Hygiene Wheel: An Interactive Personal Hygiene Lesson Plan for Elementary Health
This interactive hygiene wheel is a simple, engaging way to introduce elementary students to different types of hygiene. It helps students see how everyday habits like handwashing, dental care, and flushing the toilet work together to keep their bodies clean and free of disease. It also works perfectly as a quick instant activity or entry task to spark discussion and activate prior knowledge.
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Defining "Personal Hygiene" for Elementary Students
Before students did this matching activity, we took a few minutes to chat about personal hygiene and what it is. To keep it simple for elementary kids, I defined hygiene as keeping your body clean and disease-free.
As I introduced the topic, I asked them to share any rapid-fire thoughts that came to mind when they heard this definition. I also took a moment to remind them about what a habit is, specifically what helpful habits might look like in their life.
This was a quick and easy way to get prepared for the matching activity.
What is the Hygiene Wheel Matching Activity?
The Hygiene Wheel activity introduces students to the different elements of personal hygiene and the habits they can use to care for their bodies. Using the Hygiene Wheel, students will explore daily and weekly practices related to:
Body
Sleep
Teeth
Hand
Sickness
Toilet hygiene
By matching hygiene habits to each category, students will begin to build an understanding of what it means to take care of themselves and why these habits are important for their health and well-being.
Directions
Here are the directions for setting up and using the Hygiene Wheel with your students:
Print the Hygiene Wheel and hygiene habit cards; one set for every 3–4 students.
Cut out the Hygiene Wheel.
(Optional) Laminate the wheel for durability.
Cut out the hygiene habit cards.
(Optional) Attach each card to a clothespin using hook and loop stickers for easier handling.
Store the wheel and cards in a plastic bag or envelope to keep each set organized.
Distribute the wheel and cards to student groups. Ask students to match each hygiene habit to the correct category on the wheel.
Debrief and Reflection Prompts
After completing the activity, take a moment to review and debrief with students. You can also use the following prompts to guide students to reflect on their personal hygiene habits:
What hygiene habit am I really good at?
What’s one hygiene habit I need to work on?
What’s one change you could make to an environment (your desk, bedroom, classroom, etc.) to help you feel or act differently?
What’s another hygiene habit I could add to the list?
Overall, students had a fun time with this activity. It was a great way to introduce lots of different hygiene habits before diving into them with more detail.