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| "Andy's Creek" |
Learning Experience
The water storage unit teaches water conservation. Once the tank is empty that's it for the water supply. That actually lead to another play idea; the kids now build dams in the creek.
Material
- Black plastic sheeting\Chicken wire
- Rounded stones
- Cement colouring - Terracotta
- Drain (I used a free draining one but I would now consider one with a large plug)
- PVC drainage piping
- Bagged concrete (not rapid set)
- PVC storage piping and tap (water storage system was made by the kid's uncle)
- Plants
The ground slops toward the drain. I meandered the slope so that the water would travel further to get to the drain so as to get maximum play-use out of it before it drains away.
I used a free draining drain. Instead, consider one with a large plug. That way the creek can hold the water while you are supervising, and then you can remove the plug for other times and the water can drain freely. Also, what you can not see is that there is a large pipe with holes drilled along it underground connected to the drain.
I have dug deep with the ground works. The concrete will need to be
thick to be able to bare the load from many kids walking all over it.
Perhaps 4+ cm thick and reinforced with the chicken wire inside the
concrete.
Concrete
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| Mixing the concrete mix, colour, and water |
Stones
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| Not sharp stones. Kids will be barefoot when playing in the creek. |
Clean Up
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| Trimming off excess black plastic. |
Play Time
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| I left a hole for the plant to be planted into. |
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| More recent photograph. Notice the size of the plants now. |
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| Water Storage Unit. Black hose fitting at the top. Red tap at the bottom. |
More Project Ideas
Further Details: Water Storage Unit project.
Further Water Play Ideas: Pond and Water Play Mosaic projects.
