Water is Water

Water is Water written by Miranda Paul and illustrated by Jason Chin (2015)

Follow along as this pair of adventurous children explore the many forms of water. They splash in puddles, sled on the snow, drink apple cider, run in the rain, and wait in the fog. Each new experience leads to the next because water is ever-changing. They find the changes in their world as exceptions to the facts. So, steam is steam unless… it’s a cloud.

Poetic and fanciful, this book encourages children to explore beyond what they see and imagine what lies ahead.

 

There are so many ways to enjoy this book! Read it for the sheer beauty of the words and pictures. Read it to transport yourself to a watery world of joy. Read it to spark a discussion about the water cycle.

Try some of these activities to demonstrate the water cycle.

Add 1/4 cup of water to a clear plastic bag. Seal and hang in a sunny window. Observe and record changes in the water. If you do this before the bag is labeled, your kiddos will understand the process before you introduce the vocabulary. You can always label another bag later and repeat the experience with accurate vocabulary.

Add shaving cream to a cup of water to simulate clouds above the earth. Demonstrate how moister collects in the clouds and rains down. Add food coloring to the shaving cream then spray water over the clouds until the food coloring begins to drip through the shaving cream. 

 

Add hot water to a glass jar and cover with a plate of ice. When the warm air reaches the cold air it condenses and falls back down the sides of the jar as precipitation.

Make a closed terrarium by recycling a plastic container (chicken, salad, etc) or a plastic bottle (water, pop, etc). Line your container with small pebbles, add soil and a small plant. Water the soil or add another small container of water (bottle cap, shell etc). Close the container. The water cycle will naturally keep the plant moist but you will have to replenish some of the evaporated water every week or so because the system is not completely sealed.