Toys to teach kids about swine flu H1N1

Giantmicrobes swine flu (Influenza A virus H1N1) plush doll
(© Giantmicrobes, Inc.)

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Chicago parents and teachers who wish to educate children about Influenza A H1N1 virus and how to avoid getting swine flu have a variety of toys and resources at their disposal. From government fact sheets to novelty comic books and plush toys, swine flu resources exist that are appropriate for kids of all ages.

How to talk to kids about swine flu safety

Parents can use free government resources to educate themselves about swine flu and then pass information along to their kids based on what facts they think are appropriate and important for their children to know. Toys can make good props for focusing children's attention during these discussions.

Swine flu resources for parents

The CDC has made available for download on their Web site a variety of free resources for teaching kids about swine flu. Some of these free flu materials include:

• Seasonal and Novel H1N1 Flu: A Guide for Parents, a two-page guide that answers questions such as what flu and the novel H1N1 flu are, how flu spreads, what the symptoms of flu are, how to protect children from flu, and what procedures to follow if children do get sick with flu.
• Advice for Parents on Talking to Kids About Swine Flu, a list of tips for how to talk to kids and teach them how to avoid getting swine flu.
• A general Q & A page about swine flu that covers everything from what swine flu is to prevention and treatment of swine flu to how to clean contaminated surfaces.

Wash hands well in soap and hot water to
prevent the spread of flu germs.
(credit: William Stadler)

What kids can do to avoid getting swine flu

Some of the main actions parents and kids can take to keep from catching swine flu include:

• Covering their noses and mouths with a tissue when they sneeze, or sneezing into the crook of their elbows if a tissue is not handy, and then disposing of the tissue immediately.
• Washing hands often with hot water and soap while scrubbing hands for a long period of time (for example, for as long as it takes to sing the ABCs twice) and using a paper towel to turn off the faucet and open the door of the bathroom to exit.
• Using alcohol-based hand sanitizers to clean hands.
• Discouraging kids from touching their eyes, mouths, or noses without washing their hands first.
• Disinfecting household and school surfaces often with safe household disinfectants.
• Disinfecting and regularly cleaning toys and avoiding playing with toys that cannot be adequately cleaned. (Find out more about how toy safety and good hygiene can prevent the spread of the swine flu virus.)

"No Ordinary Flu" comic book cover (© 2009 King County)

Swine flu toys to educate kids

Giantmicrobes, a toy company that designs and manufactures stuffed plush versions of various microbes, has begun selling a Swine Flu (Influenza A Virus H1N1) plush doll. Each stuffed swine flu toy comes with a picture of the actual swine flu microbe and facts about the microbe to turn this swine flu plush toy into a resource for teaching about the illness.

Public Health – Seattle and King County in Washington has prepared a pandemic flu comic book titled No Ordinary Flu. Visitors to the Web site can download a free copy to teach children about the 1918 flu pandemic and introduce tips families can follow to protect themselves and limit the spread of flu.

Sesame Street fans can also view public service announcement videos on YouTube starring Elmo and Gordon that teach kids how to stay healthy through tips like washing their hands properly and sneezing in a way that prevents the spread of germs. (View all four variations at the new flu.gov Web site set up to provide one-stop information from the U.S. government about H1N1, avian flu, and pandemic flu.) The Sesame Street Web site also lists a series of healthy habits flu tips.

Healthy Habits for Flu Prevention: How to Stay Healthy