Promoting good health in the preschool classroom is important for setting the foundation for a lifetime of healthy habits. As an early educator, and parent, you have the opportunity to create an environment that supports healthy choices and teaches children about the importance of taking care of their bodies.
Preschoolers are beginning to learn the importance of taking care of their bodies but also their mental and emotional health, too! Great news is that there are so many wonderful and hands-on learning experiences we can provide preschoolers to promote good health in the preschool classroom and at home.
We’ve complied our favorite ideas, activities, and resources for promoting good health in preschoolers.
Handwashing and Activity Ideas
Teaching preschoolers about the importance of handwashing is an excellent way to instill good hygiene habits early on. Making hand washing a regular part of their routine helps preschoolers to develop a sense of responsibility for their own health and well-being while learning the importance of preventing the spread of germs. There are so many fun activities you can do with your preschoolers to help them make handwashing a part of their everyday routine.
Teaching Proper Techniques
| It's important that we teach our preschoolers the proper techniques for effective handwashing, demonstrate and practice with your preschoolers especially at the beginning of a school year. It also helps to have posters hanging by the bathroom and sinks so preschoolers have a visual. If you're a PreK Printable Fun member you can download the handwashing poster for free. |
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Read Handwashing Books
| Using books to teach kids about handwashing is an effective and engaging way to help children understand the importance of this important hygiene practice. Books are a great way to capture children's attention through fun stories, and colorful pictures it's effective in helping young children connect to the importance of handwashing. We highly recommend including these two books in your classroom library. Germs Are Not For Sharing andNow WashYour Hands! | |
Have a Handwashing Discussion + Game
During circle time or a classroom discussion ask your preschoolers about the various times they should wash their hands. Make it a game! "Do we wash our hands before we eat" and if the answer is yes, preschoolers will stand up, raise their hand, or do the action that you choose.
Sing a Handwashing Song
Use a song to teach preschoolers about why we wash our hands. Sing this to the tune of Row Row Row Your Boat: "Wash, wash, wash your hands, soap will make them clean. Scrub the germs and dirt away, keep your hands from being mean!" Use a fun video like this Handwashing song from Super Simple Songs.
It's always great to recommend your preschoolers sing a song like the ABC's during handwashing to make sure they wash for long enough to scrub away the germs!
| This black light germ experiment is a great science investigation that gets preschoolers thinking about how germs are spread! Find out all the details on our Black Light Germ Experiment Blog | |
Dental Health
| Dental health is important for establishing good habits early, preventing tooth decay, encouraging healthy eating habits, and promoting overall health. By emphasizing the importance of dental health, you can help set preschoolers up for a lifetime of healthy habits and good dental hygiene. There are so many fun and hands-on activities you can do with your preschoolers to help them understand the importance of taking care of our teeth. Check out our free Dental Health Lesson Planning page for a ton of ideas! |
Visit the Dental Health Theme Page! |
Watch a Video!
Kids love to brush their teeth but...they don't always brush the right away! It can be helpful for preschoolers to watch a video on the correct way to brush their teeth that way they can become independent brushers. We love this how to brush your teeth video from Smile and Learn because it gives a great demonstrate that is engaging for little ones to watch.
Dentist Visit
| Welcome a dentist or dental hygienist into your classroom to give your preschoolers the experience to hear from a dentist about the importance of dental hygiene, proper brushing and flossing techniques, and the importance of regular dental check-ups. They can also answer questions that students may have about dental health. We also have a ton of activities included in our Dental Hygiene Pack that you can use with your preschoolers that promotes the importance of taking care of your teeth! |
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Dental Hygiene Egg Experiment
| Science experiments are such a great tool for helping young kids get a hands-on experience about important topics like dental health. This dental hygiene egg experiment gives preschoolers a firsthand look at what our choices can do to our teeth. It's a super easy experiment and preschoolers are so fascinated by it! |
Try this! |
Read a Dental Health Book
| There are so many great dental health books you can read to your preschoolers to not only teach them about dental health but help make going to the dentist a little less scary! Here is an extensive list of dental health books we love. |
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Healthy Eating Habits
Early exposure to nutritious foods and education on healthy eating habits is so important for preschoolers to understand the reasoning behind healthy eating. Preschoolers often hear that foods are good or bad for you but providing this education helps them realize it's more than just good vs. bad but also that everything is fine in moderation. It's helping them find the balance and the love for choosing healthy foods.
