Whether you stumble upon a babbling brook or a swift-moving stream as you hike through the woods, both will invariable cause you to pause and stare for a moment. Streams are beautiful to look at, but they are also an important part of the forest habitat.

Streams provide a water source and a home for the animals found in the region. But these swift-moving threads of water also serve to move water and minerals from high up in the mountains down to the rivers, which then carry the water out to the sea.

Streams feed, or provide water, to lakes, and streams carry the water out of a lake. This is so that the water in the lake does not stagnate, rather it is constantly being drained and replenished.

Streams carry fresh water and are typically very clear. The current is generally swift in a stream as gravity is pulling the water downhill. As streams move through the land, move the soil and wear away the rock, which is known as erosion.

Fun Fact – Geographers typically refer to any water that moves towards to ocean as a stream, even though it may be a river to us.

Teaching Science at Home

Want to learn more about streams? Check out the following articles:

• Streams and rivers can be found everywhere!
• How Rivers and Streams Are Formed
• {Video} Kids Talk – Streams at Castlewood Canyon State Park by Ian Kellett

Related Homeschool Science Activities

Keep the learning going with these science activities!

• Sift a stream and discover what the current is carrying in this activity.
• {Field Trip} Visit a stream in your area!