How to Teach Children About Water Conservation

Turning on the tap and letting the water flow endlessly is something kids do without thinking. Fresh water is a small percent of all water on earth and the amount of fresh water available shrinks every year. Help kids become aware of the need for water conservation by giving them hands-on activities that help conserve water.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Explain to kids why fresh water is important. Tell them that they need it to drink, cook, water plants and bathe.
2. Ask the kids if they can think of any ways that they waste water. Let them know that running the water while brushing their teeth, washing fruits and vegetables and when playing water games outside wastes fresh water.
3. Go over ideas for water conservation and how kids can reuse water. Make a chart showing different ideas for water conservation.
4. Catch rain water in a bucket and let kids use it for watering plants inside and outside.
5. Teach kids that flushing the toilet all the time wastes gallons of water. Have them practice flushing the toilet only when necessary.
6. Let kids do chores around the home that help teach water conservation. Some lessons that chores teach are: load the dishwasher or washing machine only when full, turn the hose off when washing pets and cars, fill the sink with water when washing dishes and water the lawn in the early morning or evening hours and not during the middle of the day.
7. Assign a water conservation paper where the kids must explain two or three bad things that would happen if the earth runs out of fresh water. Younger kids can do this assignment with drawings and short sentences.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure kids turn all faucets off tightly so water doesn't drip. Put a glass under a dripping faucet so kids can see how much water is wasted if the faucets aren't turned off tight.