Activity instructions

Ages - 0 to 2

What to do:

Preparation: Get a sensory water table ready, including water wheels (if you don’t have water wheels you can make your own by following the instructions at Howcast - How to make a Waterwheel). You will also need a plastic cup for each child, half-filled with water. Finally, fill a large jug with water and place it close to the sensory water table.

Give each child a cup of water. Children can drink or touch the water. As they investigate the water, ask children what they know about water: What does water feel like? What does it look like? What does it sound like? What does it taste like? Who uses water? Remember to ask children to think about how plants and animals use water as well as people.

Once complete, ask children to take their plastic cups to the sensory water table. Ask children to experiment with pouring water onto the water wheels from their cups (if you have made your own water wheel, demonstrate how pouring water on the wheel spins the wheel around).

Top up student's cups with water from the jug, explaining that the water in the jug is all the water that the children have to use. Once the water from the jug runs out, reuse water from the sensory water table to keep the water wheels spinning.

Provocations:

I wonder what water feels like?
I wonder what water looks like?
I wonder what water sounds like?
I wonder what water smells like?
I wonder what water tastes like?
I wonder who uses water?

Possible lines of development:

Water safety.
Taking care with hot and cold taps.
Experiment with ice – how does it feel, where does it go?
Things that float or sink.
How things look different when wet: experiment with things in the yard such as wood, grass and pebbles.

Ages - 2 to 3

What to do:

Preparation: Get a sensory water table ready, including water wheels (if you don’t have water wheels you can make your own by following the instructions at Howcast - How to make a Waterwheel). You will also need a plastic cup for each child, half-filled with water. Finally, fill a large jug with water and place it close to the sensory water table. Also place a waterproof tube, pipe and/or funnel close to the table.

Give each child a cup of water. Children can drink or touch the water. As they investigate the water, ask children what they know about water: What words can they use to describe how it looks, feels, sounds, smells and tastes?

Also, ask children who uses water? Remind them to think about how plants and animals use water as well as people.

Once your discussion is complete, ask children to take their plastic cups to the sensory water table. Ask children to experiment with pouring water onto the water wheels from their cups (if you have made your own water wheel, demonstrate how pouring water on the wheel spins the wheel around).

With your assistance children can then create a simple watercourse using funnels and pipes to direct water onto the water wheels.

Use just one bucket or jug in your water play, explaining to children that this is all the water that the children have to use. Once the water from the bucket or jug runs out, children will need to reuse water from the sensory water table to keep the water wheels spinning.

Provocations:

I wonder what water feels like?
I wonder what water looks like?
I wonder what water sounds like?
I wonder what water smells like?
I wonder what water tastes like?
I wonder who uses water?
I wonder why we should save water?
I wonder how we can save water?

Possible lines of development:

Water safety.
Things that float or sink.
How things look different when wet: experiment with things in the yard such as wood, grass and pebbles.
Ways to save water at home and in your centre.
What needs water? Ask children to identify things in your centre garden that need water.

Ages - 3 to 5

What to do:

Preparation: Collect a range of things that will hold, spill, pour and spray water such as buckets, pipes, funnels, cups, bottles and other water toys.

Create a watercourse! Using the range of materials above, ask children to work as a group to create a structure that you can use to transport water from A to B. There is just one rule: children cannot move the water themselves by simply carrying it in pots.

Explain to children that they will only get one bucket of water to use on their watercourse. They will need to think about how to collect water at Point B so it can be reused.

You could measure the amount of water that goes into Point A and compare it to the amount that comes out at Point B to see how much is spilled on your course. How does this relate to what happens in nature (like a river, for example)? There might be people using water, or there might be evaporation.

As children create their course, talk to them about how we have to save water by reusing water where we can.

If you need some ideas on how to build a watercourse, visit Pinterest and search for "Water Play".

Provocations:

I wonder how we use water?
I wonder why we should save water?
I wonder how we can save water in our centre?
I wonder how we can save water at home?
I wonder who needs water?

Possible lines of development:

Ways to save water at home and in your centre.
What needs water? Ask children to identify things in your centre garden that need water.
Water safety.
Drinking clean water – how do you know it’s clean?
Where does water come from? (The sky, the ocean, rivers or under the ground.)
Using water to make energy - use this water wheel as a discussion starter.

Evaluation

Complete an analysis of learning listing evidence about:

Belonging	Finding something of interest
Communication	Expressing an idea or feeling
Exploration	Engaging with challenges and persisting when difficulties arise
Well being	Being involved

Embedding into Daily Practice

Garden savings - Water gardens only in the cool and still times of the day and water the roots not the leaves.
Think before you flush - Mark the half button on dual flush toilets to empower the children to make a 50% saving.

Hydro Tasmania - Watercourse

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