Course 1

Course 1

Dear Parents

Teaching the basics of proper personal hygiene is important for keeping children healthy and clean. It’s especially important for younger children to practice good hygiene — particularly hand washing — because they spend so much of their time in close contact with each other in the classroom, sharing everything from desks and chairs to germs. And when your child reaches adolescence, hormonal changes will lead to increased production of oils in skin and hair and an increase in body odor. That’s when you will be glad you didn’t wait till then to instill good health and hygiene habits. 

To expand onto the learning aspect of this theme, make sure to be more intentional about emphasizing the importance of each personal hygiene daily activity you do with your child or that your child carries out on his/her own. Singing along while carrying them out also assists with your child earning more about what they are doing and remembering why these tasks are important.

Discuss what you’re using, why you’re using it and how often this form of cleaning should happen. You could also discuss the consequences of not carrying out these personal hygiene tasks.

Activity 1

Life skill: blowing your nose

Duration : 5 – 10 minutes

What do you need?

  • Step by step cards (may be printed out )or simply use as a visual reference 
  • Tissues 
  • Bin
  • Bowl with water and soap or hand sanitizer

What you need to do:

  1. Show your child step by step visual guide on how practice good hygiene habits when blowing his/her nose.
  2. Hand your child a tissue and take one for yourself too.
  3. Show your child how to fold tissue in half and discuss this step with your child while doing so.
  4. Tell him/her to gently blow their nose
  5. Then ask him/her to gently wipe their nose clean
  6. Next, ask him/her to throw the tissue away into the bin
  7. Finally ask: Now what should we do? Allow your child to answer.
  8. Then proceed to either have your child wash or sanitize hands
  9. Have your child repeat this sequence on his/her own.
  10. Applauded/praise your child for following the correct steps
  11. Try and catch your child following these correct actions during this coming week and comment on it or maybe even reward it!

Activity 2

Messy play – Gloop

Duration: 5 – 10 minutes

What do you need?

  • Gloop: (To make you will need):

                      – 2 cups of cornflour

                     – A drop of food colouring dissolved in a cup of water

  • A large container or bowl
  • Little hands
  • Clean water and soap for washing hands

What to do:

  1. *Caregiver is to add all gloop ingredients into a container.
  2. Next allow your little one to mix together and just enjoy the texture
  3. Your little one, might not like exploring this really funny texture, but this form of tactile (touch) exposure is great for creating sensory awareness.
  4. Gloop is an interesting mixture with a unique texture and is great for sensory play.  It is also great to explore and discuss the physical concepts of solids and liquids in 1 activity. Guaranteed to get someone playing (maybe even the caregiver…)
  5. Remember to have water close at hand so he/she can easily have access to wash those little hands clean.

*Remember: Sensory play encourages children to manipulate and mold materials, building up their fine motor skills and coordination.

Activity 3

Physical activity- Bear walking

Duration: 5 – 10 minutes

What you need?

  • An open space

What to do?

  1. Tell your child that he is going to learn to walk like a big bear.
  2. Then demonstrate it to your child by placing your hands and feet on the floor. Your hips and bottom should be in the air, higher than your head.
  3. On all fours steps forward using your arms and legs (*Exercise caution if you have any underlying back concerns)
  4. Have your child copy this action and walk all around the area. Have him/her walk slowly with heavy movements like a bear.
  5. Repeat 

Use the following link for a fun song to accompany this exercise: