Introduction

Good hygiene is essential for the well-being of middle school students. It not only helps them stay healthy but also plays a vital role in how comfortable they feel around their peers. Teaching students the importance of maintaining good hygiene can significantly impact their social interactions and contribute to the development of essential social-emotional learning (SEL) skills. This blog post will discuss the importance of hygiene and provide an activity, discussion questions, and related skills to help educators teach middle school students about the significance of keeping themselves clean and presentable.

No-Prep Activity: Hygiene Charades

Hygiene Charades is a fun, no-prep activity that requires no additional materials from the educator. Here’s how to conduct the activity:

1. Divide the students into two teams.
2. Explain that they will be playing charades with a focus on hygiene habits.
3. One student from each team will take turns acting out a hygiene habit (e.g., washing hands, brushing teeth, using deodorant) without speaking while their teammates try to guess the habit.
4. Each correct guess earns the team a point. The team with the most points after a predetermined number of rounds wins.

This activity encourages students to become more aware of the various hygiene habits they should practice daily, leading to healthier and more socially comfortable interactions with their peers.

Discussion Questions

1. Why is it essential to maintain good hygiene? How does it affect our health and relationships with others?
2. What are some challenges that middle school students might face in keeping good hygiene? How can they overcome these challenges?
3. How does practicing good hygiene contribute to the development of social-emotional learning skills?
4. What are some strategies for remembering to practice good hygiene habits every day?
5. How can we support our peers in maintaining good hygiene and creating a comfortable environment for everyone?

Related Skills

Beyond good hygiene, there are several related SEL skills that can help middle school students build healthy relationships and navigate social situations more effectively. Some of these skills include:

• Empathy: Understanding and sharing the feelings of others can help students become more aware of the impact of their hygiene habits on their peers.
• Self-awareness: Recognizing their personal hygiene habits and identifying areas for improvement can help students take responsibility for their well-being and social interactions.
• Respect for others: Acknowledging and valuing the personal space and comfort of others can encourage students to maintain good hygiene.
• Effective communication: Learning to communicate their needs and expressing concerns about hygiene in a respectful manner can help students navigate challenging situations with their peers.

Next Steps

Teaching middle school students about good hygiene and related SEL skills is crucial for their overall well-being and social development. To further explore these topics and access free sample materials, please visit Everyday Speech. By incorporating these lessons into your curriculum, you can help your students develop healthy habits and build strong relationships with their peers.