February brings chilly weather and early sunsets. Instead of playing outside, children are staying indoors more than ever—even during the weekends. It can be hard to keep the little ones entertained for long periods of time, but the Responsible Flushing Alliance is offering a new activity to share with your little flushers.
Responsible flushing can leave you with left over cotton balls, toilet paper rolls, floss, and more. Instead of tossing these household items in the trash, you can create crafts with your children, providing entertainment to last. Check out a couple of our crafts below and stick around to the end for moreenrichment materials.
Make Your Own Clog Monster
When you flush the wrong thing down the drain, you feed the clog monster. Too much food, and he may just ruin the day. You can teach your children about this monster to discourage poor flushing habits. But instead of summoning the clog monster for an introduction, why not create your own?
To create your own clog monster, you can use any household item that would damage your toilet. For this activity we recommend baby wipes, cotton swabs, and floss, but don’t be afraid to get creative. If you’re ever unsure if something can be flushed, you can look for the “Do Not Flush” symbol on packaging.
Once you have the materials and kids together, follow along our Activity Sheet to construct a clog monster. Once he’s created, you can hold a puppet show or keep your craft in the bathroom as a reminder of good flushing practices.
Sea Creature Mobile
If your children are a little older, there are still plenty of ways to keep them engaged while also teaching smart flushing habits. Our next craft is designed for grades three to five.
This craft starts with gathering empty toilet paper rolls and crafting supplies. Then, follow along our Activity Sheet to create a school of fish! These fish can be strung together with wires to create a whole school. If you’re feeling creative, you can even make jellyfish or octopuses with the same supplies.
While crafting, use this opportunity to talk to your children about keeping good #flushsmart habits. This means checking packaging for the “Do Not Flush” symbol, and never pouring grease down the drain. When complete, you can hang your creation in the bathroom, making the perfect décor. Just be sure it doesn’t fall into the toilet!
More Enrichment Materials
After creating your clog monsters and crafting your sea creatures, there are even more ways to encourage responsible flushing. Lifelong habits are formed at an early age, so it’s important to reinforce good flushing behavior whenever possible.
Visit our Enrichment Materials Page for more activities. We have everything from puzzles to spot the difference pages. You can even download our “Dogs Against Clogs” coloring book!
With its #FlushSmart consumer education campaign, the Responsible Flushing Alliance is dedicated to keeping homes and communities healthy through proper flushing practices. This includes supporting clear and prominent labeling of all items that should not be flushed, including promotion of the “Do Not Flush” symbol on non-flushable wipes.
For more information, go to http://www.flushsmart.org or @flushsmart on Twitter or Facebook.
About Responsible Flushing Alliance
The Responsible Flushing Alliance (RFA) is a 501 (c)(6) non-profit organization dedicated to consumer education focused on what not to flush. RFA’s goal is to change consumer behavior to help reduce damage to our nation’s sewage systems caused by objects and materials not designed to be flushed.
Responsible Flushing Alliance Contributing Members
Albaad Inc., ANDRITZ Group Nonwoven Division, DUDE Products, Essity, First Quality, Glafelter, Johnson & Johnson, Kelheim Fibres, Kimberly-Clark Corporation, NACWA, Nehemiah Manufacturing, Nice-Pak and PDI, Papel Aralar S.A., Procter & Gamble, Rockline Industries, Sellars Nonwovens, and Suominen Corp.