| seas | los mares |
| underground water | el agua subterránea |
| water bodies | los cuerpos de agua |
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Type your name and email below to get five activities for kids about the Water Cycle in Spanish! You will receive: 2 State of Water Worksheets, 1 vocabulary poster, 1 water cycle worksheet, and 1 word search.Explore more FREE SPANISH LESSONS FOR KIDS! ➡️
Enjoy over 70 unique lessons + free activity packets to download.
Because children of different ages learn differently, I’ve divided this lesson in two. The first part is for the kids from ages 5 to 8 and the second for kids ages 9 to 12.
Water Cycle in Spanish (For Kids Ages 5 to 8)
1. Evaporation (La evaporación)
El calor del sol hace que el agua de ríos, océanos y lagos se evapore.
Because of the sun’s heat, the water in the oceans, rivers, and lakes evaporates.
El vapor se convierte en nubes.
This vapor becomes clouds.
2. Condensation (La condensación)
El vapor de las nubes se transforma en agua o hielo.
The vapor in the clouds transforms into water or ice.
3. Precipitation (La precipitación)
Las nubes descargan el agua almacenada en forma de lluvia, nieve o granizo.
The clouds discharge the water in the form of rain, snow, or hail.
4. Infiltration (La infiltración)
El suelo absorbe el agua que cayó en forma de lluvia, nieve o hielo.
The soil absorbs the water that falls in the form of rain, snow, or ice.
Las plantas absorben esa agua y la transforman para que pueda evaporarse de nuevo.
The plants absorb that water and transform it so it can evaporate again.
5. Runoff (La escorrentía)
El agua que no fue absorbida por el suelo se mueve de nuevo hacia lagos, ríos y océanos.
All the water that wasn’t absorbed by the soil flows to lakes, rivers, and oceans.
Check out this water cycle video in Spanish and this Spanish water cycle song.
Water Cycle in Spanish (For Kids Ages 9 to 12)
1. Evaporation (La evaporación)
El ciclo del agua funciona gracias a la energía que el sol produce en forma de calor.
The water cycle works thanks to the energy that the sun produces in the form of heat.
El agua de los océanos, ríos y lagos se calienta lo suficiente para evaporarse.
The water in the oceans, rivers, and lakes get hot enough to evaporate.
El agua se transforma en vapor, el cual sube a la atmósfera y se transforma en nubes o es absorbido por otras nubes.
The water transforms into vapor that goes up into the atmosphere, where it transforms into clouds or is absorbed by other clouds.
2. Condensation (La condensación)
El vapor llega a la atmósfera y se transforma en nubes.
The vapor goes into the atmosphere and forms the clouds.
Este comienza un proceso llamado condensación, donde el vapor se convierte en agua o hielo y es almacenado en las nubes.
The vapor begins the process of condensación (condensation), where it transforms into water or ice and is stored in the clouds.
3. Precipitation (La precipitación)
La precipitación sucede cuando el agua que se ha condensado en la atmósfera es liberada.
Precipitation occurs when the water condensed in the atmosphere falls.
Esta puede caer en forma de lluvia, granizo o nieve, dependiendo de la temperatura.
It can be in the form of rain, hail, or snow, depending on the temperature.
4. Infiltration (La infiltración)
La infiltración es el proceso donde el agua que cae en forma de lluvia, granizo o nieve penetra y es absorbida por el suelo.
La infiltración (infiltration) is the process where the water that falls in the form of rain, hail, or snow penetrates and is absorbed by the soil.
Una parte de esta agua es reabsorbida por las plantas, y luego estas la procesan y la transforman para que se pueda evaporar de nuevo.
One part of this water is reabsorbed by the plants, which then process it and transform it so it can evaporate again.
La otra parte se va a lo que se conocen como aguas subterráneas.
The other part goes to what is known as subterranean waters.
5. Runoff (La escorrentía)
La escorrentía es el último paso del ciclo del agua.
Runoff is the last step in the water cycle in Spanish.
Cuando la tierra es empinada, el agua que no fue absorbida por el suelo se mueve cuesta abajo, para luego unirse a otros cuerpos de agua.
When the land is steep, the water that wasn’t absorbed in this terrain moves downhill and joins other bodies of water.
Practice Spanish while Learning about Nature
Nature and natural phenomena are fascinating topics for kids! And what an amazing process it is to understand it in English and in Spanish, and any other language your children want to learn! Because when kids learn Spanish, they can learn other romance languages like Italian, French, and Portuguese with greater ease.
Also, kids have an amazing ability to pronounce sounds that are foreign and unfamiliar and understand grammar rules with ease. The earlier they begin, the easier it is for them to learn. Don’t hesitate to sign your child up for a free trial class with our friendly, certified, native-speaking teachers from Guatemala!
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“HSA offers very affordable, quality, one on one classes with a native speaker. My son has greatly benefited from taking classes. We have seen his confidence increase as well as his pronunciation improve, because he learns from a native Spanish speaker. HSA has quick, personal customer service. I have appreciated the one on one interaction and teaching that my son gets from his teachers. He has gotten to know his teachers, which has increased his confidence in speaking Spanish. Our family has been very pleased with our experience so far!”
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