Water Matters! Understanding Drought through Inquiry and Play in Kindergarten

This contribution presents a project addressing key EGU GIFT themes: Natural Hazards, Human Impact, and Earth’s Resources. It was implemented over a three-week period in a public kindergarten class of 16 children aged 4–5 years in Crete. The inquiry-based educational project was initiated by the children’s observation that, despite it being late autumn, a small stream near their school was dry. This real-life observation provided a starting point for exploring drought as a natural hazard and its links to climate variability and human activities.

Children formed research groups and examined photographs of lakes, small rivers, and reservoirs from their island. Realizing that water scarcity extended beyond their immediate surroundings, they formulated inquiry questions such as: Where does water come from? How does the water cycle work? How do we use water in everyday life? What could happen if drought becomes more severe? Do human actions affect water availability?

The investigation employed developmentally appropriate approaches, including keeping a simple rainfall diary, exploring the water cycle using models and visual materials, educational videos, storytelling, interviews with grandparents to access local climate memory, and hands-on experiments related to evaporation and water filtration. Climate change was introduced in an age-appropriate way, focusing on environmental changes affecting water availability.

To explore the societal impacts of drought, children created and performed a puppet theatre depicting everyday-life scenarios such as lack of drinking water, difficulties in hygiene, and challenges in daily activities at home and in the community. In the final phase, the class identified mitigation and adaptation measures, including responsible water use, reuse of filtered water, and collective responsibility for protecting water resources.

The project concluded with a dissemination day open to parents and the wider school community, aiming to raise awareness of drought impacts and sustainable water-use practices. Children presented their work through drawings and written messages. Based on local observation, flexible activities, and simple materials, this project is easily transferable to other schools and regions, enabling educators to address local water-related hazards and climate change within their own environmental context.