I like you, you're fun!

Kids love games and challenges, attention and bonding and unknown to them we can craftily teach them what they need to learn. Here is a simple game to play with kids to help foster good hand washing or hand sanitizing practices, preventing the spread of germs that make us sick and creating an atmosphere of learning and laughter.

Safety pin game:

Remember the games you’ve played at baby showers, this was one of my favorite, it really keeps you on your toes.

1. Collect 5 small safety pins for each person who will be participating. 

2. Attach the pins on outer clothing, you can connect the pins to each other if you like.

3. Set the rules for playing.  Make rules simple for younger children. The older children 5-8 yr olds will enjoy this game the most. Play this game as you go out shopping.

A. Remind the children that when they touch things and then touch their mouth, nose or eyes, this is when germs get into their bodies.

B. The object of the games is to not touch your mouth, nose or eyes with your bare hands, it is OK to use a clean tissue to scratch an itch or wipe a runny nose, just no bare hands.

C. When you see a participant touch their mouth, nose or eyes, that person must give one of their pins to you. You call out-You touched your _____, give me your pin & sanitize. Mom-your job will be to help with the sanitizer after the child touches his forbidden mouth, nose or eyes, a little dab will do ya. Later when you make a potty stop everyone can give their hands a good washing, another teachable moment.

D. The one with the most pins at the end of the shopping trip gets to pick the special activity or treat that you will all enjoy together.

Sooo, items you will need: safety pins, tissues (let each child put a couple in his pocket) and hand sanitizer. 

I like carrying one of the Purell hand sanitizers which has a niffy easy to get to plastic holder that straps to your shoulder strap or a ring on your handbag. The little bottle is easy to refill with your favorite sanitizer.

Hand sanitizer helps prevent germs.

 Other activities you may enjoy to re-enforce learning. Sing a hand washing song.

Name surfaces that may have germs, have an older child write the list as you shop.

Read more posts about hand washing and germ prevention:

♥ H2N1/Swine Flu

♥ Rhinovirus/The Cold 

♥ Strep Throat

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Let us know if you enjoyed this post, we would love to hear from you. Let us know if you and your children enjoyed the germ prevention bonding game. Comment below.

Ms. Dawn, The Singing Nurse

Sad but true, no matter how hard we try to keep ourselves healthy, stuff still flies. Actually it really does fly, the germs are airborne when we cough and sneeze and can go as far as 12 ft and that’s pretty far.

So how did I start to feel? This may help you especially if you work with children in close proximity or with fragile patients as I do.

Symptoms:

1. My neck started to ache. This is a big clue and in the nursing world, we call it malaise. You start to feel achy and just not feeling up to snuff.  This is usually the first sign of illness that begins the intrusion on your healthy space and you are probably the most contagious at that time.

So what did I do?

I started wearing a face mask at work. I made every effort to not get too close to my patient, especially his face, and of course I washed my hands frequently. Hand sanitizer is a great back-up measure to have available.  Water, soap and friction are your best bets to prevent the spread of germs. And always…..cough or sneeze in your shoulder and…you guessed it, wash your hands again.

Well, now that we have these crummy little colds:

My husband is on antibiotics because his cold developed into bronchitis. Bronchitis is an inflammation of the brochioles which is part of your lungs. Many people have a tendency to develop bronchitis especially people with asthma.

So what are some home remedies to care for and help alleviate your cold and that general stuffed up feeling? Please if you are very ill or have a fever, check with your doctor to receive medical advice and treatment.

1. Drink fluids…We enjoy hot tea with honey and lemon. I put a pot of soup on which is a great way to get your fluids and take in Vit C rich veggies. The recipe is simple and it is good to have these items on hand during the cold and flu season. Of course if you are totally miserable please don’t feel guilty about opening a ready made can of soup, more power to you.

1 Knorr vegetable mix packet: this one also makes a great dip.

Cut up a handful of baby carrots, 1 medium onion, 1 red potato, fresh cilantro, 2 cloves of garlic and add a couple chicken bouillon cubes to about 5-6 cups of water in a pot.

Bring to a boil and then simmer until veggies are done. The whole process takes about 45-60 mins.

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2. I like to take vit C or one of those special fizzy packets you mix with water that has vit C in it at the first sign of a cold.

3. Rest is the best way for your body to heal. Your body is working hard to fight off the germs. I know it is very difficult to rest when you have the responsibilities of work and young children. I used to put up a gate in a safe room that the kids could play in while we watched a DVD, listened to music, read books or watched cartoons. We rested and hung out together.

4. My husband likes to breath in warm steam to help open his airways.

Below are a couple of links you may enjoy about colds.

More interesting facts about cold symptoms and germs.

Home remedies by Donna Cordillo R.N.

