Background information

Content information about water:

All life on Earth depends on water, and for much of this life, fresh water is essential. Although water covers three-quarters of our Earth’s surface, fresh water only makes up 1% of this water – just a tiny sliver scattered on this Earth to support us all.

In Australia, we live in the driest inhabited country in the world. It is critical that young children learn to appreciate and conserve water. Exploring water through play and creativity has an important role in educating children about the importance of water, its various properties and states, different types of water, where it comes from and where it goes, what it is used for and who uses it.

Children will benefit from frequent water-based activities, through which they will grow to appreciate its value and understand all of its uses. If your service is in an area where water is particularly scarce, consider limiting the amount of water provided to children for play (e.g. a bucket, a small tub or water container with a tap, and you could also consider a water pump that reticulates the water for reuse).

There are lots of ways to use water with your children, but it's useful to be prepared! If spending time playing with water is a new thing for your service, you may need to let families and staff know, and be prepared with spare clothes (or plastic smocks) and towels, and allow plenty of time to dry off and get changed at the end of a water play session.

Content information about sustainability and creativity:

Sustainability describes the ability to keep going at the same rate and in the same (or better) condition as before. In order for our world to be able to sustain us, as well as the generations to come, we need to change. It’s time to think differently - and more creatively - about sustainability and the future of our planet.

Creativity and approaching challenges in a creative way has traditionally been seen as a natural gift, but in fact it can be grown just like a muscle. Creativity is like any other skill. It can be learned and developed – especially in the classroom. It’s a crucial skill for everybody to practice and ultimately, master.

Our environment provides a wealth of opportunities for children to explore and develop creativity. Nature itself stimulates our senses and encourages imagination and inspiration. Animals and plants excite and amaze us. The seasons offer different palettes and materials to work with at different times of the year. Natural phenomena such as rainbows and thunderstorms incite wonder and awe.

Exploring key themes around sustainability through creativity is key in engaging children's interest in these important – and often very serious – issues. And it is proven that children who are connected to their world and their environment are more likely to take action to care for it later in life.

Faber-Castell have long understood the importance of creativity to all people, especially to young people. They are also continuously searching for environmentally friendly processes and materials in support of their creative goals. For more information about Faber-Castell, click here.

Teaching children about the natural world should be treated as one of the most important events in their lives.
thomas berry

Definitions:

Sustainability: Sustainability is about making sure there is enough for our environment and for everyone on Earth both now, and in the future.

New words for children to learn:

Waterhole
Environment

Ages 0 to 2

Preparation:

Collect a range of different containers that can hold water and place colourful materials around these containers, including coloured balls, different coloured strips of fabric, flowers and petals, leaves etc.
You could also have ice cubes, spray bottles, cups and spoons nearby for children to use.
You may also need towels and clean clothes.

Begin the session by talking to children about water and some of the ways that we use it, such as for drinking, cleaning, cooking, watering the garden and for playing.

You can now invite children to play with the water, and to add and remove as many of the coloured items as they like, testing to see which ones float and which ones sink, and which ones change colour or appearance.

You could also let them explore the water with their whole body. You could consider providing larger containers that children can climb into if they want to.

You could also let children play with the spray bottles and ice cubes.

In addition, you could provide older children with paint brushes and invite them to paint with water, either straight onto the ground or onto some paper.

Adding some non-toxic water colour paints to spray bottles, ice cubes, and water used for painting could add another level of interest and engagement for children.

Remember to empty the water out onto the garden before you go inside – you could involve the children in a garden watering exercise, explaining why the plants you are watering will benefit from this water. Do not leave water in containers unattended.

Provocations

I wonder what water is?
I wonder what water looks, feels, smells, tastes and sounds like?
I wonder where water comes from?
I wonder how we use water?
I wonder how our plants and animals need and use water?
I wonder why we should save water?
I wonder how we can save water?
I wonder how we can make water into ice? I wonder how we can make ice into water?
I wonder how different things change when they get wet?

