What Causes ‘Rivers’ and How Are They Different from ‘Lakes’?

Rivers are like water highways, they flow from one place to another, while lakes are like giant puddles that stay still. Rivers start where the ground is high and end where it’s low, like a waterfall or the sea. Lakes happen when water gets trapped by land around it, like when you pour water into a bowl and it doesn’t spill out.

Rivers flow because of gravity, just like how your juice flows from the top of the cup to the bottom. If there’s a path for the water to go down, it will keep moving until it reaches its destination, like a lake or an ocean.

Lakes are usually surrounded by land that stops the water from flowing out. It's like if you put a lid on your bowl of water, the water stays in one place and doesn’t move much.