Learning Experiences for Preschool and Kindergarten

Do your students want to know where water comes from and where it goes? Here is a collection of ideas to help your children discover answers to these questions!
One of the most common experiences children have with water is when it's in the form of rain. How can playing in puddles and collecting rainwater help children learn about the world around them? Follow along to find out!

Start with a Water Hunt!
Search for Signs of Water

When beginning any investigation or long term study, many classes will look for a clear connection between the chosen topic and the world directly around them. An easy way to do this for Hydrology or other water studies is to go on a Water Walk or Water Scavenger Hunt. Whether you are walking with a class indoors or outside (in any season), there are signs of water everywhere! Will your children notice fire hydrants and sprinklers? Or maybe they will point out drains and downspouts? Perhaps they enjoy seeing water movement like through drinking fountains or the rain itself. Many times children will notice things adults don't ever think of. What will your children see?

Many Paths of Studying Water: What will yours be?

There's many pathways to studying hydrology extending from this point. The next step depends on what the children in your class are most interested in. And because the journey of water doesn't have a distinct starting or ending point (The Water Cycle), you can start anywhere! 

Here are some possible concepts you may consider during your hydrology investigation: 
The Water Cycle
States of Matter
Properties of Water
Natural Sources of Water
​Ecosystems/Movement of Water in Nature
​Water Collection 
​Water Usage and Conservation
Water Filtration and Sanitation
Water Quality and Pollution
Natural Filtration and Sediments
​Weathering/Erosion
Ground Water vs. Surface Water
Pipes and Plumbing
Water Pressure/Velocity
Hydropower

Water's Journey: The Water Cycle 

Try This!
Questions/Discussion
  • What do you observe?​
  •  Why is this happening? When the sun hits the window, it heats up the water in the bag. That water turns into a gas through the process called evaporation.
  • In nature, evaporated water vapor goes into the atmosphere, but in our bag, it has nowhere to go, so it ends up sticking to the sides of the bag, turning back into a liquid as condensation. That condensed water then slides back into the pool of ​water below as “rain”. This is known as the water cycle.
  •  Keep checking back on your experiment a few times a day, or anytime it’s sunny ​to see the water cycle progress.​
Family Connection​​
  • Have families make a terrariums together. A terrarium is a sealable glass container containing soil and plants and can be opened for maintenance to access the plants inside. The family will be able to observe the water cycle happen in the terrarium as the water continuously recycles itself just like on Earth. 
  • Make it a Science Experiment: Make three identical terrariums. You have to use the same kind of container, the same amount of soil & the same plants. Make your variable (the thing you are going to test) the amount of water you put into the terrariums. Measure a different amount of water into each terrarium. Close the lids and watch the terrariums over several days to see which amount of water made the best environment for your plants. A terrarium with too little water will have dry plants. A terrarium with too much water will have plants with yellow leaves and maybe even mold growing on the soil!​
Questions/Discussion
  • If you only watered the soil in our terrariums once; how did the water get on the lid?
  • Take your lid off the terrarium and feel the soil. Why is the soil still wet? Do you think that any water has evaporated from the soil? Why?
  • If water evaporated, where did the evaporated water go? Did it ever rain in your terrarium? How do you know? Where did the rain come from?
  • Is there anything in your terrarium that reminds you of a cloud or cloud drops?​

Read-Along Book
Learn more...

Natural Sources: Rain

Try this!

Water Movement: Pipes/Plumbing

Try This!​
Try This!
  • Provide transparent plastic pipes and connectors, found in a hardware store. Children can build pipe systems, and then pour water and watch it flow down through their system into the water table or a bucket.
  • Children are fascinated by making water flow. Provide them with opportunities to understand how flow works and what stops it as they solve problems over and over in different ways at a water table or outdoors. 
  • Allow children to explore and manipulate real knobs, pipes, and clean plumbing parts. How do these parts help water move or stop moving?
Activities:
1. Building Water Pathways:
Assembly: Provide children with different types of pipes and connectors. Encourage them to assemble a pathway or a simple structure using the pipes. Explain how water can flow through these pipes just like it flows through plumbing at home.
Experiment: Let them pour water at one end and observe how it moves through the pathway. Discuss how the water flows differently in straight pipes, bends, or intersections.

2. Observing Water Movement:
Gravity Experiment: Set up a slightly inclined pathway with different types of pipes and let water flow through it. Discuss how gravity helps move the water and how the speed changes on different slopes.
Measuring Flow: Encourage them to measure how much water flows through different parts of the pathway in a specific time. Use measuring cups or containers with volume markings.

