Introduction

Hygiene is a fundamental aspect of our daily lives, and teaching young children about the importance of maintaining good hygiene is crucial. In this blog post, we will discuss the significance of how we smell as part of our hygiene routine. Good hygiene keeps us clean and healthy, and smelling pleasant can make others feel comfortable around us. This is especially important for PreK students, as they begin to develop social relationships and interact with their peers. By understanding the consequences of poor hygiene, children can learn to adopt healthy habits that will benefit them throughout their lives.

No-Prep Activity: The Smell Detective

To help your PreK students understand the importance of smelling good, you can introduce a fun, no-prep activity called “The Smell Detective.” This activity requires no materials or preparation from the educator and can be easily incorporated into your lesson plan.

1. Ask the students to sit in a circle.
2. Select one student to be the “Smell Detective” and have them close their eyes.
3. Choose another student to hold a fragrant object (e.g., a fruit, a flower, or a scented marker) and pass it around the circle while the Smell Detective’s eyes remain closed.
4. Once the object has been passed around, the Smell Detective should open their eyes and try to identify the source of the pleasant smell.
5. Discuss how smelling good makes others feel comfortable and happy, just like the pleasant smell of the object used in the activity.

This activity helps to reinforce the importance of maintaining good hygiene and smelling clean, as it demonstrates the positive impact that pleasant smells can have on others.

Discussion Questions

After completing the activity, stimulate further discussion with your students by asking these questions:

1. Why is it important to smell good and maintain good hygiene?
2. How do you feel when you are around someone who smells good? How about someone who doesn’t smell good?
3. What are some ways we can keep our bodies clean and smelling good?
4. How can we remind ourselves to practice good hygiene every day?
5. What can we do if we notice a friend has a bad smell, to help them without hurting their feelings?

Related Skills

Beyond the importance of smelling good, there are other essential hygiene skills that PreK students should learn. These skills include:

• Proper hand washing techniques.
• Brushing and flossing teeth regularly.
• Keeping hair clean and well-groomed.
• Using tissues when sneezing or coughing.
• Wearing clean clothes every day.

By teaching these skills alongside the importance of smelling good, you can help your students develop a comprehensive understanding of proper hygiene practices.

Next Steps

Now that you have learned about the importance of teaching PreK students about hygiene and smelling good, we encourage you to explore more resources and activities to support their social-emotional learning. Sign up for free samples of skill-building materials and discover additional resources for both hygiene and other essential life skills. By incorporating these lessons into your curriculum, you can help your students develop healthy habits that will benefit them throughout their lives.