Activity: Showerglass

Activity: Showerglass

Materials:

2 used plastic bottles (tiny ones are the best but larger ones work too).

Duct tape – colored

CRAFT GLUE – NOT SCHOOL GLUE

Knife

Scissors

Craft sand (colored or not but fine grain)

Paper towels

Procedure:

1. If you use baby water bottles you can skip this step. Cut out the middle portion of your bottle with your knife. The TA’s can make the starting cut and the kids can finish with scissors. The amount removed depends on how large you want your showerglass. Just to be safe, cut out at least the label. Why? See item two. Also it is going to be better if the showerglass is not so tall and top heavy. If you cut out the middles, save them for another activity you are doing later.
2. Dry the sections out with and let air dry. You do not want any moisture in your green device. Otherwise, it’s going to mold. Eww. If you use baby water bottles you will still want to make sure they are clean and dry.
3. Line up the top of the bottle with the bottom and wrap a piece of colored duct tape around the middle to seal it. Do this for both bottles.
4. Make a small hole in your cap. A small hole. Very small. You want it small, and then make the hole bigger (eventually, but not right now). Only in one cap. Leave the other unharmed.
5. Add craft sand. This is the complicated part. You need to fill one of the bottles two thirds full with, attach the cap with the hole, and flip it over on the other bottle. Time exactly how long it takes for the sand to transfer from one end of the bottle to another. If it is longer than five minutes, make the hole in the top slightly bigger (a very slight change in size will result in a drastic change, so use cautiously!). If it is shorter than five minutes, add sand. Get it so it is exactly five minutes (or desired time) in length.
6. Cut a huge hole in the other cap. Big. As big as you can get it. At least bigger than the previous hole. It doesn't have to be pretty, no one will see it!
7. Glue the caps onto the bottles, making sure they are air and water tight.
8. Flip one bottle on top of the other, and glue the caps together. Make sure not to glue the holes shut. You just want to put a little schmear on the lid so they will stick.
9. Set aside and let dry.
10. Cut a 6 inch strip of duct tape off the roll and then split it down the length. This will give you two long skinny strips. Give each of these to campers. Let them tape their lids so they can reinforce the connection between the two bottle lids.

Background:

One of the biggest green killers in our homes is the shower. Heated water is expensive too! It can cost as much as ten cents per minute. So, you know that half hour shower? It's costing you three dollars! Five minutes is plenty of time to take a shower!