Camp Activities: Water, Water Everywhere
In "Water, Water, Everywhere," kids explore the many roles of water in ecosystems, learn how people affect water resources such as lakes, rivers, and even the ocean, and see how they can help keep our waterways clean. These activities were designed as a sequence that weaves together PLUM LANDING media resources (including animations, videos, and games), with outdoor exploration and hands-on activities. Each day offers approximately three hours of programming, including time for free play, snacks, and bathroom breaks.
Day 1
Today you'll introduce your kids to PLUM LANDING and to a mangrove swamp in Belize. Start out by having kids watch River Rollercoaster, a video about how water moves through a landscape and carries things with it. Lead a discussion using the associated "Conversation Starters," then complete the related hands-on activity Build a Watershed. Head outdoors to complete the "Explore Some More" activity associated with Build a Watershed. When you return indoors, learn about the water in your world. Watch Follow the Water, have a discussion using the associated "Conversation Starters," and complete the "Explore Some More" activity.
Day 2
Follow the water all the way to the ocean! Watch Mangrove Mystery and Ocean Odyssey, then have a discussion using the "Conversation Starters" associated with each video. Head outdoors to complete the related activity Catch Me if you Can. Wrap up your time outdoors by completing one or more of the "Explore Some More" activities listed with the videos and the activity.
Day 3
Now that kids have learned how water moves through landscapes, introduce them to how people sometimes harm watersheds and how kids can help keep waterways clean. Watch Oliver Takes out the Trash and Water Carries Everything. Then, have a discussion using the "Conversation Starters" and complete the "Explore Some More" activities associated with both videos. Wrap up your day by completing several Nature Sketchpad missions and the associated "Explore Some More" activity.
Day 4
Experience how plants and animals interact in the mangrove swamp by playing the ecosystem game Make a Mangrove. Have a discussion using the "Conversation Starters," and complete the related "Explore Some More" activity. Then, learn some strategies for avoiding predators in Underwater Hiding Places, an animated video about how young fish and other marine creatures keep from being eaten. Lead a discussion using the associated "Conversation Starters," and complete the "Explore Some More" activity. If time permits, complete several Plum's Photo Hunt missions and the "Explore Some More" activity.
Day 5
Wrap up your water unit by exploring water resources around the world and telling Plum all about YOUR world. Watch Cooper's Favorite Place in Nature, then head outside to have a discussion using the associated "Conversation Starters" and complete the "Explore Some More" activity. When you return indoors, watch the video Earth to Blorb: Water!, where Plum tells her friends on Blorb all about the oceans, rivers, lakes, and other aquatic ecosystems on Earth. Have a discussion using the "Conversation Starters," and complete the related "Explore Some More" activities. End the day with a sharing session where kids read aloud their letters to Plum.
