Activity: Watercourse – Early Learning

Quick summary: This activity has been developed to give children the opportunity to learn more about water, water saving and water energy. Younger children play with water wheels, while older children experiment with creating a watercourse that incorporates water wheels. This activity is designed to help connect children to the wonders of the natural world through sensory and play-based learning.

Activity developed in partnership with  

Hydro Tasmania has been at the forefront of clean energy innovation for one hundred years. It is Australia’s largest producer of clean energy – generating hydro and wind power – and the largest water manager. Hydro Tasmania has 55 major dams, operates 30 hydropower stations and has built some of Australia’s largest wind farms.

Hydro Tasmania also sells energy in the National Electricity Market through its retail business Momentum Energy, and sells its expertise internationally through its consulting business Entura. Visit the Hydro Tasmania website to learn how the business is working towards Australia’s clean energy future.

EYLF Learning Outcome	Elaborations
Outcome 2: Children are connected with and contribute to their world	3. Children become socially responsible and show respect for the environment
Outcome 4: Children are involved and confident learners	1. Children develop dispositions for learning such as curiosity, cooperation, confidence, creativity, commitment, enthusiasm, persistence, imagination and reflexivity 2. Children develop a range of skills and processes such as problem solving, enquiry, experimentation, hypothesising, researching and investigating 3. Children transfer and adapt what they have learned from one context to another 4. Children resource their own learning through connecting with people, place, technologies and natural and processed materials

Equipment needed:

• Ages 0 to 2 – Sensory water table, water wheels, a plastic cup for each child, large jug of water.
• Ages 2 to 3 – Sensory water table, water wheels, a plastic cup for each child, large jug of water, waterproof tube, pipe and funnel.
• Ages 3 to 5 – A range of things that will hold, spill, pour and spray water, such as buckets, pipes, funnels, cups, bottles and other water toys.

Supporting resources:

• Collect items and images that are associated with the theme of water to use as conversation starters.

Other resources:

• Cool Australia’s Water Digital Library
• Cool Australia’s Water Factsheet
• Cool Australia Water video (below)

Cool Australia Presents Water from Cool Australia on Vimeo.

 

The team at Cool Australia continually reviews and refines our Early Learning resources in line with expert advice and current educational practices.