The Rain Catcher: collect rainwater for the school garden
Submitted by Camille Démo ✓, Collège Jean-Moulin, Paris · published on September 18, 2026
Build or decorate rain barrels and use the water collected on wet days to water plants during dry weeks.
What you need
A barrel with a lid and a tap, a downpipe diverter, outdoor paint, watering cans, a notebook for the log.
How it works
Pupils build or decorate rain barrels for the school or community garden. By collecting rainwater on wet days, they can water the plants during dry weeks without pumping water from rivers or from underground.
Find a downpipe or a roof edge where a barrel can stand safely. Ask the school caretaker.
Decorate the barrel in groups: a name, a water-level scale, a message for passers-by.
Keep a log: how much water after each rainy day, how much used to water the garden.
After a month, work out how many watering cans of tap water the class has saved.
Variation. A neighbourhood water-saver campaign: design waterproof stickers or hang tags for sinks and garden hoses, reminding people to turn off the tap.
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