Kids get a lesson in the importance of water at festival at UCI

Lauren Magnuson, also known as Ms. Smarty-Plants from the Water Conservation Garden in El Cajon, helps student volunteers from El Sol Academy in Santa Ana hold up an inflatable Earth during a demostration on pollution at the 23rd annual Children’s Water Education Festival at UC Irvine on Wednesday.

Cody McDonald with Discovery Cube Orange County demonstrates how clouds are formed to fifth-graders from College Park Elementary School in Costa Mesa during the 23rd annual Children’s Water Education Festival at UC Irvine on Wednesday.

Third-graders learn about the natural habitat at Bolsa Chica during the Children’s Water Education Festival at UC Irvine on Wednesday.

Bella Hoyt, 12, of San Clemente helps paint a watershed mural sponsored by the Wyland Foundation during the Children’s Water Education Festival on Wednesday at UC Irvine.

Lauren Magnuson, aka Ms. Smarty-Plants from the Water Conservation Garden in El Cajon, and Mateo Pacheco from El Sol Academy in Santa Ana demonstrate the effects of pollution on Earth’s atmosphere during the 23rd annual Children’s Water Education Festival on Wednesday at UC Irvine.

Isabella Cornejo, 10, pours water into a beaker held by Addison Bakos, 11, to help illustrate how much water different cities have during the 23rd annual Children’s Water Education Festival at UC Irvine.

Ellie Bir, 8, from Irvine helps paint a watershed mural sponsored by the Wyland Foundation during the Children’s Water Education Festival at UC Irvine on Wednesday.