Tiddalick the Frog Review – Super WHY Episode
Earth Day Activities About Water Conservation for Kids
Apr 11, 2009
Because the Earth Day episode Tiddalick the Frog from the PBS Kids® show for preschoolers Super WHY! is adapted from the Australian Aboriginal folk tale Tiddalik the Thirsty Frog, parents and teachers can use this show to teach children about different ways people use water and the importance of conserving water.
Tiddalick the Frog Review – Earth Day Super WHY! Episode
In this Super WHY! episode, Whyatt Beanstalk's super big problem is that his mother is upset that he wasted water. Wanting to find out why it is important not to waste water, Whyatt and the other members of The Book Club (Littlest Pig, Red Riding Hood, and Princess Pea) transform into the Super Readers (Super Why, Alpha Pig, Wonder Red, and Princess Presto) and travel into the book Tiddalick the Frog.
Tiddalick loves to jump in water puddles and drink water so much that there is no water left over for his neighbors (and fellow Australian animals), a kangaroo who wants to take a bath and a wallaby who wants to water his garden. With the help of the Super Readers, Tiddalick learns the importance of conserving water and sharing water resources so that everyone in a community has enough water to meet his or her needs.
Earth Day Activities About Water Conservation for Kids
Parents and teachers can use this Earth Day television show to teach kids about the importance of water to life on planet Earth. After watching this television episode with kids, try some of the following Earth Day activities and Earth Day crafts.
Ways to Use Water – Super WHY! Activity
Why do people and plants need water? Parents can ask children to identify why the kangaroo needed water (to take a bath) and then why anyone needs to take a bath (to wash him or herself clean with water). Next, parents can ask why the wallaby needed water (to water his garden) and then why the garden needed to be watered (plants need water to live and grow).
Help kids make a list of ways that people, animals, and plants use water, beginning with the ways water was used in this Super WHY! episode.
For example:
- People (like Whyatt) and animals (like Tiddalick) need to drink water to live.
- Plants like the flowers in the wallaby's garden need water to live.
- People wash with water.
- People cook with water.
- People (and Tiddalick!) like to play in water.
For an Earth Day craft, have kids draw labeled pictures of each way water can be used and then bind the pictures together to make a book titled Ways to Use Water.
How to Save Water Around the Home – Super WHY! Activity
What are some ways to save water in a home? Parents and children can discuss how Whyatt wasted water by leaving the tap running while he went looking for a snack (parents can point out how Whyatt wasted electricity by leaving the refrigerator door open, too!).
Help kids brainstorm ways to save water around the home. Parents can share a picture book such as Why Should I Save Water? by Jen Green [Barron's, 2005] to help kids get ideas.
For example:
- Do not leave the tap running longer than is necessary.
- Chill water in the fridge instead of letting the tap run until water is cold.
- Turn off the tap when brushing teeth.
- Do not leave the tap running when washing dishes by hand.
- Only run the dishwasher when it is full of dishes.
- Only run full loads of laundry in the washing machine.
- Take showers instead of baths.
For an Earth day craft, have kids pick their top three tips to conserve water in the home and make an illustrated and labeled poster with pictures of people saving water in each of these three ways. Post the finished poster in the home to remind everyone to save water every day.
Use Super WHY! Activities to Teach Children
The PBS Kids® show Super WHY! teaches reading, but it also teaches important life lessons and content-area knowledge. After trying the Earth Day crafts and activities described above, parents can try other educational activities that relate to the story of Tiddalik the frog and this Earth Day Super WHY! episode, such as a primary water conservation lesson plan. Parents can also read a review of various versions of Tiddalik the Frog and pick a few to to read aloud to children.
Families can also find out what other green-themed PBS Kids® children's tv shows will be aired to celebrate Earth Day.
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