The water cycle can be a tricky concept to teach to a little desert dweller. Fortunately, Serendipity smiled on us during a recent road trip and I was able to bring part of the process to life for my little guy.
Wolf Creek pass in Colorado is a dangerous place, especially during the Spring. I had the misfortune to not only have to navigate this road at night, but during a mudslide. Now the initial mudslide had occurred days earlier, but the large rocks and river of muddy water were still wreaking havoc on the highway. It just so happened that this slide took place right at an especially curvy section of the pass. That’s right, I had to fight my way through that mess three times. All the while my little one is laughing with glee.
The next day found us alive and well in Pagosa Springs. The hike up Reservoir hill is moderate and yields a beautiful view of the valley with the San Juan river below and the snowcapped mountains in the distance. From this vantage point, I took the opportunity to explain how the snow from those peaks melts and flows down the mountain (and across the road) to the river below.
The next day, to reinforce the lesson, we went down to the San Juan river. PJ was able to recall all the steps that the water took to get from the mountain top to the raging river before him. He then asked some very thoughtful questions, like “Where does all the water go?’ It gave me the opportunity to help him understand how snow in one state can become water in another. A little lesson on how we are all connected.
Of course it wasn’t all seriousness. After answering a few questions we did throw sticks in the water and watched as they raced out of sight. After all, he is only 5 years old.