| Volume 3, Issue 15
August 19, 2005
Water
WELCOME! to Education World's Early Childhood Newsletter. Every other week, I'll share some
ideas on a familiar teaching theme. Hopefully you will find a new activity idea or two -- or a new
twist on one of your old favorites! Since I know you are very busy, I'll be short and sweet -- like
most of activities I suggest.
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Water! What would any of us do without it? Its wonderful qualities -- cool, wet, clear, and clean
-- make most of us crave it during the heat of summer. Help your children learn to appreciate this
great resource and begin to learn about its many properties with our simple fun activities. Happy
splashing!
Susan LaBella
Editor, Early Childhood Education Newsletter
HOW DOES IT FEEL?
Set out two pans: one with warm water and one with crushed ice added. Ask children to touch the
outside of each pan and to then dip their hands into the water. Be sure children understand that
water can feel differently. You may wish to dip a thermometer into each pan to show and simply explain
actual temperatures to children. Ask, Which water would you like to use for a bath?
FLOAT OR SINK?
Read to children, Who Sank the Boat? by Pamela Allen (Putnam Publishing Group, paperback reissue
1996). Talk about things that float like boats and things that sink like rocks. Fill a shallow pan
with items like corks, leaves, bottle caps, soap, pebbles, buttons and paper clips. Invite children
to experiment with each item. After a few times, ask children to predict if the object will sink
or float. Expand the activity by folding and floating paper boats.
IS IT HEAVY OR LIGHT?
Invite children to get a sense of water’s weight by pouring and measuring it into different
containers of different sizes and shapes. Next fill a pitcher of water and show it to children.
Ask, do you think this clear water is heavy? Invite children to take turns standing in a wading
pool, holding an empty bucket. Let others take turns pouring water from the pitcher into the bucket.
Encourage children to understand that in time, the amount of water poured into the bucket makes
the bucket too heavy to hold.
EVAPORATE IT!
Help children begin to understand the process of evaporation. On a hot sunny day, let children wash
all the doll clothes and hang them in the sun. When the clothes are dry ask, “Where did the
water go? Only air touched them.” Explain that the water moved in tiny drops into the air.
This process is called evaporation.
Further demonstrate the process by
--- marking the outlines of puddles on a sidewalk after it has rained with chalk or small pebbles.
Invite children to observe the puddles at intervals and note that they are shrinking.
--- setting out shallow pans of water. Invite children to dip their bare feet into the water and
make footprints on a sidewalk or concrete area. Ask children to observe how long the footprints
last and when they disappear.
DROP IT, POUR IT, FEEL IT
Use a medicine dropper to drop water onto paper towel, aluminum foil, terry cloth, and polyester
fabric. Help children understand that some materials suck up the water and others do not. Now ask
children to find out more about water. How quickly or slowly does it sink or go through?
--- Place out pans of sand, dirt, or pebbles. Have children pour cupfuls of water into each pan.
Ask in which pan does water sink first? last? Why might this be true? Continue to experiment using
loose soil and hard packed soil.
--- Cut up squares from an old sheet and from plastic. Place a square of material on each child’s
arms. Spray each square lightly with water, asking children what they felt with each material. Ask
which fabric would you like for a raincoat?
--- Give each child a feather. Drop a drop of water on the feather. Encourage children to tell you
what happens. Then talk about how birds stay dry in a rainstorm.
Check out the following Web sites for more background and activities.
Ocean Unit
An entire unit on The Ocean filled with activity suggestions and lots more.
http://www.prekinders.com/oceanunit.htm
How Can We Take Care of Water?
A sound and simple listing of tips for saving water and keeping it clean.
http://www.ci.phoenix.az.us/WATER/wtrcare.html
What’s WRONG With This Picture?
Use this picture from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Let kids pick out the mistakes!
http://www.epa.gov/OWOW/NPS/kids/whatwrng.htm
Rain in a Bag
Help children see evaporation and condensation take place in the bag!
http://familyeducation.com/article/0,1120,63-5051,00.html
Wonders of Water
Let children try an online dictionary scavenger hunt using simple questions about water.
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/classroom/K1/waterquiz.shtml
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