Hygiene Hero Checklist

Name: ________________________
Date: ________________________

Becoming a Hygiene Hero means keeping yourself clean and healthy! Read each hygiene habit below. Put a check (✓) in the box if you did it today, or an X if you didn't. Let's see how many you can do!

Be a Super Hygiene Hero!

1. What is one new hygiene habit you want to try to do every day this week?

   • A. Sing loudly in class
   • B. Wash my hands more often
   • C. Run around at recess
   • D. Eat more candy

2. Why is it important to be a Hygiene Hero?

   • A. To make germs happy
   • B. To get sick more often
   • C. To stay healthy and strong
   • D. To make my clothes dirty

3. What is one way you can remind yourself to practice a hygiene habit (like washing hands or brushing teeth)?

   • A. Close my eyes and forget
   • B. Ask a friend to remind me
   • C. Put up a reminder sign
   • D. Only do it when a grown-up tells me

4. Imagine your friend forgot to cover their cough. What is one kind thing you could say or do to help them remember to be a Germ Buster?

   • A. Cough back at them
   • B. Tell them they are bad
   • C. Gently remind them to cough into their elbow
   • D. Ignore them

Our Hygiene Habits: Stayin' Clean!

Be a Germ Buster and a Hygiene Hero!

1. Wash Your Hands!

• Use soap and water.
• Scrub for 20 seconds (sing Happy Birthday twice!).
• Wash before eating, after using the bathroom, and after coughing/sneezing.

2. Brush Your Teeth!

• Brush every morning and every night.
• Brush for 2 minutes.
• Keep your smile healthy and bright!

3. Take a Bath or Shower!

• Keep your body clean and fresh.
• Use soap and water.

4. Cover Coughs and Sneezes!

• Cough or sneeze into your elbow.
• This stops germs from spreading.
• Wash your hands afterwards!

Germ Busters: Stayin' Clean! Script

Warm-Up: What are Germs? (5 minutes)

Teacher: "Good morning, everyone! Today, we're going to talk about something super important for keeping us healthy and strong. I want you to close your eyes for a moment and think: What do you think germs are? Where do they live?"

Teacher: "Open your eyes! Who can tell me what they thought about?" (Call on a few students to share.)

Teacher: "Those are some great ideas! Germs are tiny, tiny living things, so small we can't see them without a special microscope. They're actually everywhere – on our desks, on our toys, on our hands! And some of them, not all, but some, can make us feel really sick, like giving us a cough, a runny nose, or a tummy ache. But don't worry! Today we're going to learn how to become 'Germ Busters' and keep those nasty germs away!"

Introduction to Hygiene Habits (8 minutes)

Teacher: "So, how do we fight these invisible germs? We use our 'Hygiene Super Powers'! Can anyone guess what 'hygiene' means?" (Show Germ Busters Slide Deck - Slide 3)

Teacher: "Hygiene means taking care of our bodies to stay healthy and strong. It's like being a superhero for your own body! Our first super power is one you probably do every single day. Look at this picture! What do you think it is?" (Point to a handwashing image on the slide or a Hygiene Habits Poster).

Teacher: "That's right, washing our hands! Why do you think washing our hands is so important?" (Show Germ Busters Slide Deck - Slide 4)

Teacher: "Exactly! It gets rid of those invisible germs. When do you think we should wash our hands?" (List student suggestions on the board. Refer to the slide.)

Teacher: "Great ideas! We should always wash our hands before we eat, after we use the bathroom, after playing outside, after we sneeze or cough, and anytime our hands look dirty. This is our super important first step!"

Teacher: "Our next super power is... (show Germ Busters Slide Deck - Slide 6). Brushing our teeth! Who brushes their teeth every day? Why do we do it?"

Teacher: "Yes! It keeps our teeth strong and our smiles bright! And helps with fresh breath too! We brush in the morning and at night for two whole minutes!"

Teacher: "And what about keeping our whole body clean?" (Show Germ Busters Slide Deck - Slide 7). "Taking baths or showers! This helps wash away all the dirt and germs from our skin and hair, making us feel fresh and clean!"

Teacher: "Our last super power is super easy, but super important! (Show Germ Busters Slide Deck - Slide 8). What do you do when you need to cough or sneeze?"

