Daily STREAM Activity: Water Filter

Can you make dirty water clean?

Activity best for children age 3 and up

Practice your engineering skills and design your own water filter!

Image 7 1 20 At 2.00 PM

Materials you’ll need:

2 clear containers

Water

“Dirt”

  • Coffee grounds
  • Food coloring 

Water Filter materials

  • Coffee Filter 
  • Mesh squares 
  • Cloth squares 
  • Sponges
  • Pipe Cleaners  
  • Paper

Directions

STEP 1
Fill a clear container with water and make it dirty by adding food coloring, coffee grounds, or dirt.

STEP 2
Find another clear container to build your filter on top of.

STEP 3
Gather materials you think might help clean the water for your filter.

STEP 4
Design and build your own water filter.

STEP 5
Test it! Pour the dirty water through your filter and into your empty, clear container. Does the water look cleaner after it passes through your filter?

BONUS
Try making an improvement. How can you change your filter so that the water will be even cleaner?

BONUS
Try mixing your colors to make new ones!