About the lungs from KidsHealth.org

And just in case you have not heard The Singing Nurse songs about not spreading germs and washing hands, you might want to check them out, they are great for teaching your children how to protect themselves from germs. The songs are educational and entertaining and your kids will become little “Don’t Spread Your Germs Around” advocates.

Please add a comment below about your winter blues and what you are doing to stay healthy.

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 Ms. Dawn

Today I wanted to share a bit about washing our hands and rinsing our bodies off after swimming and beach combing on the shore.  My grandsons really enjoyed both, well not swimming exactly, but wading and chasing the waves for sure. My oldest grandson thoroughly relished amassing a large bag of shells. I was looking forward to a nice walk as we picked up select shells, but being three and a half, the first big pile of beaten shells filled our bag to the brim. It shortened our walk,  but he was so excited about his discovery, how could I halt his enthusiasm to teach him to be pick only the “pretty and perfect” shells, maybe next year.

It sounds like there may be more in the sand and sea to be aware of than what we can see. Washing our hands before we eat our lunch or snacks, even in the great outdoors, is good advice. Make sure to shower off while exiting the beach and before you jump in the pool. It will make more sense as you read on.

You will be interested to find that there are possibilities of bacteria or other biological microbe findings in the sand and sea. I was researching today and found two eye opening posts from the National Geographic News and Oceanus, The Magazine that Explores the Ocean in Depth.

We should be aware of any recent sewage overflow in the area and just because you are in the sun and sand does not mean everything is exactly healthy. So, again I’d like to remind you to wash your hand or bring some hand sanitizer with you to the beach.

Read the National Geographic News post by clicking the link below.

National Geographic News

Cherie Winner from whoi.edu says:

Read the whole article by clicking on the link below.

Shifting Sands and Bacteria on the Beach by Cherie Winner

**If you missed my last post about hand washing and feeding the stingrays, click here.

**You may enjoy a short post about shoes, travel and hand washing, click here.

**More info and an Animation teaching young children about Hand Washing, click here.

Sign up with your name and email to make sure you don’t miss our updates, notable posts, and helpful resources:

Free PDF’s, Free activity pages for kids and Other creative educational resources, All created to help you educate your corner of the world for life and healthy living. We’d love to connect with you. > > > >

If you have any questions or information you would like to see here, please contact us.

Ms. Dawn, The Singing Nurse

She arrived on a flight from Tennessee and walked through the halls of one of our great NY airports.

Ooo, no matter how cute you think your shoes are and how often you put them on, please don’t forget where they have been. Wash your hands! Washing our hands is the most effective way to avoid germs and the illness they may carry. Please educate your children about proper hand washing. We can help….

Sign up with your name and email to make sure you don’t miss our updates and helpful resources:

Free PDF’s, Free activity pages for kids and Other creative educational resources, All created to help you educate your corner of the world for life and healthy living. We’d love to connect with you. > > > >

If you have any questions or information you would like to see here, please contact us.

Ms. Dawn, The Singing Nurse

Here we go again…Yes the  PDF for the  Rhinovirus is ready. The Rhinovirus is the common cold and boy do we all know about this one. Washing our hands is the most effective way to prevent and protect ourselves from getting these pesky germs.

Did you know some authorities believe there might be as many as 200 different types? This easy to read PDF was created to save you time and research and to share with friends, family and clients. Let us know if these sheets have been helpful to you.

Rhinovirus PDF

Make sure to check back or sign up to receive our updates as I have just created some cool buttons that say “Don’t Spread Your Germs Around” with my cute little green germ….ah that gives me another idea…See you soon!

 Sign up with your name and email to make sure you don’t miss our updates and helpful resources:

Free PDF’s, Free activity pages for kids and Other creative educational resources, All created to help you educate your corner of the world for life and healthy living. We’d love to connect with you. > > > >

If you have any questions or information you would like to see here, please contact us.

Ms. Dawn, The Singing Nurse

Let us know if you have any creative ways you are educating your children for healthy living. What projects, crafts etc. are you creating?  Spread the word!

1st Picked Accidental Pumpkin

We had to pick our 1st Accident Pumpkin , you can read the poem here.

Pumpkins and apples always remind us of back to school and learning, classrooms, library books, playground adventures, the nurse’s office, field trips, meeting new and old friends, and promoting health and safety to our young children.

We wanted to introduce to you, “The Singing Nurse: Health Lessons for Kids”, our brand new nurse created health curriculum for curious preschoolers to early elementary aged children. Our music driven curriculum is a fun and a creative way to promote good health habits in your children.

We love living healthy and your quest for healthy living is probably why you stopped by to visit us today. We’d like to help you educate your kids in a way they will actively participate.

