World Water Day / Dripping Tap Detectives
Dripping Tap Detectives
Using a cup with a pinhole as a pretend leaky tap, children measure how much water drips away in ten minutes and work out how much a leak could waste in a day.
How to run it
- Poke a small hole in the bottom of a plastic cup and hang or hold it over a measuring jug.
- Fill the cup, start a timer and keep it topped up for ten minutes.
- Measure how much water collected in the jug.
- Help children multiply to estimate the waste in an hour and a day.
- Use the collected water on the garden and brainstorm ways to save water at home.
You will need
- plastic cups
- pin or skewer for educator use
- measuring jug
- timer
- water
- paper and pencils
Make it easier or harderYounger children can compare full and half-full jugs by eye; older children can calculate yearly totals and suggest a fix.
SafetyEducators make the holes with the pin or skewer; mop spills to prevent slips.
My Time Our Place · Outcome 4, Outcome 2Children use measurement and maths to understand water waste and how their actions make a difference.
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