Rivers, Dams, and Lakes Oh my!

Every summer our family spends a week at the lake in sunny Florida.  It is the perfect time to rest, read, and enjoy the sun and sand.  This year the boys also threw in some lakeside learning.  

Old Crow wanted to dig a path from a hole in the sand all the way to the shore.  But it was hard work!  "Somebody has to help me!" So Daddy went over to help dig.  And that's how it all began. ;)

This became their river.  Daddy poured a boat load of water (literally) and we watched the water flow all the way down until it dumped in the "ocean."

Then they decided to engineer a dam.  So Crazy Horse built up the dam while Daddy and Old Crow dug a lake.  We talked about the two different kinds of dams...the ones engineered by man and the ones made by beavers.  We even had a pile of sticks/wood next to Crazy Horse that reminded us all of a beaver's dam.

So after the work was done, Daddy brought in more water and we watched it work!  And it did work!!!  They were so excited to see the dam divert the water into the lake.

  

Oh no!  There was too much water and it began to flood!!  Open the dam and build up the levees!  

Whew!!!  We got the water levels under control and were able to close the dam again.  It was all very intense and fascinating. ;)

 So what began as a natural urge to dig turned into something much grander...a lesson on rivers, dams, lakes, flooding, levees, and much more.  Oh the imagination of boys! ;)

Jenny