Stage 2: Start Smart!
Live: Drink Water Movement
Objective: To encourage children to drink 6-8 cups of water every day.
Time: 4 weeks
Materials: Water-drinking record sheets.
Let’s GO!
- The teacher explains the importance of drinking water to our health.
- Each child receives a water drinking record sheet. Parents are asked to mark it to record the amount of water their children drink every day.
- If they drink a glass of water, they can colour one glass-icon on the record sheet.
- During teatime, the whole class will drink water and mark on their record sheet.
- According to the record, the teacher will stamp the record sheets of the children as a reward.
- To complete the record each day, the children have to colour at least six glass-icons on their record sheet.
Water Colours Our Lives
- Health improvement:
Children learnt the benefits of drinking water and they no longer resisted it. They even asked to drink water at home or at school.
- Arithmetic development:
In the activity, children managed to learn about things other than health. They counted the number of glasses of water they drank every day; hence, they learnt arithmetic.
- Active performance:
Children like colouring on the record sheet, so they became more enthusiastic in the activities.
Stage 3: Sharing Platform
Ms Wong Yuet Lai , Headmistress
- Some kids in class K1 had never drunk any plain water except baby drinks. The activity helped them develop a habit of drinking water.
- After attending the workshops and talks organised by the Department of Health, the school learnt about the difference between water and other fluids. Teachers used to think that soup was healthy, especially the traditional Chinese soup. After the explanation by the instructor, they now understand that traditional Chinese soup usually contains high-fat ingredients, which increase the amount of fat in the soup. If children drink too much of it, they will be prone to obesity.
Parent Blog
Yip Yu Yan’s Parent:
Water is tasteless, thus it is not appetising for children. It was difficult to make them drink water. Yet, children were happy to participate in this activity, and they finally started a healthy habit of drinking water. Therefore, I hope the activity can be launched again.
Ng Tung Shan’s Parent:
Ever since the ‘Drink Water Campaign’, my daughter has drunk more water apparently, and she has learnt that water is essential to the human body. Even though the project has come to an end, she still insists on drinking 6-8 glasses of water every day.
Lee Ying Tung’s Parent:
Before the project, my daughter had no incentive to drink water unless we asked her to. After this activity, she asks to drink water every day and avoids soft drinks.
Mok Yu Hin’s Parent:
The project encourages my kid to drink water on his own initiative and he indeed learns the importance of drinking water to our health. He even reminds me, saying, ‘Mom, you should drink more water! In order to supply our body with enough water, we better drink 8 glasses every day.’
Lam Ming Yat’s Parent:
This activity reinforces my son’s understanding of the use of water in daily life. Now he drinks more water, and does it more often. It is of utmost importance that children become aware of environmental protection: ‘love the earth, treasure the environment, save water and recycle waste’.
Conclusion
The ‘Drink Water Campaign’ successfully helped children develop the habit of drinking 6-8 glasses of water every day. Parent used to think that it would be a miracle if their kids took the initiative to drink water. However, children have more incentive to drink water now, and often do so on their own initiative, all because of this activity and the teachers’ teachings. As the project was so successful, most parents hope the school can organise similar activities related to healthy diet so that children can develop the right attitudes towards diet.
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