Fruit and Veggie Scavenger Hunt
| Hide pictures of fruits and vegetables around the room using this set of free printable veggie and fruit cards. This is a great way to get preschoolers moving but also learning new fruits/veggies. You can also have preschoolers do a poll of each one to see if they've tried it before. |
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Eating Healthy Snacks
| Preschoolers tend to be a picky eaters so encouraging them to try new foods can be a challenge but if you make into fun shapes, colors, or even make it look like a pond they might be less reluctant to try. This Pond Dip Recipe is so fun and even looks delicious! It's a simple and easy to follow recipe that you can whip up with your preschool kiddos. |
Try this! |
Sing Healthy Food Songs
Singing songs about healthy foods with your preschoolers can be an effective way to encourage healthy eating habits.
Grocery Store Dramatic Play
| Transform your dramatic play center into a grocery store and have your preschoolers go shopping for healthy foods. Once they've finished shopping you can have them sort into different food groups. If you're looking for printable for your grocery store you can take a look at our Grocery Store Dramatic Play Pack. |
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Hygiene and Germs
Understanding what germs are and how they spread is crucial for promoting good hygiene habits, reducing the spread of illness, and empowers little ones to take control of their own health and well-being. Teaching them about germs can help them understand the importance of proper hygiene practices such as washing their hands frequently, covering their mouths when they cough or sneeze, and not sharing personal items.
Glitter Germ Experiment
The glitter germ experiment is a popular activity used to teach children about germs and the importance of hand washing. In this experiment, glitter is used to represent germs.Here are the steps of the experiment:
- Apply a small amount of lotion to the children's hands.
- Sprinkle glitter on their hands and encourage them to touch different surfaces and objects in the classroom, such as doorknobs, toys, and tables.
- After a few minutes, show the children how the glitter (representing germs) has spread to different surfaces.
- Explain that germs can be spread in the same way and that hand washing is an important way to prevent the spread of germs.
- Have the children wash their hands thoroughly to remove the glitter germs.
The glitter germ experiment is a fun and interactive way to teach children about the importance of hand washing and proper hygiene practices. It can also help children understand how germs are spread and how hand washing can help prevent illness.
How Germs Spread
| Teaching preschoolers about germs can also be a fun and engaging way to introduce science concepts. Preschoolers can learn about the different types of germs, how they spread, and how to prevent them through interactive activities and games. You can use a blacklight to show preschoolers about germs all around the classroom, they will be amazed. You can follow up with a discussion about germs with conversation cards found in our Germs and Hygiene Activity Pack. |
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Read Germ Books
Books about germs can help children understand what germs are and how they spread. By seeing pictures and reading about germs, children can visualize what they are learning and make connections to the real world.
Here are a few books we recommend:
Germ Washing Sensory Bin
A germ washing sensory bin is a fun and interactive way to teach children about the importance of hand washing and hygiene. It involves creating a sensory bin filled with materials that resemble germs, such as small plastic bugs, pom-poms, or beads.
- Fill the plastic bin or container with colored water or soap (to represent "germs"). You can also add glitter or food coloring to make it more colorful and interesting.
- Add the small plastic bugs, pom-poms, or beads to the bin. These will represent the germs that the children will be "washing" off.
- Provide tweezers or tongs for the children to pick up the "germs" from the bin.
- Set up a hand washing station nearby with soap and water or hand sanitizer.
- Encourage the children to use the tweezers or tongs to pick up the "germs" from the bin and place them into the hand washing station to wash them away.
- Emphasize the importance of washing hands thoroughly and regularly to prevent the spread of germs and illness.
