The Haliburton-Muskoka-Kawartha Children’s Water Festival (HMKCWF) has, for 13 years, been an annual outdoor Fall event that informs and inspires elementary students of this region to become water stewards in their homes, classrooms and communities. Children have fun while visiting a variety of hands-on activity stations where they learn about all things water, while making ecological connections to the natural world around them.
Since 2012, we have provided information, guidance and resources for Teachers to use in integrating engaging water stewardship lessons into their classes throughout the year. In 2021 we developed Water Week: an updated set of such resources, all available under the Teachers tab.
We are adapting our programs through the pandemic and climate change; in 2022 we revived our in-person Fall event with updated safety protocols and have started to develop and launched a series of water festival outdoor activities for families, such as storyboard walks at public parks and community events. We continue to combine experiential activities with messages relevant to youth's daily lives, through which they can 'soak up' knowledge on the properties, uses, connections and importance of water through these and our Waterheroes on-line programs.
Our programming has been offered free of charge since 2005, thanks to the generosity of volunteers, partner programs and sponsors. Please contact us for more information or to get involved!
The Big Splash Award was presented to students of Monck Public School on February 28, 2017! Student representatives accepted the award from committee member Tony Armstrong on behalf of their classmates at a school assembly. The Big Splash Award will remain on site at the school until the next HMK…
We are pleased to announce the 2016 winner of the Big Splash Award … Monck Public School from Bracebridge! This school submitted some amazing water saving ideas including planting tree and shrubs around the water’s shoreline to help reduce erosion! As they said in their own words, “Leaving the natural shore…
Great news! The HMKCWF Water Hero contest has been extended to the end of December! Here is your chance, if you haven’t already entered your classes creative water saving ideas! To enter your awesome ideas on how to protect and conserve our water, go to www.waterheroes.ca. The school with the most…
This year we have 10 new activity centres! And just recently, Ontario Power Generation added to this list! We have just learned that the Ontario Power Generation will be bringing their “Stay Clear, Stay Safe” demonstration for both days of the festival! This is such “new” news, that it missed the Teacher’s Planning…
