Childrens Water Festival Makes a Big Splash
By Kathy Parker
After 14 years of entertaining and educating 4th grade students, the Children’s Water Festival has been upgraded and updated.
A new home at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley is the perfect venue for this free, day long event. Water Festival presentations and exhibits fit nicely into the Student Center or are under the sun on the campus lawns. Three ballrooms, a fireside lobby and atrium allow for creative arrangements of presentations and exhibits. With over 65 presenters and 1100 students attending, it’s vital that classes be able to move easily and quickly from one interactive presentation to the next. UNC hits the mark.
The theme for this May’s festival, “Wild about Water,” opened the door for innovative ideas in water education. Fresh presentations and exhibits were featured including a live bald eagle and owl brought by the Rocky Mountain Raptor Center. An airy upstairs room devoid of furniture created a serene atmosphere for students to sit on the floor and be as close as possible to the majestic predators. In awe the children watched every movement of the birds while the handlers told how raptors cannot survive without clean water.
Other festival firsts included a water magician who delighted and amazed, a puppet show about water and story-teller complete with comfy chairs by the fireplace.
