There is never a bad time to teach about our health. You can teach this unit at any time, which is very convenient. And there is no rule saying you can’t teach it multiple times! Dental Health Month provides a great opportunity for teachers to hit on overall health lessons. This Health Kit is so fun to create, and I love using this favorite book to introduce the unit.
Our Community Helpers
This unit has many people to cover, so I like to spread this unit out throughout the year. Using this free health kit provides an opportunity to teach about our doctors and nurses that take care of us when we are sick. My ultimate goal is to teach my little learners that doctors and nurses aren’t scary. A lot of kids at an early age feel that these special people are scary with all the tools they use during a check up.
Before we go into the tools that our doctors and nurses use, I pull out one of my favorite books. Llama, Llama Home with Mama is the perfect book for a lesson like this.
Of course, after reading this book, lots of discussion stirs up. You know what I mean…lots of hand raising to tell stories like “When I was sick..” or “One time, when I was sick..”.
I sure do love hearing my little learners make connections with books. When appropriate books are chosen, there’s no need to beg for discussion. And you know you chose the perfect book when your learners share the minute you end the book.
Health Kit
You might think “Well, I’ll just print this freebie, pass it out and let them build it themselves”. Don’t jump to that. This isn’t made for busy work. The best way to complete this is to go over all the tools a doctor or nurse might use. This is where having little ones at home becomes handy! I bring the multiple pretend doctor sets we have around the house and pass around each tool.
Now, most kids, if not all had these sets when they were smaller. But surprisingly, they still get excited when I bring them out. Also, this set is perfect to place in the discovery learning center.
With each item, we discuss why it’s used and I give my learners a chance to tell a story or two about each item.
Next, it’s time to create their own health kit.
My ultimate goal with this activity is to show my little learners that our doctors and nurses truly are helpers. They aren’t scary!
To grab this free health kit, just click on the download button below!
