Elementary School Students Explore the Element of Life at the Peterborough Children’s Water Festival

Over 650 students from grades two to five got to explore the element of life in the Peterborough Children’s Water Festival (PCWF) at the lower grounds of the Riverview Park & Zoo on Wednesday morning.

A student takes a close look at an aquatic larvae at the Healthy Shorelines Photo courtesy of Otonabee Conservation.

The festival had over 35 interactive learning centres designed for children to explore the importance of water conservation. There were over 45 classes to attend from over 20 different schools in the Region over two days.

Patricia Skopelianos, Chair of the PCWF Organizing Committee, says that new guest activity centres are joining this year’s festival including The Peterborough Public Library’s book bike to celebrate their 2024 Summer Reading Challenge theme of water.

“In addition, we are welcoming a new activity centre called Leveraging the Locks featuring an interactive model of a canal lock,” she said. “To teach kids about how they work, and why we have them on the Trent-Severn Waterway.”

The activity centers exciting allow students to explore the concepts of water conservation, cultural perspectives, water attitudes, technology, protection and science.

The Peterborough Children’s Water Festival is one of 25 festivals across the province this year. Since its inception in 2001, the PCWF has reached more than 30,388 elementary students and 6,684 teachers and parent helpers from across Peterborough City and County according to a press release.

“We are very fortunate to have tremendous community support for the Peterborough Children's Water Festival” said Skopelianos “For 22 years, local businesses and agencies have made generous financial contributions. We also have many volunteers who give their time and expertise and several more who provide in-kind contributions. Our community helps make this Festival a reality for the children.”

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Kids Get An Aquatic Lesson From the Peterborough Children's Water Festival

Over 650 students from over 20 schools in grades 2 to 5 got educated about the element of life as they attended the Peterborough Children’s Water Festival (PCWF) at Riverview Park and Zoo on Wednesday morning.

Julius the turtle and Peterborough Green up’s Karen O’Krafka are presenting to over 300 children at the return of the Peterborough Children’s Water Festival. Photo by David Tuan bui.

The festival returned to an in-person event after going for the last three years in a digital format.

“We are excited to once again offer a live, in-person Water Festival this year after three years of virtual programming,” says Patricia Skopelianos, PCWF chair.

The two-day event saw students from 45 classes from the Kawartha Pine Ridge District and Peterborough, Victoria, Northumberland and Clarington Catholic School Boards learn about water at over 20 learning stations ranging from water consumption, leaks to conservation.

“Once again, we are pleased to offer several activity centres in the French language with the involvement of students from St. Peter Catholic Secondary School,” said Skopelianos. “We are also welcoming back Elder Dorothy Taylor for a midday Sacred Water teaching, Adventures in Understanding by The Paddling Puppeteer Glen Caradus, Stepping Stone by The Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre, and The Great Fish Migration by OFAH’s Bring Back the Salmon, who will all be returning to the Festival this year.”

During the event, a ceremony was held to commemorate and thank all who supported and sponsored the event.

“We are very fortunate to have tremendous community support for the Peterborough Children's Water Festival,” said Skopelianos. “For 22 years, local businesses and agencies have made generous financial contributions. We also have many volunteers who give their time and expertise and several more who provide in-kind contributions. Our community helps make this Festival a reality for the children.”

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Children's Water Festival Will Be Held Virtually This May

The Peterborough Children’s Water Festival (PCWF) returns in 2022 for its 2nd virtual festival, adapting delivery to be completely online, once again this May

Photo courtesy of Peterborough Childrens Water Festival.

In its face-to-face format, the PCWF usually attracts between 650 and 800 students per day in grades 2-5 from schools across Peterborough City and County, and beyond. The 2-day festival, usually held at the Riverview Park and Zoo each spring, features over 30 interactive learning centres that provide children with exciting and fun opportunities to explore the concepts of water conservation, water attitudes, technology, protection, and science.

“Again this year, we are excited to host a virtual Peterborough Children’s Water Festival,” shares Patricia Skopelianos, Chair of the PCWF Organizing Committee, “Last year we had overwhelmingly positive feedback from teachers with our virtual platform; we have decided to once again bring the festival to classrooms in a virtual web series over the course of four ‘#WaterWednesdays’ in May.”

Delivery includes four 45-minute, live, weekly sessions of water education featuring local water knowledge keepers and water educators that will bring the magic of the PCWF to classes over the month of May. The online workshop themes are the pillars of the PCWF: Cultural Perspectives, Conservation, Protection, and Science & Technology. By registering, classes can attend all four workshops, and new this year, will receive a classroom kit with resources to support student learning.

This year’s festival is available to 100 classes of grade 2-5 online and in-person classes across Peterborough city and county, with virtual protocols approved by the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic School Board and the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board.

Registration is now open. Teachers can register their classes at PCWF.net. Teachers are also encouraged to connect with the PCWF’s array of great online resources, with more being added in May, even if their class is unable to attend the live-streamed festival.

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Stuff to Do In The Peterpatch This Weekend

Friday

YWCA presents Walk a Mile in Her Shoes, 12 p.m. starting from City Hall.

Saturday

Peterborough and District Farmers' Market 7 a.m. - 1 p.m. (Morrow Building Parking Lot)

The Great Gilmour Street Garage Sale, 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. [Map]

The Fowlers Corners & District Lions Club presents a Spring Craft Show 9:00 a.m. - 4 p.m. at Lions Hall at Orange Corners

Peterborough-Lakefield Community Police Auction, 10 a.m. (500 Water Street) [Related Link]

Peterborough Children's Water Festival at Riverview Park & Zoo - One day only!

2672 Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps Annual Parade and Inspection, 12:30 p.m. (220 Murray Street)

Sunday

Camp Kawartha presents their annual Green-in-Motion Fundraiser, Registration begins at 9 a.m. 

Kawartha Community Midwives Annual Picnic, 12 p.m. - 2 p.m. Riverview Park & Zoo, Shelter #2

Riverview Park & Zoo presents Rye Street to kick off their 2011 Concert Series. 3 p.m. - 5 p.m. in the Gazebo

To submit info for "Stuff to do in the Patch This Weekend", email evan@ptbocanada.com. Follow us on Twitter @Ptbo_Canada.