Water Filter

Filtered water is an important part of everyday life. Humans need to drink water to survive, and clean water allows them to drink healthy water that promotes wellbeing. But filtering this water takes work! This hands-on science activity for kids will show your children how water filters remove sediment and other substances from drinking water.

Activity Instructions

Cut the soda bottle in half and put the top of the bottle into the bottom upside down, so that it creates a funnel through which you can pour the unfiltered water.

Help your kids choose which filter materials to use from an assortment of napkins and paper towels. Encourage them to consider the make of these materials when layering them. After they have decided upon their filter materials and their order, have the kids put them into the funnel created by the top half of the soda bottle.

Using cooking oil, bits of paper, pieces of Styrofoam, small pebbles, and other materials you may find, create dirty water in a pitcher. Next, help your children pour the dirty water through the filter and into the bottle.

After the water is poured, pull the filter out of the funnel and have your kids inspect it. Which layers caught the most “dirt”? Why do they think these were most effective?

Materials

• 2-liter plastic soda bottle
• Napkins
• Paper towels
• Dirty water

Outcome

This hands-on science activity for kids will teach your little ones how filters work. Additionally, it will demonstrate the filtering capabilities of a number of materials, opening up discussion pertaining to how the makeup of these materials contributes to their filtering abilities.