Cultivating healthy hygiene habits is sure to serve kids well throughout their lives. This collection of activities features classroom games, dental and personal hygiene lessons, colorful crafts, inventive task cards, and hands-on experiments to make their learning fun and engaging.
1. Dental Hygiene Activity
These hands-on activities challenge kids to clean markings off of their teeth with a toothbrush. It's an excellent way to develop life-long healthy dental hygiene habits while practicing an effective toothbrushing technique.
Age Group: Preschoolers
Learn more: 20 Fun and Easy Dental Activities for Preschoolers
2. Bingo-Dental Health Game
What's more fun than Bingo for learning about tooth care? This set contains thirty different cards with twenty-five vibrant and colorful images for hours of fun playtime.
Age Group: Elementary
Learn more: Teachers Pay Teachers
3. Conduct a Basic Food Experiment
This creative STEM experiment demonstrates the impact of sugar on teeth by soaking eggshells in sugary soda drinks. There's no better way to drive home the importance of daily tooth brushing to elementary kids.
Age Group: Elementary
Learn more: Feels Like Home Blog
4. Conduct a Germ Experiment with Liquid Soap
This simple science experiment uses an apple, liquid soap, and students' own germs to show them the importance of daily hand-washing.
Age Group: Preschool, Elementary
Learn more: Playdough to Plato
5. Encourage a Washing Routine with a Glitter Germs Experiment
Kids are sure to love rubbing sparkly glitter over their hands and watching their glitter germs spread as they shake hands with different people. This is a visually compelling way to learn the importance of maintaining clean hands throughout the day and can be used with both bars of soap or liquid soap.
Age Group: Preschool, Elementary
Learn more: I Can Teach My Child
6. Healthy Teeth Emergent Reader
This emergent reader is full of key sight words and makes a great starting point for a discussion about healthy hygiene habits.
Age Group: Preschool, Elementary
Learn more: Preschool Play
7. Watch a Brain Pop Video About Personal Hygiene
In this engaging animated video, students learn all about keeping their hair, skin, and teeth neat and clean and explore the benefits of creating a personal hygiene routine.
Age Group: Elementary
Learn more: Brain Pop
8. Personal Hygiene Items Word Search
This personal hygiene items word search makes for a fun brain break during a healthy hygiene habits unit.
Age Group: Elementary
Learn more: Puzzles to Print
9. Craft to Raise Awareness About Hygiene
Kids are sure to enjoy giggling at this fun craft that teaches them the importance of proper coughing etiquette.
Age Group: Preschool, Elementary
Learn more: Sight and Sound Reading
10. Cards with Hygiene Tips
Self-care cards are an excellent way to establish a consistent personal hygiene routine and build healthy habits while encouraging independence and personal organization skills.
Age Group: Preschool, Elementary
Learn more: Natural Beach Living
11. Create a Bathroom Hygiene Visual Chart
Visual charts are a wonderful way to teach students about hygiene since they can be used conveniently in different locations and are easy to reference.
Age Group: Preschool, Elementary
Learn more: B-Inspired Mama
12. Try a Washing Counting Exercise for Clean Hands
This collection of fun songs is geared toward teaching kids to wash their hands for at least twenty seconds and guide them through each of the steps of a thorough handwashing routine. Why not throw in some colored water or colorful soap bubbles to make the process even more appealing?
Age Group: Preschool, Elementary
Learn more: Pure Wow
13. Healthy Behaviours Matching Memory Game
This colorful matching picture game is a fun way to teach children about hygiene.
Age Group: Preschool, Elementary
Learn more: Mrs. Jones Creation Station
14. Become a Germ Detective
It's Catching is a hilarious book that teaches children about germs in a simple and accessible manner. Why not combine it with a colorful germs experiment to help illustrate the spread of germs in a concrete and visual way?
Age Group: Preschool, Elementary
Learn more: Reaching Happy
15. Playdough Flossing Activity
This simple activity is a hands-on way to teach children the basics of flossing which is an important component of hygiene education.
Age Group: Preschool
Learn More: Preschool Play and Learn
16. Nutrition & Food Groups Clip Card
This collection of clip cards features various food items, encouraging children to discern between healthy and unhealthy foods for their overall health.
Age Group: Preschool, Elementary
Learn more: Fairy Poppins
17. Personal Hygiene Board Game
What better way to teach students about hygiene than with a fun board game? This colorful and humorous one covers subjects such as body odor and exercise and helps kids identify healthy food items.
Age Group: Elementary, Middle School
Learn more: Teachers Pay Teachers
18. Construction Paper Gum Craft
Some colorful construction paper, lima beans, and googly eyes are all the art supplies you need to teach children about the importance of gums, what they do and how they support our teeth.
Age Group: Preschool, Elementary
Learn more: Coyne's Crazy Fun Preschool
19. Make Germs Scatter Science Experiment
This neat science experiment gives kids an opportunity to see germs pull away from liquid soap, reinforcing the importance of washing hands and reducing their contact with germ spreaders.
Age Group: Elementary
Learn more: Fantastic Fun and Learning
20. Teach Kids How to Blow Their Nose
This collection of kid-friendly nose-blowing activities uses manipulatives such as cotton balls to give kids plenty of practice with this important personal care skill.
Age Group: Preschool
Learn more: The OT Toolbox
21. Dry Erase Self-Care Mats
These reusable mats are an easy way to instill daily hygiene habits such as hand washing and tooth brushing and provide kids with a visual anchor to reinforce their learning.
Age Group: Preschool
Learn more: Laly Mom
22. Teach Toddlers About Germs with Powdered Donuts
All you need is a bottle of soap, lukewarm water, and some yummy powdered donuts for this creative hygiene activity. Toddlers will learn that germs are microscopic and can make you sick if they are not washed away regularly.
Age Group: Toddler
Learn more: A Cotton Kandi Life
23. Wash Your Hands Activity
This activity reinforces the importance of thorough hand washing and demonstrates that a quick wash is not enough to get rid of all those pesky germs on our hands.
Age Group: Preschool, Elementary
Learn more: How We Learn
24. Teach Kids Shower and Bath Time Skills
This how-to shower printable, which can be adapted for bath time, features a series of clear steps on the appropriate ways to use soap and shampoo in the shower.
Age Group: Preschool, Elementary
Learn more: My Little Poppies
25. Track Teeth Brushing With A Toothbrushing Poster
This handy colorful chart is a great way to motivate kids to brush their teeth daily. Why not combine it with a weekly or monthly reward to motivate them even further?
Age Group: Preschool, Elementary
Learn more: Nib Dental Care Centre
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