3. Understanding Pressure and Velocity:
Obstruction Experiment: Introduce an obstruction (like partially covering the end of a pipe) to show how it affects water flow. Discuss how it increases pressure before the obstruction and how it changes velocity after the obstruction is removed.
Exploration: Try different pipe diameters to show how narrower pipes increase pressure and affect water speed compared to wider ones.

4. Playful Learning:
Add Props: Introduce toy boats or objects that can float. Let them observe how the movement of water affects these objects differently based on velocity and pressure.
Labeling: Add stickers or draw markings on pipes to label where water flows fastest or slowest. This visual aid helps in understanding differences in velocity.
Materials Needed:
  • Plastic pipes or tubes (clear ones work best to see the water flow)
  • Various connectors (elbows, T-joints, straight connectors)
  • Buckets or containers
  • Water
  • Measuring cups or containers with volume markings
  • Stickers or markers for labeling
Ask Questions/Discussion
  • What happens when you turn on the tap? Where does the water come from?
  • Can you imagine how water travels from a big water source to our house? What do you think it passes through?
  • Do you know what pipes are? Where have you seen pipes before?
  • Why do you think water comes out fast from some taps and slow from others?
  • Can you pretend to be a drop of water traveling through pipes? What obstacles might you face along the way?
  • What do you think happens to the water after it goes down the drain? Where does it go?
  • How can we save water at home?​
  • Why do you think the water flows faster in some parts?
  • What happens when we change the angle of the pipes?
Family Connection
  • Look at the pips/plumbing in your house. What type of pipes do you have?  Can you follow the jorey of the water?
  • Ask your parents of a time when something got stuck in a pipe? What did we do to fix it? What was it?
  • Discuss as a family why is it important to fix leaks in pipes? Have you ever had a leak in your house? What happended?
  • Together design and build  a pipe system for a water park, what would it look like?
Learn more...
Cleaning-Up and Filtering Water
Try These!
Questions
  • Why does the order of materials matter when creating a water filter? 
  • Do different materials filter smaller particles or bigger particles?
  • Does the water get cleaner if you run it through the filter more than once or twice?
  • What other suggestions do you have for filtering water?
Experimenting with Filters
  • There are many materials that can be used to filter water. While it may require chemicals, boiling, or other treatments to kill bacteria found in water, children can easily experiment with items that remove large particles and pollutants out of the water.
  • Try using rocks, sand, pebbles, nets, mesh, coffee filters, cloth, sifters, strainers and more. Which ones do best at filtering dirt? Which ones catch litter the best? What might you need to remove oils from the water? Is it possible to remove color from water?
In-Depth Discussion
  • An important part of these water filter experiments is also making sure that children realize that even though their water looks clean and clear, it is not safe to drink. Depending where you got your water, there are lots of tiny bits of bacteria and maybe even bugs, that we cannot see. When water is properly cleaned all of those extra things in the water, that can make us sick, are removed.
  • If you have a microscope, you could look at the dirty and clean water on a slide to compare. This would also be a great opportunity to show children the microscopic things in the water. Or you could compare the water you filtered with drinking water​​
Questions/Discussion
  • Ask the children to think about different pieces of trash they have thrown out this week. Make a list on chart paper. Have the children talk about how it could pollute our soil and the earth. 
  •  Find pictures of polluted water and discuss the pictures with the children. Ask the children if the water they swim and bathe in looks like the water in the pictures. Or if they would like to swim in that water. 
  • Ask if they would want to drink that water. Ask if they think the fish like to swim in that water.
  •  Brainstorm with the children how we can keep our drinking water and our ponds, streams, lakes and oceans clean and free from pollution. 
  •  Find items in the room or on the playground that could pollute our drinking water.
  •  Have you seen  trash items in your local rivers, lakes, or other water sources? 
  •  What can you tell others about the dangers of throwing their trash in the water?
Learn more...
Family Connection: What can you do to help? 
  • Save water - Fresh and clean water is a precious resource. Don't waste it! Take shorter showers, ask your parents not to water the lawn, make sure the toilet isn't running, and don't leave the faucet running.
  • Don't use weed killer - Ask your parents if you can pull the weeds in the yard so they don't need to use weed killer (an herbicide).
  • Scrape your plates clean into the trash and don't put grease into the kitchen drain.
  • Trash - Always pick up your trash, especially when at the beach, lake, or river.
Natural Sources: Rivers and Streams
Try This!​​
  • ​Use Marble Maze to Study Water Movement
  • Form a River in the Sand Box
  • Build a River Model
  • Search for Mini-Streams: creeks, runnels, ditches and brooks
  • Collect and Study Stream Water
River Model Experiment
  • Set up your flat “river” by placing aluminum foil or pipe cut in half on a flat surface. Invite a child to pour water on your flat river. Discuss whether it moves 
    and what you notice about it. What happens when you place an object on it?
  • Set up your sloped “river” by placing aluminum foil or pipe cut in half on a sloped surface. Invite a child to pour water on your sloped river. What happens to the water when the surface is sloped?​
  • Encourage the children to take turns placing objects on each “river” and noticing what happens. You can use rubber ducks, tin foil boats, or any other small objects that float.
  • Ask the children if objects moved faster on the flat river or the sloped river. What else did they observe? Did the objects they put on the rivers sink or float?​
Questions/Discussion
  • Have the children been to a river before? What do they know about rivers?​
  • Rivers help us get water. How do we use water in our daily lives? (drinking, feeding animals, agriculture, activities like canoeing/kayaking)
  • Some animals live in rivers. Do you know what animals live in water?​
  • Explain that rivers move faster when they are on a slope. Explain “slope” to the children and demonstrate the meaning. Use your arms to illustrate the angles of a slope. Place a ball on your shoulder to show how it rolls down the slope of your arm. Show pictures of hills and encourage the children to point out the slopes.​​
Form a River in the Sand
​Allow children to use shovels, buckets and other sand toys to dig their own miniature river. Ask them where in the sand their river will be and where it will go.