Each of our lessons are filled with kid appealing:

♥ Games and crafts to reinforce each health concept

♥ The Singing Nurse sing-a-long tunes with catchy melodies and lively beats

♥ Creative suggestions for multimedia productions

♥ Resources containing: graphics, letters to parents and helpful websites

Each of our health lessons are easy to follow and include learning about:

1. Hand washing

2. Dental Hygiene

3. Dentist Visit

4. Flu Prevention

5. Lyme Disease Prevention

6. Audiologist Visit

7. You are Special

8. Body Parts/Kindness

Interwoven within the lessons, kids will discover the working of germs, good health habits, the awesome animal kingdom, visiting health care workers and learning about themselves and their uniqueness. The Singing Nurse Health Lessons for Kids was lovingly created and tailored to the eager and curious minds of our greatest treasures, our kids.

To hear song samples click here and listen in the bandbox player.

To see an overview of all the lessons click The Singing Nurse Overview PDF.

For more details click here.

Obtain your copy today by clicking on

Order by mail 29.95 + 5.00 Processing and handling

Order by download 24.95

PayPal and all major credit cards accepted

Please share with your friends and professional contacts the exciting news of our brand new fun filled Nurse created Health Lessons for Kids by The Singing Nurse.

We did it again and hope you do too…

Influenza (Flu)-another reason to wash your hands and to cough or sneeze in your shoulder.

Yours truly, The Singing Nurse took the plunge and is here to remind you to get your flu shot if you are able. Remember it’s not about us, even though getting the flu shot will benefit us as well.

Getting our flu shot is an act of kindness towards those we love and especially to the medically fragile people we rub shoulders with everyday.

The flu shot this year includes H1N1 and 2 other influenza viruses. Check out the CDC website, they have gobs of great info on how they choose the viruses and all the scientific stuff, if you are into to that sort of thing. The resources at the CDC would provide great info for a school science project for older children in school or homeschoolers.

Children of course have the highest rate of infection because they are together in close proximity.

Symptoms may include:

*fever   *sore throat   *chills   *fatigue   *cough   *headache   *muscle aches

Infants, the elderly, pregnant women and people with health conditions may become very ill.

The flu can also cause: high fever, pneumonia and diarrhea and seizures in children.

Tens of thousands die, and more are hospitalized from the flu each year.

The CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that all people 6 months and older receive the flu shot.

Flu season is usually between Oct and May.

Check with your doctor before getting a flu shot to make sure you and the children in your life are able.

Adverse reaction to the shot can be from very mild discomfort to a very rare life threatening reaction.

Call your doctor with any question and 911 for anything that appears life threatening. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and seek help. When in doubt check it out.

This post has been a summary from the info found @ the CDC and AAP websites.

Check out their great handouts for parents.

Songs to Listen/Purchase Rubba Dub Dub **Don’t Spread Your Germs Around

Children’s hand washing lesson.

*color sheet*games*crafts*lesson*animation

Posts you may like: H1N1 Rhinovirus/cold Strep Throat

For Healthy Children and Families,

Ms. Dawn, The Singing Nurse

Just a quick up-date on The Singing Nurse Lesson Plan Book that is coming soon…A great resource to teach healthy habits by learning how to prevent the spread of disease and more. This resource will educate your children beyond their years.

I’m excited that the lesson plan book is being proof read and almost ready for printing and a PDF form will also be available. It contains fun engaging activities for young children preschool to early elementary. The lessons incorporate The Singing Nurse health songs, craft ideas, educational games, parent notes, links, awesome multimedia ideas and great resources.

Example of skills that will be learned:

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“Rubba Dub Dub”-Dawn Ginese

Skill

* recognize germs can be many places, hands, cough, sneeze, things we touch

* learn echo singing

* learn to follow simple directions

* use large and fine motor movements

* learn that the one most effective way to get rid of germs is friction soap, and H20

* pretend to be an opera singer

* learn a step by step procedure for hand washing

* recognize the color green (green germ)

* recognize letters, G for Germs, W for Wash and Water, H for Hands, S for Soap, F for Friction….and More….

“I’m Gonna Brush My Teeth” -Dawn Ginese

Skill

* recognize that germs can be on our teeth

* recognize that we need to brush our teeth and tongue to get rid of the germs.

* recognize what is good and what is bad for our teeth

* categorizing, sorting

* use of large and fine motor skills

* learn echo singing

* letter recognition, T for Teeth etc.

* critical thinking skills….and More…

“The Dentist Is A Good Guy”-Dawn Ginese

Skill

* learn that the dentist is a person, who helps keep our teeth healthy, he’s a good guy or gal; he helps us to have a great big beautiful smile

* learn what a dentist does at a first visit:

* we open our mouth and say ah, so the dentist can look at our teeth

* he counts our teeth

* he cleans our teeth

* he paints our teeth with fluoride

* he teaches us to brush our teeth and stay away from decay

* learn what decay is

* learn what is good and bad for our teeth…..and More…

“Don’t Spread Your Germs Around”

Dawn Ginese

Skill

* use large motor movements

* learn that germs can be spread around when we cough or sneeze into the air or into our hands

* we can stop spreading germs by coughing or sneezing into our shoulder

* if we forget, and cough or sneeze into our hands we are to “wash your hands”

* learn how to dance in a conga line…and More…

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“The Tick Song”, “The Audiologist”, “Just Like the Ocean Sands” ( House of Worship), “Babies Are Beautiful”

Lots of great ideas for healthy living for you and your children.

