Healthy Habits

Teach Kids Healthy Habits Lesson Plan for Kids

Checklists help pilots and surgeons remember important steps in their work. In this activity, students are invited to make a placemat that will serve as a reminder of the healthy steps they can take each day.

Goals and Skills

STUDENTS WILL:

Select and illustrate 5 – 10 healthy habits on construction paper
Listen, share, and make relevant comments in a group discussion on daily health practices
Use art materials to express an idea

SUPPLIES AND PREPARATION:

Whiteboard and dry erase markers
12" x 18" construction paper or poster board for each student
Art supplies (markers, color pencils, or crayons)
Old magazines
Scissors
Glue
Optional: Clear contact paper or laminator

Instruction Steps

BRAINSTORM

Start a list of healthy habits with the students. Invite students to share ideas, such as brushing teeth, washing hands, exercising, drinking milk, and so on. Write ideas on the board with the header “Healthy Habits.”

ILLUSTRATE HEALTHY HABITS
Explain that students will be illustrating healthy habits on a placemat. They can then use the placemat every day as a visual checklist of what healthy habits to remember.

Give each student a placemat-sized piece of construction paper or poster board. Have them label their papers with the header “My Healthy Habits Checklist.”

Next, have students choose 5 – 10 healthy habits from the list to illustrate on their placemat. Provide art supplies and magazines. Students can draw or they can cut and collage pictures from magazines.

Teacher and student leaning towards each other and talking

LAMINATE AND DISPLAY
To extend the life of the placemat, cover both sides of the placemats with laminate or contact paper. If this is not possible, consider using the placemats as posters instead. Display posters in the school hallways or cafeteria so others can benefit from these healthy reminders.

EXTEND THE LESSON
Have students show their finished placemats to the class, explaining why they chose the healthy habits that they did. Students may wish to take their placemats home to use and share with their families.