​Let them experiment with water and prompt critical thinking communication amongst children when obstacles arise. Where will the water for their river come from? How will the river water flow? Where will it end up?
Learn more...
Wetlands: Natural Filtration
Did you know wetlands purify water? Wetlands help trap excessive amounts of pollutants and silt. A wetland system can also protect shorelines, cleanse polluted waters, prevent floods, and restore underground water supplies. Children will explore how wetlands benefit people, animals, and plants.
Wetland Experiments
  • Experiment 1: Use pan and incline to create a hill. This represents a cement hill/street. Pour a small amount of dirty water in small 3 oz. cups. Let each child have a cup and take turns pouring the water down the hill. Allow children to describe what they see. What do you notice? How fast did the water flow? What does the water look like in the bottom of the pan?
  • Experiment 2: Use pan, incline, and artificial grass (turf) to create a hill. This represents a grass filter strip. A filter strip helps to prevent contamination of surface water. Pour a small amount of dirty water in small 3 oz. cups. Let children each have a cup and take turns pouring the water down the hill. Allow children to describe what they see. What do you notice? Compare the speed of the water flow to the first experiment. What does the water look like in the pan?
  • Experiment 3: Use a third pan, incline, artificial grass (turf), and sponges to create a wetland. This represents a marsh. Brainstorm the difference that the sponges will or will not make. Let each child have a cup of dirty water to pour down the hill.Allow children to describe what they see. What do you notice? Compare the flow of water. What happened to the water? ​
Questions/Discussion
  • Think about what happens when rain hits the land. What happens to the water after it falls to the ground? 
  • Explain that a wetland catches rain and holds it just like the sponge did in this experiment. The water is stored in the ground and fills wells so we have water during hot, dry summers. Wetlands also slow water down if there is a flood so roads and houses are not washed away. Notice how the sponge slowed the flow of water.
  • Compare the three pans of water. Which water would you rather drink? Refer back to the water cycle lesson. Wetlands improve our water quality. Plant roots and leaves help to clean dirty water and create a nice place for place for plants and animals to live. Save water and pour into 3 jars with lids and labels. 
Create a Floating Wetland
  • Show children a picture of the floating treatment wetlands. Explain that these are made by people as a way to keep the water healthy.
  • Create a floating treatment wetland display for your classroom. Choose a volunteer to pour spring water into a glass vase or bowl. 
  • Have another volunteer place the roots of the plant(s) through the plastic, so the leaves are on top and the roots are below. What do plants need to survive
  • Place the plastic on the water. Explain to children that the plant will float on the surface of the water. Where are the roots
  • Explain that the roots in the water will help keep  the water healthy. This is also how a floating treatment wetland works.
  • What do you think would happen if there were not plants to keep the water clean?
  • How does the floating treatment wetlands help animals, such as fish?
Try This!
Family Connection
  • Examine a wetlands map together. Do you live near a wetland?  Have you ever seen one?
  • Ask your child to demonstrate how wetlands clean water by using a sponge. Knowing that wetlands are effective filters, do you think wetlands often become polluted? And what can you do to help preserve wetlands?​
  • Could visit a wetland (or near any other body of water to pick up trash and discuss the importance of keeping any and all water clean and free of trash
Family Connection
  • Send a picture of a real floating wetland and a picture of the floating wetland you made. Encourage parents to ask their children to compare ​them. How are they similar? How are they different? How does the plant help to keep the water healthy?
  • Keep your floating wetland on display for visitors to see. Encourage children to explain how the floating wetland works to their families. You can also send home instructions for how families can build their own floating treatment wetland
Learn more...