Possible lines of development

make music with water
water safety
model water-saving behaviour (turning off taps, half flush toilet, recycling water, use water from a tank, etc)
where in our home / service do we find water?
invite children to draw with watercolour pencils, marker pens or crayons and then use water to paint over these drawings
other ideas for water play with your children: Water play – Early Learning.

Ages 3 to 5

Invite children to sit in a discussion circle and begin by asking them to suggest everything they know about water, including:

I wonder what water is?
I wonder where water comes from?
I wonder what water looks like, tastes like, feels like, smells like and sounds like? (Tip: consider providing children with cups or bowls of water to test how their senses react to water or take this activity outside if you’re worried about mess.)
I wonder why we need water?
I wonder how we use water?

Suggest to children that we need water to live. The insides of our bodies need fresh, clean water to stay healthy, and we need fresh, clean water to keep the outside of our bodies clean. Explain to children that our environment also needs water to stay healthy.

Now share the book The Waterhole by Graham Base with students. In addition to counting the animals around the waterhole, invite children to reflect upon what is happening to the water in the waterhole and how the animals are reacting. Consider the following;

I wonder what we do when we are thirsty?
I wonder if animals get thirsty?
I wonder if plants get thirsty?
I wonder if our environment needs water?
I wonder why we should save water and look after water?

Explain to children that on each page there are frogs hiding - can you and the children find them? There are 10 frogs on the first page, with the number of frogs going down as the size of the waterhole goes down. Suggest to older children that there are fewer frogs because frogs need water and as the amount of water drops, so will the number of frogs.

Lead children to the conclusion that water is precious: it’s not only people who need water but our environment too.

Explain to children that they are now going to do some watery art; art that uses lots of water and encourages people to think about saving water. You could lead children in using one/some of the following techniques that use water:

Painting with water: Invite children to dip paintbrushes in water and to paint on paved or concrete surfaces (such as footpaths or walls).
Watercolour in the rain: Create a watercolour drawing or painting and then place them in the rain to see how the raindrops create new effects on your paintings.
Spray bottle painting: Fill several spray bottles with water and add different watercolour paints to each bottle. Spray your watercolours onto paper.
Drip painting: Use watercolour paints or diluted acrylic paints and drip these paints from your paintbrush onto paper.
Watercolour and salt: Paint your paper with watercolour paint. While still wet, sprinkle salt onto your paint. The result will differ according to the amount of paint used and the size of the salt grains (TIP: you could experiment with different sized grains of salt!)

Consider making a display of children’s artwork around the theme 'Water is precious' to share with other children, parents and staff.

Provocations

I wonder what water is?
I wonder where water comes from?
I wonder how we use water?
I wonder how our environment needs and uses water?
I wonder why we should save water?
I wonder how we can save water?
I wonder how water gets into the tap?
I wonder where it goes when it goes down the drain?

Possible lines of development

plant root systems (how do plants get water from the ground?)
how do fish breathe underwater?
visit your local creek, wetland or beach
different types of water e.g. seawater and freshwater. Which water can we drink? How much water on earth is fresh or seawater?
where in our home / service do we find water?
other ideas for water play with your children: Water play – Early Learning
pollution and water: Healthy rivers – Early Learning
different states of water, e.g. ice or mist or steam.

Evaluation

Complete an analysis of learning listing evidence about:

Belonging	Finding something of interest
Communication	Expressing an idea or feeling
Exploration	Engaging with a challenge and persisting when difficulties arise
Wellbeing	Being involved

Embedding into daily practice

Work with children to complete a sustainability audit of your service: Sustainability Audit – Early Learning.
Introduce or reinforce water-saving practices in your service, including there are signs reminding staff and children to save water, dripping taps are repaired, and staff and children know to dispose of water used for play on plants and gardens.
Hold outdoor art sessions at your service once a week or month and invite all children to join in and share their work with children of all age groups.
Provide families with tips or suggestions on ways to incorporate sustainability and creativity at home.

Creative Sustainability - Water Works

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