Each March 22 is World Water Day. In 2021 the figures for access to water are alarming, 3 out of 10 people in the world do not have access to safe drinking water services. In addition, more than 80% of wastewater from human activities is discharged into rivers or the sea without any treatment, which causes its contamination.
To educate your sons and daughters about the importance and care of water we propose a series of activities: reflections, stories and experiments for different ages.
Importance of water
The water, and especially the fresh water, is a scarce and fundamental good for life on our planet. From a very young age, children should be aware of the importance of water. Also no all drinking water they have the same quality. It is not always as easy as opening the tap and drinking, you can give them the example of Spanish cities where you have to consume bottled water.
Some actions with which you can help at home They are, for example, taking a quick shower instead of a soaking bath, turning off the tap while brushing your teeth or lathering your hands, or washing the car with a bucket of water instead of a hose.
Take advantage of today with your children to talk about the importance of water. You can ask all ages the following questions, as an example:
- What things have you done today that have needed water?
- What kinds of jobs require water?
- What would we do if we didn't have water?
Their responses will help you create interesting and why not fun conversations.
Stories to explain to children the importance of water
There are different stories that deal with the issue of the importance of water, its cycle, or how in some places there is no access to it. We are going to name you some, they are easy to get books, but also On Youtube and other channels you have videos for the little ones in the house.
- Once upon a time there was a drop of rain, it is recommended for 6 over years. The protagonist of the story and her little brother will show, through its pages, the water cycle. A book that will help you learn more about water.
- Aba, the water that traveled It has a drop of water as the main character. It is a recommended story from the 4 years. The illustrations accompany the text perfectly, so that the children themselves are the ones who interpret the story, if they are not yet reading.
- The princess of the water, is one of the best children's stories about water, which focuses, this time on the importance of drinking water. Gie Gie, an African girl has to travel many kilometers every morning to reach the water well. A story to educate children about the importance of Do not waste the water, and value what you have.
Experiments to do at home
To explain the importance of water, some experiments have been carried out in different educational centers. We especially liked the one made by some 2 primary school students, that you can do at home.
The idea is to have three pots of the same type of plant. And every day water it one with fresh water, another with salt water, and the third with contaminated water. Plants must always be watered with the same type of water. After a week the children will see how only the plant watered with fresh water remains alive. The other two, the salt water and the polluted one, cannot survive.
With this other experiment We will teach you to be careful what you throw into the water. First we need to pour a tablespoon of baby oil, or vegetable oil in a deep dish with water. Now the children will have to try to remove the oil and clean the water, but without emptying it. It will never be as clean as in the beginning. We have shown them that cleaning water from waste is not easy. Imagine, what it is like to clean oil from the ocean, or a stream full of garbage. Do not pour the water into the sink, as it is contaminated.