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Your Child is Drinking Dinosaur Water
A rainy-day nature study exploring the ancient journey of water with children
NATURE OBSERVARTIONFAMILY
Danielle Heavey
9/18/20264 min read
As the sudden downpour soaked through the washing that I had just hung to dry, I was hit with the annoyance most Irish people can relate to. Rain can be such a hindrance to us. A ceaseless obstacle amidst our plans. I began to mutter words of frustration as I continued washing dishes. But, as I watched the methodical patter of droplets hit the window, my frustration melted away and I soon became entranced.
Water is so constant in our lives that we rarely pause to give it much thought. It flows from our taps, falls from the sky, and fills our mugs of tea. But water is the most ancient, magical traveller on our entire planet. Every single drop has memory, and it has been on a journey which spans millions of years.
My mind began to ponder where those exact drops may have been before, and it led to the idea for this weeks ‘nature observation’.
When children realise the puddle they are splashing in is formed from the very same water which has flowed through the veins of the Earth since the beginning of time, it is no longer a puddle, but a magic portal to the past.
Today, we’ll dive into the secret, ancient life of water and how to explore its memory with your little ones.
The Dinosaur Drink
Did you know, that since the beginning of time, we have never received any ‘new’ water on Earth. The exact same water that arrived on our planet billions of years ago is the water we drink, swim in, and watch fall from the clouds today. It is constantly being recycled through a magnificent, endless loop of evaporation, condensation, and precipitation.
This means that a tiny water drop hanging from a leaf in your garden right now, may have once been a drink for a Tyrannosaurus Rex, it could have been part of the Nile River when the pyramids were being built, or frozen inside a glacier during the ice age. Allow your child’s imagination flow through the many possible ‘Earth Stories’ that little drop may have been a part of. Tell them how the water that flows through their very own body is billions of years old, which means they are carrying a little piece of Earth’s ancient history inside themselves.
Two Whimsical Ways to Connect with Water This Week
If your family would like to dive deeper into this liquid magic, you can try these two simple activities the next time the clouds roll in:
The Puddle Reflection
When the rain stops, head outside and find a still, clear puddle. Stand over it together and look at what is reflected in its surface; the green leaves of the trees, the passing clouds, and your own faces.
Invite them to gently touch the surface with the tip of their finger and watch as the ripples wash the picture away. You can then explain that when the sun warms the puddle later, this water will disappear back up into the clouds, carrying the memory of your garden, your faces and your laughter into the clouds with it.
They can draw pictures in their nature journals of their observations, or write a short story about the journey of the puddle.
The Music Maker
If it is raining gently, scatter some items from your home or garden upside down on the grass - a metal baking tray, a plastic bowl, a wooden cutting board and a flower pot.
Sit under shelter or close to an open window and close your eyes. Listen to the symphony of rain as it hits the different surfaces. The sharp ping from the metal, the soft thud from the wood, and the gentle chime from the pot. Challenge the kiddies to identify which item they think is making each sound whilst their eyes are closed.
This is a simple, yet beautifully grounding way to tune their ears to nature’s acoustic magic.
An Invitation to Flow
If we allow it, water can be a wonderful teacher. It reminds us to let go and trust the journey. It never gets stuck; it simply changes form - from ice, to liquid, to invisible vapour - always flowing and always returning home to the sea.
The next time you wash the dishes, take a sip of water, or run through the rain with your children, take a moment to honour this ancient traveller. We are made of the same water that has sustained life on Earth for millennia. We are deeply, physically connected to the history of our beautiful planet.
I hope you enjoyed this article, and you can find a little bit of everyday alchemy in the ordinary moments this week.
Puddle Essentials
