Helping the children in your care stay healthy and well is always important! Now, more than ever, practicing healthy habits that prevent illness is essential to helping our communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Implement these easy Wellness Tips for Kids to help keep children healthy in homes and classrooms!
Prevention Is Key
The best way to stop illnesses and viruses from spreading in your classroom or home is to take everyday precautions and teach children appropriate health practices:
- Remind children to wash their hands and cover their sneezes and coughs. Teaching children to cover their sneezes and coughs with a tissue or their shirt sleeve and to wash their hands frequently (especially before eating) can help prevent the spread of germs. The CDC recommends that children and adults wash their hands for at least 20 seconds with warm, soapy water. Try using a timer or sensor soap dispenser to ensure that children's hands are clean. If you don't have access to soap or water, use alcohol-based wipes or hand sanitizers.
- Make sure children are physically active and know how to handle stress. Regular physical activity can help strengthen children's immune systems and overall health. With the fun activities and differing routines and schedules during the fall and winter months, it's also important for children to know how to handle any stressors in their lives. Too much stress can weaken the immune systems of both children and adults.
- Talk about fruits and vegetables that would be good for children to eat. Fruits and vegetables are good to eat all year round! Encourage children to try eating tasty fruits and veggies like apples, sweet potatoes, carrots, peaches, strawberries, broccoli, and oranges. Remember, healthy eating can help ward off cold and flu viruses.
- Send home reminders of your school or center's policies about children attending school sick. Many schools and centers have policies that state children cannot attend school if they have certain viruses or have a fever. Make sure you send home a reminder of your school or center's policies to parents.
- Clean and disinfect surfaces and objects. Taking time to clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that are frequently touched can help prevent someone from getting sick.
- Ask parents to volunteer their time or contribute supplies. See if parents would be willing to volunteer their time to help you clean and disinfect the classroom several times throughout the school year or if they would be willing to donate hand sanitizer, soap, or tissues.
