Clean water is a journey. Let kids walk it.
Used water does not simply disappear. It travels to be cleaned, step by step, before it returns to rivers, soil or reuse. A board game can help children see those steps, care about them and carry that care home.
- Water awareness
- Classroom-ready
- Made in India
Wastewater is water that has been used, for example in homes, schools and industry, and that carries dirt, waste and germs. Wastewater treatment is the set of steps that cleans it before it returns to the environment or is reused.
To teach this to children aged 8 and up, let them run a treatment plant. The Wastewater Treatment Plant board game does this over eight stages, from screening to disinfection, and pairs well with a 30-minute class plan and a one-week family water pledge, both below.
Important distinction: treated wastewater is not automatically safe to drink. Drinking water is treated and tested to its own standards.
Why water awareness starts with children
The United Nations has a goal for water: Sustainable Development Goal 6, to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.
Global figures from the UN’s SDG 6 progress reporting (see sources below). They describe the world, not any one country.
Numbers like these are large, and children cannot picture them. A board game gives them something they can hold: a plant, a set of stages and a goal of clean water.
One board, eight stages
In the Wastewater Treatment Plant board game, each of two to four players runs a plant. You roll the dice, buy materials, take a one-time permit and finish every stage in order. The first to finish wins.
Along the way, children meet the same ideas real water professionals work with: screening, settling, filtering and disinfecting.
Eight stages a child can explain
The game is a simple model made for children. The explainer sheet in the box describes each process in simple words.
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Stage 1
Screening
A screen catches the big things first.
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Stage 2
Settling
Heavier bits sink to the bottom.
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Stage 3
Aeration
Air helps bacteria break down waste.
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Stage 4
Filtration
Filters catch fine particles.
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Stage 5
Sedimentation
Clumped particles settle in a tank.
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Stage 6
Coagulation
Tiny particles clump into bigger ones.
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Stage 7
Chlorination
Chlorine helps kill harmful germs.
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Stage 8
Disinfection
Ozone or UV light reduces harmful germs.
Six questions children ask about water
Where does the water go when I flush?
In many places it travels through pipes to a treatment plant, though not every area is connected. Find out how it works in your own town.
Why can’t we just drink it?
Used water can carry dirt and germs. Treatment removes or reduces them step by step, and drinking water has its own treatment and tests.
What do the bacteria do?
In aeration, air is pumped in so helpful bacteria can break down waste.
Why add chlorine?
Chlorine helps kill harmful germs.
Can treated water be reused?
Safe reuse is part of the UN’s water goal. Reuse follows safety rules, and treated wastewater is not automatically safe to drink.
What can I do?
Start with the family water pledge below. Small habits add up.
Six benefits, and a question for each
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Benefit 1Awareness
Water stops being invisible
Children see that dirty water is cleaned in steps. The drain is no longer “somewhere”.
Ask: “Where does our sink water go?”
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Benefit 2Curiosity
Science feels friendly
Words like aeration and coagulation become familiar. For some children, that may grow into an interest in science or engineering.
Ask: “Which stage would you like to study?”
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Benefit 3Together
Learning in groups
Two to four players share one board, so children explain, argue and agree. It suits classrooms, clubs and family tables.
Ask: “What did your team do first?”
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Benefit 4Habits
From game to daily life
After a round, it is natural to ask what the family can do at home. Closing taps and fixing leaks start to make sense.
Ask: “What is one thing we can change today?”
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Benefit 5Responsibility
Rules and care
A permit and quality-check squares show that clean water is regulated and checked, and that people are accountable for it.
Ask: “Why do plants need checks?”
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Benefit 6Made in India
A home-grown educational game
The game is designed and made in India by Blestonsi Creations, so buying it supports an Indian small maker.
Ask: “What would you add to the game?”
A 30-minute session plan
Use the game as the centrepiece of a short water-awareness session. One game supports two to four players, so plan one table for every four children. This plan is an introduction, not a full game: we have not timed a complete game, so time it with your own group first.
- Hook (5 minutes). Ask, “Where does the water go when you flush or wash your hands?” Collect guesses on the board.
- Play (about 15 minutes). Groups of four start the game. Ask each group to name the stages they reached. A full game may take longer.
- Debrief (5 minutes). Which stage was most surprising? Why must the stages go in order? What did the permit and the quality checks teach?
- Pledge (5 minutes). Each child writes one water habit they will try this week.
A one-week family water pledge
After your first game, choose the pledges your family can keep. Tick them off together.
- Fix or report a leak. A dripping tap wastes water all day. Fix it, or tell whoever can.
- Turn off the tap. Switch it off while brushing teeth or soaping hands.
- Reuse rinse water. Use water left over from rinsing vegetables to water a plant.
- Bin, not drain. Keep rubbish out of drains and toilets.
- Teach one friend. Explain one treatment stage to someone who has not played.
Linking the game to bigger ideas
UN Sustainable Development Goal 6
Clean water and sanitation for all. Target 6.3 aims, by 2030, to improve water quality and halve the share of untreated wastewater.
A citizen’s duty
Article 51A(g) of the Constitution of India makes protecting and improving the natural environment, including rivers and lakes, a fundamental duty of every citizen.
World Water Day
Observed every year on 22 March, with a theme set by UN-Water. A good day to host a game session.
Your own town
Ask children to find out where your town’s wastewater goes, then compare what they find with the board.
An honest note. A game cannot clean a river. It builds awareness and habits, and children copy what adults do, so your own example matters most. The game is a simplified model, and real treatment plants vary.
Frequently asked questions
How do you teach kids about wastewater treatment?
Let them run a treatment plant. The Wastewater Treatment Plant board game turns the eight stages into a race, and the explainer sheet describes each process in simple words.
Is treated wastewater safe to drink?
Not automatically. Wastewater treatment cleans used water before it returns to the environment or is reused. Drinking water is treated and tested to its own standards.
Is the game suitable for schools and NGOs?
Yes. The printed rules say it is designed for 2 to 4 players, so groups can run several tables at once.
What age is it for?
The box says 8+. It has small parts and is not suitable for children under 3 years.
Do children need to know science first?
No. They learn the stages as they play.
Will this game really change habits?
A game alone will not. It gives children a clear picture and a reason to care, and your example at home turns that into habit.
More from Corner For Future
Where the facts come from
- United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs: Goal 6, Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all (Goal 6 wording, target 6.3, and the 2024 wastewater and drinking-water figures).
- United Nations Statistics Division: Sustainable Development Goals Report 2026, extended report on Goal 6.
- UN-Water: World Water Day (observed on 22 March).
- Constitution of India: Article 51A, Fundamental Duties, clause (g).
Written by Dr. Riddhish Padiya, Ayurvedic practitioner (M.Pharma Ayu, PhD). Updated 4 November 2026. Game facts come from the box, rules sheet and explainer sheet supplied by Blestonsi Creations. We sell this game on this website.
Plant the first seed at your table
Roll the dice, run the plant and let your children discover how clean water is made.
MRP ₹1,299 (incl. all taxes).
Buy now · ₹1,299Game designed and made in India by Blestonsi Creations (@blestonsi). Photos show the real game; colour and resolution enhanced digitally.