The turbulence in the convective boundary layer organizes into coherent structures, that originate in the surface layer. These thermals are responsible for the entrainment process. They may also condensate and continue their ascent in a conditionnally unstable environment (penetrative convection). They must be parameterized in large-scale models. The presentation introduces a parameterization based on a multiple mass-flux approach. The assumptions and predictions will be evaluated against various experimental datas. The model will be shown to qualitatively reproduce the statistics of the (thermo-)dynamical properties, in dry and moist convection cases. The vertical mixing will be discussed in terms of the plumes properties.