Natural Sources: Groundwater

Try This
  • Learn how how careless use and disposal of harmful contaminants above the ground can potentially end up in the drinking water below the ground -Build an Aquifer
Family Connection
  • Have the children take home their aquifer.
  •  Encourage the children to show their family their aquifer and explain how to keep our drinking water safe and clean.
  •  Have the family go on a pollution hunt. Find items that could damage our ​drinking water in the neighborhood. 
  •  Create an aquifer as a family activity.

Conserve Water Together​

  Fun Fact:  How does the amount of water it takes to grow broccoli compare to strawberries?
On an area of land the size of a football field: 81,000 gallons of water for 15,000 heads of broccoli, 1.1 million gallons of water for 1 million almonds, 200,000 gallons of water for 500,000 strawberries
Try This!​
Introducing and Discussing Water Conservation​
  • Teaching the ABCs of Water Conservation: Introduce the concept of water conservation using simple language and relatable examples. Discuss daily activities where water is used, such as washing hands or watering plants, and brainstorm ways to do these activities more responsibly. Consider creating a classroom pledge where children commit to small actions like turning off taps when not in use.
  • Interactive Learning through Play: Children learn best through play, so incorporate water-saving games into your lessons. From counting water drops to matching water-related images, turn the learning experience into an interactive and enjoyable adventure. These games not only educate but also instill a sense of responsibility and fun in water conservation.
  • Hands-On Activities for Sustainability: Engage your students in hands-on, eco-friendly projects to deepen their understanding of sustainability. Planting a classroom garden, creating recycled watering cans, or designing water-wise posters can instill a sense of pride and accomplishment while promoting the importance of caring for our environment.
  • Aqua, the Classroom Water Ambassador: Introduce Aqua, a friendly water droplet character, as the class mascot. Make Aqua the ambassador for water-saving initiatives, and encourage students to share their water-saving achievements or ideas with Aqua. This personification can make the concept more relatable and enjoyable for young minds.
  • Understanding Water's Role in Food Production: Begin by introducing the concept of water's role in growing the food we eat. Discuss how fruits, vegetables, and grains need water to grow and thrive. What about livestock?  How much water is needed in animal agriculture? Encourage discussions about making sustainable food choices. Discuss the benefits of local produce, seasonal eating, and the impact of food transportation on water resources. 
  • Field Trips and Guest Speakers: Organize field trips or invite local experts to share insights on water conservation. Visiting a water treatment facility or having a guest speaker discuss the importance of sustainable practices can provide real-world context, making the learning experience more tangible and memorable.​
Questions/Discussion
  • What kinds of water waste might individual families and communities be able to reduce? ​
  • What are ways that you use water at home? Do you think you waste any water at home (use more than you could if you changed your behavior)?
  • What is water waste? When or how is water wasted? What are some other sources of water waste at home?​ ​​
Family Connection
  • Have the students make 2 lists with their families: What do they currently do to save water and what can they start to do to help conserve?
  • Here are a few ways that children and families can get involved in saving water resources. 
  • Check out the Water Footprint of Food Guide to learn your food’s water footprint.
  • Find ways to stop wasting food and remember that discarded food wastes all the resources it took to produce that food, including water.
Learn more...

More Hydrology Activities

Model Water Bodies
Water in Underground Aquifers​
How Much Water Does Soil Hold?​

More Hydrology Videos

Books about Hydrology

Click on the link to purchase from Amazon.

Hydrology Resources and References

https://flbs.umt.edu/newflbs/media/2052/flare_water-cycle_vocabulary-foldable_lesson-plan_final.pdf  

https://www.usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school 

https://www.natgeokids.com/uk/discover/science/nature/water-cycle/ 

https://www.ducksters.com/science/environment/hydropower.php
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