Today is World Earth Day and there are many events being held around the world, to raise awareness about climate change and other threats against the environment. As part of the curriculum for Maggie’s Kindy this term, they have to learn about sustainability and caring for our Earth, which fit in neatly with my water wise session with the kids. Teaching children how to be water wise is important because it empowers them with the knowledge needed to make wise decisions with the water that comes easily through a tap.
On Tuesday and Wednesday this week, I presented a 60 minute presentation, explaining how we can all play a part in protecting our water system.
It was a slightly daunting task putting together something that 3 and 4-year-olds could understand and put into practice.
I have no doubts that the kids learnt something as Maggie freaked out when I left the water running at the sink to fill it to wash the dishes.
Even when she went to bed, she explained to Jacob how we don’t flush toys or paper towel down the toilet.
It’s amazing how much our kids retain at such a young age.
I thought I would share a bit of what my presentation included, if you wanted to teach your own children about how to be water wise.
Teaching Children How to be Water Wise
I started off my presentation by explaining the water cycle. Pictures can speak a thousand words, I used this image from Sydney Water.
We then watched the Journey of the Blob, which gives a visual explanation of how the water cycle works. Maggie and Esther loved watching this. I enjoy watching it too. That 1970’s kitchen is priceless!
After I talked about the water cycle, I explained where our waste water goes and why it’s important we think about what goes down the drain or gets flushed down the toilet.
The three p’s are the only things that should be flushed down the toilet – Poo, Pee and Paper.
After explaining how sewer water is treated and where it ends up, I opened up to a discussion on what we can do to save water around the house. This short video was a great way to get the kids to think about how they can save water.
After the presentation, I shared a laminated pamphlet, sharing 30 ways to save water around the house.
It was a lot of fun teaching the kids and I loved their answers to my questions.
When I asked if they knew what a plumber was, one boy confidently said, ‘Plumbers make plums’.
Another boy said ‘it was a man who…’ and I quickly interrupted him to say plumbers could be girls as well.
The best part of putting together the presentation, was learning a few facts myself about water. Who knew that 97.5% of the world’s water is saltwater and only 1% of the useable water in the world is drinkable?
Facts like these only confirm why it’s important to teach children how valuable water is and why we need to conserve it.
