Are you wanting to encourage environmental awareness in the classroom or at home? Help your children reflect on what can and can’t be flushed down the toilet and why with this free printable sorting activity.
Why is this important for children to learn about?
Knowing what can and can’t be flushed down the toilet is a simple way for children to care for the environment and ensure that plastics and other potentially harmful materials stay out of our seas and oceans. It encourages responsibility and respect for wildlife and habitats.
Sorting Activity
This activity is a simple sorting exercise that will help children think about what can be flushed down the toilet, and what should be placed in a bin (or disposed of via another method).
What you need:
💧Printed picture cards. You can download a version for US paper size/spelling here, and UK paper size/spelling here. The cards can be printed in colour or in black and white and should be cut out individually.
💧Toilet pictures for children to sort the cards onto (also included in the download).
💧Scissors
How you could use this activity
💧For an Earth Day center
💧With small groups
💧 Enlarge the cards and use for a whole class activity
💧Link it to a study about ocean habitats
Discussion points
Water companies and environmental groups agree that only 3 things should be flushed down the toilet. They are often referred to as the 3 p’s (pee, poo and toilet paper). These things all break down in the water.
Other items should not be flushed. They can cause blockages in pipes in the home or the sewage system. They can also end up in the seas and oceans, where they will cause harm to wildlife and habitats.
For the objects that can’t be flushed, discuss the most appropriate way to dispose of each one.
Change it up: use real objects
As an alternative, you could also do a similar activity but with real objects from your home and bathroom. Leave out the pee and poop (for obvious reasons!!) and ask children to sort objects like paper hands towels, cotton wool, dental floss, a crisp packet, a piece of gum etc. They’ll sort the objects into things that can be flushed and things that can’t. The twist? Nothing in your pile of objects will be suitable for flushing!
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