::: make it irresistible – install a rain water tank
Water play is irresistible to children!
Summer, Autumn, Winter and Spring our children ask for water to enhance all kinds of different play.
Water is irresistible when playing in dirt …
tanbark …
and the sand pit.
Fortunately, due to a very hard working and supportive committee we planned well and last year installed a 5,000 litre rainwater tank at kinder so our children would not be deprived of their water play.
As Melbourne has been experiencing drought for a very long time, rain water tanks are becoming a way of life for many Melbournians. (Melbourne’s average rainfall to June is 308.2mm currently we have had only 242.2mm and last year at the same time only 124.00mm!)
Due to our low rainfall, even with a water tank we only allow our children to fill this tub once each session. In order to save the children from confusion and to educate them in water conservation we follow this rule all year round!
That’s one tub of water between twenty seven children and only if tank water is available!
We are teaching the children to respect every drop of rain water we collect, especially as our tank water is needed to support our ever expanding hush garden as well as our play!
Now our water wall is up and running …
the children are being encouraged to recycle as much water as they can.
Our water tank was our saviour during our dry summer months. Now that winter has arrived and the weather has been very wet over the last week our water tank is full to overflowing once again. Regardless, the children are aware the one tub rule still applies and understand they are not permitted to fill it without adult permission and supervision (having a removable tap handle is added insurance!).
But when the rain stops and the tank is empty … 
… no more water play until it rains again!
Tags: dirt, mud, rain water tank, sand, tanbark, water wall
Wow! That is one huge rainwater tank! We just have one small rain barrel, which typically refills overnight, but it will likely go dry this summer. The last time it went dry the kids started a bucket brigade to refill it from our water pump — kind of defeating the purpose of collecting rainwater! It’s hard to teach water conservation in a rainy climate, but I think I’ll have the opportunity this summer.
Teaching about conservation and recycling even while playing – what an important and relevant lesson.
What a wonderful way to show that we have a limited supply of water by using only what is collected in the rain tank! I wonder how we can adapt it to our homeschool environment…
What a spectacular water tank! We would like to try something like this soon. Our climate in Virginia is usually ok, but the last few summers we have experienced dry spells. What a gift to teach children to conserve water in this way!
Hi Girls,
I love the idea of painting with water. It keeps my little girl at home really busy in the garden, and at school children in Year 1 go from mark making with the brushes, to attempting painting water words, like their own name. 
Of course, just painting a fence or a bench is just as fun!
Here in Northern Ireland where it is seldom dry, this problem seems so remote! I wish I could send you some of the rain that “lashed” down from the heavens today!
Thank you for you comments everybody. The fact is the children in our kindergarten have known nothing but water restrictions their whole lives as we have been experiencing drought in Melbourne over the last ten year. Teaching them about water conservation is something that begins at home so reinforcing it in their play is a natural extension of that. Often they are reminding us of the importance of conserving water like when they tip the last unwanted mouthful of their water onto the garden as apposed to down the drain or remind us to turn the tap off when cleaning things in the sink!
We have a implemented watersaving measures at our school too. Well done for starting these littlies thinking about sustainable living and how we can help with water conservation. From drought tolerant plantings, to water containers under the taps (waste is tipped onto plants), waterless urinals (and no they don’t stink!), five water tanks (for our veggie gardens, toilets,and chooks), frog habitat fed from harvested rainwater, water bottles on kids tables (kids need to be well hydrated to learn and play), a waterplay area in which the kids use a hand pump to draw up water (from a small rain reservoir)…the list goes on and this is reflected in lessons about our water usage. We hope the kids get the message from our deliberate design of our sustainable practices at school. You are starting the process beautifully!! Thanks.
Ruth, It’s schools like Croydon West Primary that have inspired us to think, think, think about sustainability. So THANK YOU!
http://www.croydonwestprimaryschool.blogspot.com/
I wanted to install a water tank in our kinder yard for water play activities. We were told by Maribyrnong Council that according to regulations we were not allowed to use rainwater for anything with the children. Do you know anything about this? It seems so ridiculous to me.
Jessie, that seems really odd. We are wanting to install a water tank for exactly the same reasons.
Whaaaaaat Jessie? Ask around and look into it further … that seems crazy!
I love reading from you all about what you are teaching around the world. I am in High River Alberta Canada. You all are to be commended. I love the ideas and sharing and hope I can contribute in some small way to the conversation.
Jewel
Wow, Jessie, I haven’t heard anything about restrictions like that….we just did it at our school. If we didn’t have tanks, our gardens wouldn’t be there…they are watered by all our students using tank water. I guess it could be a problem if they drank the water (although heaps of people in Oz only use tank water in their homes). Good luck! Don’t give up!!
nowadays, we are seeing some water shortage and water conservation is even more necessary”~-
water conservation should be done because we are already having some water shortage these days;:,
Hey awesome idea to save water, these children are playing and also will get to know about the importance of water saving. Keep up good work.
WOW! Excited to find this website! Inspirational!
::: Welcome on board “Kindy in S.A.”
Rain water tank is one of the best eco-friendly product that really help in conserving water taht can use in watering plants and trees.
::: So say all of us!!