PlayWatch: Water Wizards

This post was contributed by AmeriCorps Museum Educator Rachel Schwartz.

As I was driving into work on Easter Sunday, the roads were empty, sidewalks vacant. Providence residents were not to be seen. When the Children’s Museum opened, subsequently few families came in to play with us. Regardless of the lack of visitors, it gave a certain family a chance to really get to know Water Ways.

The water pressure was especially high in Water Ways so the fountains were shooting further than normal. A father and his 6-year-old son started out by making fountains using pipe pieces. As time went on, their fountains became more and more intricate. Eventually, they came up with a jet design. They discovered that if they covered up one of the fountain holes, there would be enough water pressure to shoot the water from the big tank to the toddler tank.

Then the determined duo decided to move the jet so that it would shoot from the big middle tank to the long side tank. The family and I walked under the stream of water many times. It was a blast!

Thank you to the family that shared this experience with me. Now this is one of my favorite tricks in Waters Ways. You never know what can happen on a slow Sunday!