Sleep Habits
As adults we know how important sleep is and how much we love it. But little ones tend to think differently! Through books, songs, and discussions we can teach our preschoolers about all of the great things sleep does for our bodies.
Read a Sleep Book
There a ton of different books to choose from that promote getting a good nights rest. Here are a few of our favorite nighttime books:
- Good Night,Sleep Tight by Mem Fox
- I Don't Want to Go to Bed by Julie Sykes and Tim Warnes
- A Book of Sleep
- I Don't Want to Go to Sleep
Meditation
Turn on calming music and teach your preschoolers how to meditate, they can learn to relax and quiet their mind before bed, making it easier to fall asleep. This is a great calming meditation video for kids.
Dream Catcher Craft
Help preschoolers make their own dream catchers using craft materials. Explain to them how dream catchers are used to help catch good dreams while they sleep.
Counting Sheep
Teach preschoolers the concept of counting sheep as a way to fall asleep. You can also have them draw pictures of sheep to hang in their bedroom.
Emotions and Mental Health
Preschoolers are at a critical stage of emotional development. By teaching them about emotions, you can help them learn to identify and express their own emotions, as well as understand and empathize with the emotions of others.When children understand their own emotions and those of others, they are better equipped to navigate social situations and build positive relationships.Understanding and accepting emotions is an important part of maintaining good mental health throughout life.
Emotion Cards and Conversations
| These Conversation Cards and Posters are a great tool for early childhood educators to use in teaching children to identify emotions. Use them in scenarios and have students provide solutions or ideas for calming down in each situation. |
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Emotion Check-in
If your classroom does a morning meeting or a circle-time you can use this time to have preschoolers do a quick check-in on how they're feeling. Use a checklist or have pictures where students can point to how they're feeling. This is so important for preschoolers to feel validated and acknowledged with their emotions.
Read Books about Emotions
Books are such a great way for preschoolers to make the real-life connection about the way they're feeling. Books promote self-esteem, emotional wellness, and a way to identify feelings. Here are a few that we highly recommend reading with your little learners:
Create a Calm Down Space
| Having a calm down space in the classroom is important because it can help students to develop emotional regulation skills, manage stress and anxiety, and improve their overall well-being. In this space, students can practice mindfulness techniques, deep breathing exercises, or engage in sensory activities such as manipulating stress balls or looking at calming visuals. A calm-down binder is a great way to include a set ofactivitiesthat children can use during their quiet time. |
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Exercise and Physical Movement
Exercise and physical movement are essential for the healthy development of kids. Regular physical activity can help promote physical health, mental well-being, cognitive function, and social development in children, and can set the foundation for a healthy lifestyle that will benefit them for a lifetime. There are so manyactivitieswecan do with our preschoolers to get them up and moving!
Musical Exercise
Play a game of musical exercise, play music and encourage your preschoolers do different exercises until the music stops. Talk to your preschoolers about the benefits exercise has on your body including your heart and brain!
Play a Game of Simon Says
Play a game of Simon Says but with exercise moves. Include gestures like hopping, jumping jacks, push-ups, and other exercises.
Obstacle Course
An obstacle course can be a fun and engaging way to promote physical activity and gross motor skills development with preschoolers. This is a fun way to get preschoolers running, crawling, and jumping. Include your preschoolers in the set-up for some added STEM learning.
Movement Cards
| Using movement cards are another excellent way to get your preschoolers moving their bodies especially if it's a rainy day and you can't get outdoors. You can download these free underwater movement cards.Your preschoolers will love pretending to be underwater sea creatures. |
Get this freebie! |
Educatingour preschoolers about good health is an important part of their overall development. By promoting healthy habits early on, we can help set the foundation for a healthy lifestyle that will benefit them for a lifetime. By incorporating fun and engaging activities that promote physical activity, healthy eating habits, and emotional wellness, we can help preschoolers develop important life skills that will help them grow and thrive. As educators, parents, and caregivers, we play an important role in promoting good health and well-being for the preschoolers in our care, and by working together, we can help ensure a healthy future for our children.
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