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Overview

​​In Transitional Kindergarten, learning in this strand is focused on the habits, knowledge, and skills that help children stay healthy. The topics under health habits in the preschool learning foundations are basic hygiene, oral health, knowledge of wellness, and sun safety. In the kindergarten health education content standards, these topics are addressed in two content areas: Growth and Development and Personal and Community Health. ​​

The Orange County Department of Education does not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness or completeness of this outside information. Further, the inclusion of links to particular items in hypertext are not intended to reflect their importance, nor is it intended to endorse any views expressed or products or services offered on these outside sites, or the organizations sponsoring the sites.​​​​​

Information and Resources

Handwashing: Clean Hands Save Lives - CDC

​The Center for Disease Control​ and Prevention provides information on the importance of handwashing and tips for washing hands and using hand sanitizer.​​

Learn More

Classroom Activities

​Basic Hygiene 
  • Practice hand washing. 
  • Demonstrate and practice blowing your nose into their elbow sleeves and discarding tissues. 
  • Reinforce through books, silly songs, posters by the sink, availability of and easy access to soap, age-appropriate sinks, warm water, and tissues.
  • Demonstrate skills by acting out songs or role play a short skit.
Oral Health 
  • Incorporate dramatic play using oversized model of tooth and toothbrush.
  • Practice brushing teeth on dolls or stuffed animals.
  • Use posters to remind students of steps to handwashing and teeth brushing.
Body Parts and Functions 
  • Discuss internal and external body parts and their functions by connecting to eating food and physical activity. 
  • Give examples of people that help you stay healthy. 
  • Practice communication skills: How to tell an adult when you don’t feel well. 
  • Read-aloud books, pop-up books, videos, and diagrams on body parts that help students “see inside their bodies”. 
  •  Sing song: “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes”. 
  • Introduce to health care providers starting with the school nurse. 
  • Role play different health care providers (doctor, dentist, nurse, eye doctor) using props. 
  •  Prompt children to practice communicating about how they or others are feeling physically.
Sun Safety
  • Talk about how the sun and weather connect with health and science.
  • Explain even on cloudy days, the sun's rays can be harmful.
  • Children can make paper sun visors.
  • Locate shady places on the school grounds.
  • Develop a routine of wearing sun protection when going outside (hats, visors, sunscreen, sunglasses, if school policy permits). 
  • Discuss the importance of drinking water and staying hydrated.
  • Sing songs before physical activity or recess to remind students to drink water.

Partnerships

​Partnering with the Family​​

  • ​Students can draw and create their own safety booklets to take home. 
  • Provide a chart for students to track their teeth brushing. 
  • Share community resources such as vaccination information with parents. ​

​​Partnering with your School​​​

  • Work with staff to ensure there are shady places for children to play and that there is safe, clean drinking water available. 
  • Take a walking field trip of the school to point out shady places, drinking fountains, and bathrooms.  ​

​​Partnering with your Community​​

  • Guest speakers from local dental, health, and vision care organizations.
  • Identify community resources such as child immunization clinics, places to get low or no cost flu shots, health fairs. ​
Orange County Department of Education
  • 200 Kalmus Drive
    Costa Mesa, CA 92626
  • PO Box 9050
    Costa Mesa, CA 92628-9050
  • (714) 966-4000

Developed by Orange County Department of Education in
partnership with California Department of Education

  • Orange County Department of Education
  • California Department of Education

This Internet site contains hypertext links to information created and maintained by other public and private organizations. These links are provided for your convenience. The Orange County Department of Education does not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness or completeness of this outside information. Further, the inclusion of links to particular items in hypertext are not intended to reflect their importance, nor is it intended to endorse any views expressed or products or services offered on these outside sites, or the organizations sponsoring the sites.
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