working with waterExploring water features in lots of projects I’ve worked on. Water is a precious resource and a source of endless fascination for children. Water can be liquid, solid or gas, it can move, it creates patterns, it works with sunlight in wonderful ways, it can behave in unexpected ways. Water can provide power, water can move things, water changes other substances and can combine with mud, sand, clay, paint and endless things to give wonderful discoveries.
Water can be soothing and calming, it can cause reflections and refractions. Water can create an amazing range of sounds. Water can change the way objects look and you can change the way water looks by adding things or looking through things at it. Add sunlight with water and rainbows can appear. A single drop of water can hold huge fascination, it works like a complex lens and I’ve seen children spend long periods of time really looking closely and contemplating the different properties in just a teeny amount of water. The many ways we connect with water fascinate children. Water can be found in taps, rivers, streams, ponds, the sea or lakes, it can fall and be found as rain, snow, dew, drizzle, hail, ice or fog. Water can travel vast distances and transport things (including us). We need water to survive and we use water constantly – and there are huge issues around this that are crucial to explore in projects with children. |
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