Pikes Peak Children's Water Festival

Share this page:

About the Water Festival

The Pikes Peak Children's Water Festival gives fourth-grade students a chance to learn about water, wildlife, and pollution in a fun, hands-on setting.

The 2023 Water Festival will take place on Friday, May 19th at the UCCS Cybersecurity Center.

Numerous water-related organizations presented a variety of topics. 
  • Catamount Institute will bring water samples from Mesa Creek to teach about macro-invertebrates and worms.
  • Colorado Parks and Wildlife will have live fish for kids to make better connections to local aquatic ecosystems.
  • The Stormwater Enterprise will use EnviroScape models to explain point and non-point source pollution, stormwater run-off and who contaminants impact water.
  • Colorado Springs Utilities will teach students about their water system, how to protect pipes from rusting, the effects of the Waldo Canyon fire on run-off and will play water relay races.

View Program Guide

Colorado Springs Utilities

Pikes Peak Library District

Presentations

  • Activity Title: Upstream downstream: protecting our water (City of Colorado Springs Stormwater Enviroscape station 1)
    • Description: Students simulate a rainstorm to learn about point and non-point source pollution, how it effects water quality and ways to protect our waterways.
    • Organization: Stormwater Enterprise, City of Colorado Springs
  • Activity Title: A ride through the storm drain
    • Activity Description: Learn the difference between our storm drains and indoor plumbing with H2O Jo.
    • Organization: Colorado Stormwater Council
  • Activity Title: Colorado Springs Utilities Water Quality Lab
    • Activity Description: Water is tested to make sure it is safe to drink.
    • Organization: Colorado Springs Utilities
  • Activity Title: What it Takes to Drink Snowmelt
    • Activity Description: The engineering behind getting water from the other side of the Continental Divide into Colorado Springs.
    • Organization: Colorado Springs Utilities
  • Activity Title: Water Filtration Activity
    • Activity Description: Students engineer their own filter through problem solving tactics.
    • Water Filtration guide
    • Organization: Catamount Institute
  • Activity Title: Colorado Fish Adaptations
    • Activity Description: Learn about Colorado fish, their adaptations, and create your own fish species with a fun Fashion a Fish activity.
    • Organization: Colorado Parks & Wildlife
  • Activity Title: Stella fixes a leaky flapper!
    • Activity Description:  Stella, our star 4th grader, shows you how to fix a leaky flapper in your toilet in nine easy steps and helps conserve water!
    • Organization: Colorado Springs Utilities
  • Activity Title: About the Trout
    • Activity Description: Learn about the needs of the Greenback Cutthroat Trout and what makes Bear Creek unique.
    • Organization: Bear Creek Nature Center
  • Activity Title: Soil health lessons in a minute: benefits of no-till farming
    • Activity Description:  NRCS Agronomist Ray Archuleta vividly demonstrates the consequences of tilling and the benefits of no-till farming.
    • Organization: NRCS
  • Activity TitleInstant Freeze Super-Cooled Water
    • Activity Description: Most people believe water always freezes at exactly 32°F or 0°C and while it is true there is more to learn about liquids at much colder temperatures. This is called super-cooled water.
    • Organization: Cool Science
  • Activity Title: Experiments for Kids - how to make rain
    • Activity Description: Colorado Springs is a semi-arid climate with an average of 16 inches of precipitation (that’s not much).  Students can make their own water cycle in a jar at home to see evaporation, condensation and precipitation in action
    • Organization: Ryan Cragun
  • Activity TitleThe Water Cycle
    • Activity Description: Learn about the water cycle with this fun new video!
    • Organization: CoCoRaHS – Colorado State University
  • Activity TitleCaddisflies, Engineering an Ecosystem
    • Activity Description: Students learn how small underwater critters help reduce erosion and create healthy ecosystems.
    • Organization: Stroud Water Research Center
  • Activity TitleWhat is a Watershed?
