The journey of a raindrop
The water CYCLE moves water around the planet again and again, and this word search gathers the journey. You'll track down the main stages — water starts to EVAPORATE in the SUNSHINE, rises as VAPOUR to CONDENSE into a CLOUD, falls back as RAIN or SNOW, and ends up in COLLECTION before it all starts again.
Each puzzle pulls a fresh selection from the list, so the cycle changes every time you play — gentle on Easy, and a Hard-mode journey once the diagonals and backwards words appear.
Where the water goes
Water is always on the move, and the words are here. A tiny DROPLET joins a PUDDLE, runs off as RUNOFF into a RIVER or LAKE, and flows to the OCEAN. Along the way there's MOISTURE in the air, a morning MIST, a HUMID afternoon, and a FREEZING or MELTING change of state — sometimes a whole STORM.
The same water, over and over
Here's a thought that amazes most people: the water cycle never makes new water — it just keeps moving the same water around, and it has done so for billions of years. The drink in your glass might once have flowed in a dinosaur's RIVER or fallen as RAIN on an ancient OCEAN. Almost none ever escapes, so Earth has roughly the same amount of water it has always had.
The Sun is the engine that keeps it turning. Its heat makes water EVAPORATE from the OCEAN, LAKEs and puddles, rising as invisible VAPOUR. High in the cooler sky it CONDENSEs into the tiny droplets of a CLOUD, and when those droplets grow heavy they fall as RAIN or SNOW. The water then gathers in rivers and seas — the COLLECTION stage — ready to rise and start the whole CYCLE again.
Great for a water or weather topic
It pairs perfectly with a science or geography lesson on water and weather — Easy mode keeps the grid small with no diagonals or reverse words. Play online, print a PDF pack, or use our Make Your Own tool to build a grid from your own water-cycle words.
Frequently asked questions
What's in the water cycle word search?
The journey of water — evaporation, condensation, precipitation and collection, plus clouds, rain, rivers and the ocean. Each puzzle uses a fresh mix.
Does it follow the stages of the water cycle?
It does — water EVAPORATES in the SUNSHINE, rises as VAPOUR to CONDENSE into a CLOUD, falls as RAIN, and gathers in COLLECTION before it starts again.
Is it good for a water or weather topic?
Great fit — pair it with a science or geography lesson on water. Easy mode keeps the grid small with no diagonals or reverse words.