Kids can help California save water in the drought. Try making a game out of it

LOS ANGELES -- Kids love to play with water and in the water, especially on scorching summer days. But experts say you can teach your kids to love saving water too.

California's latest water emergency is forcing residents to dial back their lawn sprinklers, shorten their showers and make other water-miserly changes in their routines. Although many of the steps we can take as individuals have small payoffs — and nothing we do at home can lower temperatures or bring more rain — every gallon of clean water saved is a gallon that can fill other needs.

And there are a lot of little things kids can do to reduce waste just as easily as their parents can. If you have a teen in your home, chances are you're familiar with 20-minute showers and three sets of clothes stuffed in the hamper per day. If you have a younger child, there probably are multiple cups half-filled with water scattered around your home at any given moment.

Educators say one good way to change your kids' water habits is by explaining how their actions affect the community and the environment. That