Student Water Conservation Programs

York Region Staff showing a water table, at the York Childrens Water Frestival

York Children’s Water Festival

The 2025 York Children’s Water Festival teaches grade 4 students about water conservation through a variety of interactive, engaging, curriculum-linked activities.

The Festival aims to help students understand the importance of a clean and plentiful water supply, to respect a healthy environment and use natural resources wisely in their school, home and community.

The 2025 Festival will take place at the Kortright Centre for Conservation from May 27 – 29, 2025 and at Bruce’s Mill Conservation Area from June 10 – 12, 2025.

If your school is interested in attending, please contact AccessYork@york.ca or call 1-877-464-9675 

To support Festival learning and ongoing water education, check out the additional activities below that can be done in the classroom or at home year round.

The YCWF is made possible through a collaboration with the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority and ClearWater Farms. These partners will continue to support both the in-person and virtual 2024 festival events.

The Virtual York Children’s Water Festival

The following educational resources are designed to encourage awareness of the importance of a clean and plentiful supply of drinking water and to foster respect for a healthy natural environment. Future generations will be empowered and motivated to educate others, become water stewards and commit to using natural resources wisely.

We hope you find value and inspiration in these activities, and they help create engaging conversations and learnings among students.

Go with the Flow: The Journey of Water

In York Region, water comes from three different sources depending on where you live, work or visit. About 90% of water is drawn from Lake Ontario, 7% from wells connected to the Oak Ridges Moraine and 3% from Lake Simcoe.

Discover where water comes from, how it gets to your school, home and community, and find out where wastewater goes.  

Activities

Videos

Raising Environmental Services - See a time lapse video of spray painting the York Region logo on the side of a water tank and raising the tank

Rain to Runoff: A Stormwater Story The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority show where rainwater goes

How much water is on earth? NASA Space Place shows how much water is on Earth 

Nature in Your Classroom: Water Video and Activity Sheet The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority teaches students in grade 2 all about water  

The basics of fresh water: Video Crash Course Kids explores facts about fresh water
 

Every Last Drop: Water Conservation

Water conservation means using water only when it’s needed, using less where possible and using it wisely. In fact, only 0.01% of all Earth’s water is suitable for human use. In Ontario, we are incredibly fortunate to enjoy an abundance of freshwater resources.

Because water is everywhere, we often think of it as limitless. However, there is a fixed amount constantly cycling through our natural and man-made environments. We borrow water from nature, treat it, use it and treat it again before returning it to the water cycle. 

Learn more about how to conserve water with the following lesson plans and learning activities.

Activities

Videos

Into the Wild: Wetlands and Habitats

York Region is surrounded by a variety of wetlands, watersheds and water-based habitats. Canadian wetlands are home to about 600 different kinds of plants, animals and insects.

Wetlands and swamps can clean water naturally, as water passes through the deep roots of plants causing soil, sediment and even chemicals to fall to the bottom. This leaves an abundance of cleaner water for animals to breed, nest and live. Learn more about our local wetlands and habitats in the following learning resources from the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority and the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority.

Activities

Videos

  • Carp Confusion: The Story of Asian Carps The Toronto Region Conservation Authority shares why Asian carps are considered a major threat to the Great Lakes
  • Habitats The Toronto Region Conservation Authority teaches about wetlands and habitats
A Sacred Element - Indigenous Resources

Learn about the importance of water conservation and protection, as well as the water cycle as told through an Indigenous perspective. These resources will help students consider the importance of water in their daily lives, what water protection means to them and how they can use local resources to help protect water.

Videos and Activities

The Importance of Water Book: The Water Walker Video and Activity Kit. Listen along to this book written by Joanne Robertson and learn about protecting the water on Earth. Explore the activities in the teacher resource guide.

TRACKS Water Cycle Video and Activity Kit. Learn about the water cycle from an Indigenous perspective. 

We are Water Protectors Video and Activity Kit Listen along to this book written by Carole Lindstrom and Illustrated by Michaela Goad and learn how to protect the water on Earth from harm.

Make a Splash: Activities, Games and Experiments

Using the information you have learned in the sections above, let’s get creative with activities, games and stories for all age groups.

Activities

Games

  • Water Cycle Game - Science World A fun and interactive version of Rock, Paper and Scissors that incorporates four different stages of the water cycle
  • WUIW Tip Tank - Water themed matching game with trivia questions
  • The WaterSense Video Game - Move the water-efficiency hero Flo through water pipes and answer water-efficiency questions while avoiding water-wasting monsters

Experiments

The Water Challenge Video Series presented by ClearWater Kids 

Join hosts Ava, Ben and their mascot Potato the Chicken as they solve mysteries of water and how it impacts our world.

The resource links provided on this webpage are intended for education and informational purposes only. They have been created or are operated by independent bodies, and have been provided as a public service and do not imply the investigation or verification of these resource links. Although every attempt has been made to ensure their accuracy, The Regional Municipality of York makes no warranties or representations, expressed or implied, concerning the accuracy, reliability or completeness of the information, or the fitness of it for the intended purpose. Any use that any party other than The Regional Municipality of York makes of these resource links is done at the risk of, and is the sole responsibility of, that party.

Water and wastewater facility tours

York Region does not offer school tours of water or wastewater facilities due to health and safety concerns.

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