Children's Water Festival makes learning about water fun

How can you learn about water?

Lanya Ross, Metropolitan Council senior environmental scientist, took a break on Sept. 26 from her usual groundwater modeling work to help fifth graders experience the inside of a soap bubble.

Study the action of waves.
Watch how a well is dug.
Experiment with stream flows and erosion.
Find out where water goes when the toilet is flushed.

Some 1,300 metropolitan area fifth graders had the opportunity to learn all about water at the 10th annual Metro Children’s Water Festival, held Sept. 26, at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. Thirteen Metropolitan Council employees were among the 150 presenters and volunteers from dozens of organizations at the event.

“If they go home with even one strong message about the importance of water resources or water conservation we’ve succeeded,” said Chris Elvrum, manager of water supply planning at the Council. “We hope to help these children grow into better water stewards.”

Fifth graders like the gross stuff

Throughout the day, students moved through several hands-on learning stations. One multi-table station staffed by the Council taught children about watersheds. Students particularly enjoyed looking and talking about the display of items that shouldn’t get washed off lawns and streets into stormwater drains, said Patrick Boylan, Council senior planner.

“The children were energetic, seemed well prepared for the topics and very eager for the ‘hands-on’ learning at the event,” Boylan said. “It was great.”

Council planner Jim Larsen staffed a table model of a stream to demonstrate the effect of flow volume and the presence of vegetation on streambank erosion.

“We put a little house on the river bend, and they all wanted to see the destruction and collapse as the water flow eroded the river,” Larsen said.

Bubbles, fishing and art

Students also spent time in the Water Arcade, which featured creative activities and games.

“The arcade was a spot where the kids could take a break, run off some steam and explore whatever they were interested in,” said Lanya Ross, Council environmental scientist. Children blinked and squealed as Ross drew up from around their feet a giant bubble of soap. They also enjoyed using pop cans to make fishing poles, decorating magnets with environmental themes, and painting rubber fish forms and pressing them on paper to create colorful art.

In addition to learning all about water as a resource, the students were exposed to the variety of professional jobs available to people in the field of water.

Students were spellbound by a machine that demonstrated the action of waves.

“The Festival is a great way to add fun to the learning process,” Elvrum said.

An estimated 50 sponsors provided money or product donations for the Festival. Staff from dozens of agencies and private companies made presentations or helped with logistics for the event.

The 2008 Festival is set for Wednesday, Sept. 24.