    • Activity Description: A shed that holds water? Nope. Everyone in the world lives in a watershed.  Watch this short video to learn what a watershed really is.
    • Organization: Stroud Water Research Center            
  • Activity Title: What is a Watershed?
    • Activity Description: Runoff from fields, lawns, and pavement could carry potentially harmful materials from our watersheds to our rivers. Even if you live, work, or play far from a river, your actions could have an impact on the quality of the water in the area.
    • Organization: KET Education
  • Activity Title: The 2020 NSF STEM for All Video Showcase: Learning from Research and Practice
    • Activity Description: Over 800 presenters and co-presenters share 242 short videos highlighting innovations in STEM education.
    • Organization: TERC
  • Activity Title: What’s in Your Watershed - Part 1
    • Activity Description: Learn what a watershed is, how they function, and why they are important by creating an 8X11 model.  Students also learning about pollution and what we can do help.
    • Organization: Parks, Recreation, & Cultural Services, City of Colorado Springs
  • Activity Title: What’s in Your Watershed - Part 2
    • Activity Description: Model demonstration of pollution run-off and what we can do to help with pollution prevention.
    • Organization: Parks, Recreation, & Cultural Services, City of Colorado Springs
  • Activity Title: Showerhead Showdown Challenge
    • Activity Description: Students create a showerhead prototype that will conserve water but still wash off soap. *Showerhead Showdown Challenge activity guide
    • Organization: United States Air Force Academy
  • Activity Title: Wonders of the Water Cycle
    • Activity Description: PowerPoint presentation that highlights Fountain Creek and explains the water cycle. *Wonders of the Water Cycle PDF
    • Organization: U.S. Geological Survey
  • Activity TitleThe Most Dangerous Glacier on Earth
    • Activity Description: Students learn about a 2020 PolarTREC trip to study the Thwaites glacier in Antarctica, and the impacts of climate change on our planet.
    • Antarctica Learning Guide worksheet
    • Organization: Eco-Schools USA
  • Activity Title: Soil health lessons in a minute: soil stability test
  • Activity Title: Why BEAVERS Are The Smartest Thing In Fur Pants
    • Activity Description: Beavers have done more to shape North American landscapes than any animal beside humans.  We show you why Earth’s second largest rodent is more amazing than you ever knew, and why they’re the smartest thing in fur pants.
    • Organization: PBS
  • Activity Title: Fish Hatcheries
    • Activity Description: Students learn about the species of fish that can be found in Colorado lakes and rivers and how CPW contributes to fish population health and the health of native amphibians.
    • Organization: Colorado Parks & Wildlife
  • Activity Title: The Runoff Family
    • Activity Description: A fun story of the Runoff Family and a look on how their everyday actions and decision affect the environment.
    • Organization: Pikes Peak Library District
  • Activity Title: Zoo to You Virtual Safari
    • Activity Description: Understand how our actions impact ecosystems and animals locally and globally. Throughout the week we will ask viewers to Pause, Think, and then Act by making choices that support healthy ecosystems and save species. 
    • Organization: Denver Zoo
  • Activity Title: Make it Rain Presentation
    • Activity Description: Students learn about the atmosphere, water cycle, weather vs. climate and how to measure and read a rain gauge.  Geared toward 3rd – 5th grade.
    • Organization: Colorado Climate Center
  • Activity Title: "What Makes it Rain?"
    • Activity Description: A recording of the book, "What Makes it Rain?" Geared towards Pre-K and Kindergarten
    • Organization: Colorado Climate Center

 

Highlights from the past water festivals

Read about 2018's amazing Pikes Peak Children's Water Festival!

Pikes Peak Children's Water Festival

 

The Pikes Peak Children's Water Festival is jointly coordinated by the City of Colorado Springs and Colorado Springs Utilities, with support from Pikes Peak Community College, Colorado Springs School District 11, Catamount Institute, Colorado Parks and Wildlife and Pikes Peak Library District.

Pikes Peak Children's Water Festival Committee