Cover your hands with finger paint; the finger paint will represent germs. Shake the hand of a child. When you shake her hand, the finger paint will be passed from your hands onto her hands.
Instruct the child you shook hands with to shake hands with someone else. Have children continue shaking hands until everyone has shaken hands. With each handshake, the finger paint will be passed from hand to hand.
Encourage children to look at their hands. Explain that the finger paint represents germs and just like germs, the finger paint spread from person to person. Talk about ways that children can avoid spreading germs, such as washing their hands.
Take children to a sink and have them wash the finger paint off of their hands. Instruct them to sing the song "Happy Birthday" twice while washing their hands. Explain to them that this is just enough time to wash the germs off their hands and that they should sing the song twice each time they wash their hands.
Cut out pictures of food from grocery store circulars and magazines. Cut out pictures of both healthy and foods that are not so healthy; for example, yogurt, vegetables, fruits, breads, ice cream, candy and cookies. Spread the pictures out on a flat surface.
Discuss with children the importance of eating healthy. Show them pictures of healthy foods and non-healthy foods. Explain why the healthy foods are better for our bodies than the non-healthy foods.
On the front of a new wastepaper basket, draw a smiley face. Explain to children that the wastepaper basket is a healthy food monster and he only eats food that is healthy for him.
Hold up a food picture and ask children to tell you whether it is a picture of a healthy or non-healthy food. If it is a picture of a healthy food, invite a child to feed it to the monster; if it is a non-healthy food, put the picture to the side.
Continue sorting through the food pictures, having children feed the monster only pictures of healthy foods.