Teaching kids about water

Fortunately for us, when we want water, it is as simple as turning on a tap, and there it is, piped into our homes, clean and fresh and available whenever we need it. But that doesn’t mean that we should waste it; despite its apparent abundance - there is after all more water on the earth's surface than there is land - water is a valuable commodity that should not be wasted. Teaching our children to value, respect, and, above all, not waste water, is an important - and ecologically sound - lesson that should be taught from an early age!

Easy ways to save water

We should all be looking at ways to save water around the home and the simplest and probably the most obvious is to turn the tap off when we don’t need it! How many of us routinely leave the taps running when we clean our teeth? Or fill the bath right up to the top for a measly five minute soak?! Or let the kitchen sink over flow when we dash of to answer the phone or the front door? As fun as it is to use the garden hose for water fights in the hot weather, it is also extremely wasteful!

Easy ways for the family to save water

Shower instead of bathing!. Don’t run the dishwasher on a half load! Wait until you have enough dirty dishes and crockery for a full load.

Ditto the washing machine!. Fill a glass with water to rinse your teeth with instead of leaving the tap on!

Grab a big bowl to wash your fruits and veggies in rather than rinsing them under a running tap -Then try and count and identify any bugs and creepy crawlies you find in the water!

Don’t flush the loo more than you have too!. There are certain things that have to be flushed away, but stuff like paper hankies, cotton buds and cotton wool should be put in the bin!

Don’t wait for the tap to run cold for a drink. Instead keep a jug of drinking water chilling in the fridge!

Get a water butt in the garden to collect rainwater in. When it’s full, use it to water your plants and lawn or fill your pond! Go on a dripping tap finding mission! Leaks equal waste, so check all your taps for annoying little drips!

Some Fun Water Facts!

Share these water wonders with your children - and then test them on their water know-how!

-97.5% of the worlds’ water is salt water - only 2.5% is freshwater.

-70% of the world’s water use is agricultural, with a minuscule 8% used for domestic purposes!

-Since 1950, global water use has tripled, and is increasing faster than the world's population!

-Shockingly, most extracted water ends up wasted!

-In the developing world, water-borne disease is responsible for 80% of illnesses and deaths.

-The recommended amount of daily water per person for basic domestic usage is 5 litres for drinking, 20 litres for sanitation and 15 litres for bathing!

-We can go without food for around a month - but we’d only survive around week without water!

(source: ecofriendlykids.co.uk)