WaterSense for Kids
Thirsty for Knowledge? Let's Learn About Water!
Do you know how much water a family of four uses every day in the United States? Not 50 gallons, not 100 gallons, but 400 gallons! You could take up to 10 baths with that much water—but who would want to do that? Fortunately, there are many things we can do to save.
On This Page:
Why Save Water
Did you know that less than 1% of all the water on Earth can be used by people? The rest is salt water (the kind you find in the ocean) or is permanently frozen and we can't drink it, wash with it, or use it to water plants.
As our population grows, more and more people are using up this limited resource. Therefore, it is important that we use our water wisely and not waste it.
Simple Ways to Save Water
There are many simple things we can do to save water. Learn from the water-efficiency hero Flo what you can do today to help protect our water supply!
Turn off the Tap!
Just by turning off the tap while you brush your teeth in the morning and before bedtime, you can save as much as 4 to 8 gallons of water! That could add up to more than 200 gallons a month, enough to fill a huge fish tank that holds 6 small sharks! The same is true when you wash dishes. Turn off the tap! Scrape your dirty dishes into the trash—then put them in the dishwasher.
Shower Power!
Taking a shower uses much less water than filling up a bathtub. A shower only uses 10 to 25 gallons, while a bath takes up to 70 gallons! If you do take a bath, be sure to plug the drain right away and adjust the temperature as you fill the tub. To save even more water, keep your shower under five minutes long—try timing yourself with a clock next time you hop in!
Fix That Leak!
Fixing a toilet leak is a great way to reduce household water use and boost water conservation. If your toilet has a leak, you could be wasting about 200 gallons of water every day. That would be like flushing your toilet more than 50 times for no reason! Try this experiment: ask your parents to help you test for leaks by placing a drop of food coloring in the toilet tank. If the color shows up in the bowl without flushing, you have a leak!
Beat the Heat!
Watering your yard first thing in the morning is a great first step to water-efficient landscaping. Avoid watering your yard in the middle of the day. Watering when it's hot and sunny is wasteful because most of the water evaporates before the plants have time to drink it. Also, when you're helping your parents water the yard, make sure not to water the plants too much—remember that a little sprinkle goes a long way!
Who Needs a Hose?
An easy way to save water is to use a bucket and sponge when washing cars and bikes. Washing your bike or car with a bucket and sponge instead of a hose saves a lot of water. A hose can waste 6 gallons per minute if you leave it running, but using a bucket and sponge only uses a few gallons! Also, some car washes recycle water instead of letting it run down the sewer drains. Ask your parents to check if a car wash near you recycles water.
Test Your WaterSense Game
Think you know everything there is to know about water? Move the water-efficiency hero Flo through water pipes and answer water-efficiency questions while avoiding water-wasting monsters. Use the information you've learned on this Web site to test your knowledge.
Activity Sheets for Kids
- Test Your WaterSense - printer-friendly version of the game(4 pp, 40 K, About PDF)
- Fix a Leak Week Activity Sheet (PDF) (2 pp, 1.61 MB, About PDF) | En Español (PDF) (2 pp, 1 MB, About PDF)
- Save Water at Home Coloring Book (PDF) (8 pp, 1.3 MB, About PDF)
- Earth Day Tips and Puzzles (PDF)(2 pp, 974 K, About PDF)
Resources for Educators
Drops to Watts: Water & Energy Nexus
- Shower Better Learning Resource (PDF) (2 pp, 545 K, About PDF)
Fix a Leak Week Learning Resources
- Teacher's Guide to Using Fix a Leak Week (PDF) (4 pp, 347 K, About PDF)
- Fix a Leak Week: Worksheet #1 (PDF) (4 pp, 634 K, About PDF)
- Fix a Leak Week Family Fact Sheet (PDF) (2 pp, 381K) (2 pp, 381 K, About PDF) | En Español (PDF) (2 pp, 393 K, About PDF)
- Fix a Leak Week Activity Sheet (PDF) (2 pp, 1.61 MB, About PDF) | En Español (PDF) (2 pp, 1 MB, About PDF)
A Day in the Life of a Drop
- Teacher's Guide to Using A Day in the Life of a Drop (PDF) (4 pp, 289 K, About PDF)
- A Day in the Life of a Drop: Worksheet #1 (PDF) (3 pp, 221 K, About PDF)
- A Day in the Life of a Drop: Worksheet #2 (PDF) (6 pp, 1.3 MB, About PDF)
- Water Use Table (PDF) (1 pp, 105 K, About PDF)
- Student and Family Pledge to Filter Out Bad Water Habits (PDF) (1 pp, 160 K, About PDF)