Oxford Children's Water Festival 2022 Virtual Resources
Check out the following videos and activities that will help you teach key concepts from the Water Festival and celebrate water all year long!
VIDEOS
The Water Cycle and Global Water Supplies
Water Cycle, Go Noodle - This engaging music video will get students up and moving as they discover the water cycle.
Water Cycle, Happy Learning - Learn about the importance of water to the Earth and the water cycle, including evaporation, condensation, and precipitation.
All the Water in the World, Water Education - Find out how the world's water is distributed and how much is actually available for us to drink through this fun home experiment. Afterwards, make a beautiful bracelet to remind you of all the water in the world and where it's found.
How Much Water is on Earth? NASA Space Place - Join NASA on an investigation of all the water on earth. Find out how much water is salty, how much is frozen in glaciers, and how much is sitting in the atmosphere as water vapor.
Freshwater and Water Conservation
Stream Study, Upper Thames River Conservation Authority - UTRCA staff show how to investigate the water quality of a stream in London, Ontario through the collection of benthic invertebrates.
The Story of Bottled Water, The Story of Stuff Project - Discover the
impact of bottled water and take a
deeper dive into marketing techniques that can influence and impact our behaviour.
Drinking Water Source Protection, Conservation Ontario - Do you know where your drinking water comes from? Hint: it's beyond the kitchen sink! Learn tips on how we can all contribute to keeping our drinking water clean and safe.
Thames River Cleanup, UTRCA - Meet Todd Sleeper, a local Ontarian who has been organizing cleanups of the Thames River for over 20 years. Check out some of the unbelievable trash that's ended up in the river and see how big of a difference a concerned group of volunteers can make!
Save Water to Help the Earth, WonderGrove Kids - Learn about the things we can all do to conserve water around the house.
The Basics of Freshwater, Crash Course Kids - Let's talk freshwater! Sabrina shares all about freshwater in this comprehensive video including where you can find it, why it's important, and why we should use it wisely.
Floodplain Simulator, UTRCA - Investigate floodplains and the role they play in managing floods with Maranda from the UTRCA. You can even check out a floodplain simulator and watch real footage of flooding on the Thames River.
Why Do We Put Salt On Icy Sidewalks? SciShow Kids - Find out why we use salt to keep sidewalks safe in winter and learn about the negative impact salt can have on local water quality with Squeaks and Mister Brown from SciShow Kids.
Let's Be Less Salty, WWF Canada - Discover the impact of road salt on waterways in the winter and learn about how we can all be less salty.
Heritage Minutes: Water Pump, Historica Canada - Do we always need modern technology to solve problems in modern society? See how old-fashioned water pumps can make a difference in the developing world.
Stormwater and Wastewater
Freddy the Fish Teaches About Stormwater, NCTCOG E&D - Freddy the Fish teaches about what happens to rain after it hits the ground, where storm drains lead to, and what we can do to help prevent water pollution.
Beware the Berg! City of Hamilton - Listen to a story from Fussy Faucet and his kitchen friends and discover what can happen to the fats, oils, and grease you wash down the drain.
To Flush or Not to Flush? Oxford County - Learn about what you can and cannot flush down the toilet. Do you know how to put waste in the right place?
Greenway Wastewater Treatment Plant, Upper Thames River Conservation Authority - Take a virtual tour of the Greenway Wastewater Treatment Plant to see how London's wastewater is processed.
Drain Rangers, Transect Films - Too much stormwater can be a big problem! Investigate the causes of and solutions to dirty stormwater runoff.
Indigenous Voices
First Nations Perspectives on Water, Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority - Carlyn Johnston and Karen Mattila of Ska-Nah-Doht Village and Museum share the regard and relationship of Anishinaabe kwe and Haudenosaunee cultures toward our life-giving waters.
Boiled Water Advisory Summer 2021, AMDSB - Do you know what a boil water advisory is? Monique and Marcia discuss an advisory that affected the Chippewas of the Thames First Nation in 2021 and what everyone can do to speak up about better water quality.
The Anishinaabe Woman Who Walked For Water Rights, Historica Canada - Learn about the life and legacy of Josephine Mandamin, an Anishinaabe woman who spent 14 years walking around the Great Lakes to raise awareness of water pollution. Version française
Read Aloud of The Water Walker, Joanne Robertson - Enjoy a read aloud from the author of The Water Walker, an illustrated story about Josephine Mandamin's historic water walks around the Great Lakes to inspire people to protect water.
Meet Clean Water Activist Autumn Peltier, CBC Kids News - Think you can't make a difference as a kid? Think again! Get to know Autumn Peltier, a teenager from Wiikwemkoong First Nation who has been fighting for clean drinking water in Indigenous communities since she was just 12 years old.
Animals and Agriculture
Exploring Wild Wetlands, Scientists in School - Join Scientists in School on an educational and interactive walk through ponds and swamps. Investigate the weird and wonderful plants and animals that call wetlands home.
Moo's Thirsty, Ontario Federation of Agriculture - Take a tour of local barns to learn the different ways farmers provide their livestock with clean, safe, and abundant drinking water.
Wings Over Water: A Water Bird Adventure, Scientists in School - Have you ever noticed the different kinds of water birds? How do they swim? What do they eat? How do they stay warm in winter? Go on a journey with Scientists in School and discover the amazing lives of water birds.
The Threat of Invasive Species, TEDEd - A snake that is capable of devouring an alligator. Rabbit populations that eat themselves into starvation. These aren’t horror movie concepts – they’re real stories. Find out the facts on invasive species.
Drip Drip Drop, OFA - Follow Walter the Water Droplet on his journey downstream through the watershed and learn about the many things farmers do to help protect water.
DIY and Model Building
Make Your Own Nature Journal, rare Charitable Research Reserve - A nature journal is a great way to record your thoughts on water and the environment. Discover how to create your very own with the rare Charitable Research Reserve.
Build A River Model, Science Buddies - Learn to construct your own mini river at home in an aluminum pan. When you're done, fill your model with water and watch as it flows through the river channel you created!
How to Draw a River, Art TV - Get creative and try following this beginner-friendly drawing tutorial of a quiet spot along a river. Feel free to add in any local wildlife you might find along the river too. Don't forget to colour your drawing once you're done!
DIY Water Filter, City of Stratford - Have you ever seen a water filter in action? Make your own water filter at home using basic materials such as sand, cotton, and rocks and watch as muddy water turns clear!
Health and Wellness
Melting Exercise, Go Noodle - In this guided meditation for kids, practice freezing and melting like a block of ice to release stress and tension.
Activities
All the Water in the World
Down the Drain Or Not?
Exploring Art as Inspiration for Change with Isaac Murdoch
How Far Did She Walk? Interview with Brenda Collins
Josephine Mandamin Water Walk calculation activity
Nature Journal and prompts
Salt and ice melting experiment
Stormwater interactive model
Tinfoil river and dam model
Understanding Our Water Footprint
Urban Stew
Water and wastewater lesson plans, grades K-8
Where Have all the Species Gone?
Wise Water Use
Wonder of Wetlands
Write a letter to the Prime Minister
Puzzles and games
Anishinaabemowin water word search and key
Focus on Flooding Kahoot
History of Water word search
Journey of Water colouring page
OFA Drip Drip Drop word search and key
OFA Moo's Thirsty matchup and key
Pipe Up game
Recycling word search
Washed Away board game
Water Conservation Pledge and colouring page
Watery Words crossword puzzle
Extra info