Teacher: "That's right! Into your elbow, like a vampire! This stops the germs from flying out into the air and landing on our friends or on surfaces. And what should we do right after we cough or sneeze?"

Teacher: "Wash our hands! Excellent!"

Activity: Glitter Germs & Handwashing (10 minutes)

Teacher: "Now for a fun activity to see germs in action! I'm going to give each of you a tiny bit of glitter on your hands. Imagine this glitter is like those invisible germs we talked about. They stick to everything!"

(Distribute glitter onto students' hands. Allow them to lightly rub their hands together to spread the glitter.)

Teacher: "Look at your hands. See how that glitter is everywhere? It's on your fingers, your palms. If you touch your desk, it leaves some glitter there. If you touch your face, it gets on your face. That's how germs spread! Now, let's see if we can get rid of these 'glitter germs' with our super handwashing power!"

(Direct students to a sink or provide hand sanitizer if a sink is unavailable. Guide them through the proper handwashing steps, referring to Germ Busters Slide Deck - Slide 5 and the Hygiene Habits Poster.)

Teacher: "Remember the steps: Wet hands, get soap, scrub for 20 seconds – that's like singing 'Happy Birthday' twice! Rinse all the soap off, and dry with a clean towel. Let's go!"

(Observe and assist students with handwashing. After they've washed, have them compare their hands to see how much glitter (germs) is left.)

Teacher: "Wow! Look at how much glitter we washed away! Some might still be hiding, which is why washing carefully and for long enough is so important!"

Wrap-Up: Hygiene Hero Checklist (5 minutes)

Teacher: "You all did an amazing job battling those glitter germs! Now, to help you remember all our super hygiene powers, I have a special Hygiene Hero Checklist Worksheet for each of you." (Distribute the worksheets.)

Teacher: "Let's look at it together. This checklist has all the important hygiene habits we talked about today. You can put a check if you did it, or an X if you didn't. This will help you remember to be a Hygiene Hero every day! You can even take this home and share it with your family to teach them about being Germ Busters too!"

Cool-Down: One Healthy Habit (2 minutes)

Teacher: "Before we finish up, I want everyone to think about one hygiene habit from our list that they will try extra hard to practice this week. Just one! Think about it quietly in your head."

(Pause for thought)

Teacher: "Who would like to share the one healthy habit they're going to focus on?"

(Call on a few volunteers)

Teacher: "Fantastic! Remember, practicing these hygiene habits every day helps keep you, your family, and your friends healthy and happy. You are all amazing Hygiene Heroes!"

Hygiene Hero Checklist Answer Key

Be a Super Hygiene Hero! - Answer Key

Here are the correct answers and explanations for the questions on the Hygiene Hero Checklist Worksheet:

1. What is one new hygiene habit you want to try to do every day this week?

   • A. Sing loudly in class
   • B. Wash my hands more often
   • C. Run around at recess
   • D. Eat more candy

   Correct Answer: B. Wash my hands more often.

   • Reasoning: This is the only option that is a hygiene habit. Washing hands more often helps fight germs and keep you healthy.

2. Why is it important to be a Hygiene Hero?

   • A. To make germs happy
   • B. To get sick more often
   • C. To stay healthy and strong
   • D. To make my clothes dirty

   Correct Answer: C. To stay healthy and strong.

   • Reasoning: The main goal of practicing good hygiene is to prevent illness and maintain good health.

3. What is one way you can remind yourself to practice a hygiene habit (like washing hands or brushing teeth)?

   • A. Close my eyes and forget
   • B. Ask a friend to remind me
   • C. Put up a reminder sign
   • D. Only do it when a grown-up tells me

   Correct Answer: C. Put up a reminder sign.

   • Reasoning: Putting up a visual reminder is a proactive and independent way to help remember to practice a habit. While asking a friend might help, taking personal responsibility with a sign is a strong habit builder.

4. Imagine your friend forgot to cover their cough. What is one kind thing you could say or do to help them remember to be a Germ Buster?

   • A. Cough back at them
   • B. Tell them they are bad
   • C. Gently remind them to cough into their elbow
   • D. Ignore them

   Correct Answer: C. Gently remind them to cough into their elbow.

   • Reasoning: This option demonstrates empathy and helpfulness, reinforcing the correct hygiene practice in a positive way. The other options are either unhelpful or unkind.