See the ingredients of the hand washing lesson.

To be the FIRST to know when The Singing Nurse Health Lessons is complete, please go to the contact page and put TSN Health Lessons in the subject.

Have a Happy Healthy Year…

Ms. Dawn, The Singing Nurse

Now available, click here for more info.

I have gathered helpful info regarding streptococcus pyogenes the bacteria responsible for Strep Throat. I have organized these nuggets in simple form from the trustworthy websites of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), WebMD and KidsHealth. Strep Throat is another reason for frequent hand washing. Hand washing is the most important action we can take to prevent the spread of germs. Please share this information with your families, friends, parents and children.

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Strep throat is most common in school-age children and where large groups gather together.

Strep likes to live in the throat and nose, that is why sneezing and coughing spreads strep.

Strep is also spread through droplets, so breathing, talking and singing can spread Strep. (I had to add this, so please don’t attend your next choral practice if you have strep throat)

Some people can carry Strep to you but not seem ill.

Objects and direct contact like handshakes can also carry the Strep bacteria.

All of the above are a good reasons not to touch your nose, eyes or mouth with your hands after gathering with a bunch of people.

It takes 2 to 5 days for Strep symptoms to appear after you are exposed.

Symptoms:

Sudden sore throat pain, difficulty swallowing, fever, stomachache, white, red or yellow patches on the throat, swollen neck glands, red large tonsils, headache, and rash.

Diagnosis and Treatment:

Doctors may perform a rapid strep test which will confirm strep in about 5 mins. If you have all the likely symptoms but the rapid test comes up negative, they will do a throat culture which take a few days to receive the results.

Strep is treated with antibiotics prescribed by your doctor, usually for 10 days.

Usually after 24 hours of antibiotics, you are no longer contagious.

Antibiotics help to shorten the amount of days that Strep is contagious to others besides curing the Strep.

If Strep is untreated you will be contagious for about 21 days.

Medically fragile people are the most susceptible to other health problems and untreated Strep may move to other parts of the body.

Complication of Strep:

Rarely: otitis media (ear infection), sinus infections,

Rarer: other throat and neck infections, abscesses, blood infections, even toxic shock syndrome.

Complications because of the immune system: rheumatic fever (which affects the heart), inflammation of the kidneys or complication of children with neurological disorders.

Prevention and Summary

Wash your hands

Use tissues instead of handkerchiefs

Don’t drink or eat from the same utensils of others.

Make sure you get enough rest, don’t get run down.

Moisten the air you breathe, dry nostrils are better targets for bacteria.

Change your toothbrush when you are ill and after you are ill.

Stay away for sick people, and if you are ill, stay away from healthy people and people with fragile health.

Take the whole prescription your doctor has ordered. If you only take part, it will cause the infection to come back stronger, one of the reasons we have antibiotic resistant bacteria.

Please: If you have any questions as to the safety and well being of anyone you care for, please call your doctor or call 911. It is always better to ask.

Have a great school year, stay healthy and active, be kind to your neighbor and don’t go to school, work or large gatherings when you are ill. And remember, when in doubt check it out, and… wash your hands.

For Healthy kids and families,

Ms. Dawn, The Singing Nurse

More reasons to wash your hands:                 H1N1 Colds/Rhinovirus

Handwashing song: Rubba Dub Dub

Rhinovirus, another reason to wash hands, #2

I have gleaned some interesting tidbits about the rhinovirus from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), WebMD, KidsHealth and the nanobugs website. The common cold also known as the Rhinovirus is probably the number one reason for frequent hand washing.  I hope you will be encouraged, educated and awed as I was by the more recent discoveries of the Rhinovirus (rhino means “nose”). Please share this information with your families, friends and classroom.

Interesting observances

The average child will catch a cold 8-10 times by the age of 2 and more so if they hang around with other kids. Chances just increase by association for children and adults who care for them. Most of us catch 3 to 4 colds a year.

The number one reason for visits to the pediatrician and missing school is the common cold.

Experts say autumn and spring are common times of year to catch colds, while others say winter is the prime time because we are inside and the viruses stay inside as well.

The time it takes to become ill from the time you were exposed (incubation period) to a rhinovirus, is about 2 to 3 days.

The researchers used to believe we had about 100 different rhinoviruses to contend with, but more recently cold expert Owen Hendley, MD, a professor of medicine at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville says “It’s beginning to look as if there may be as many as 200”. This is another reason colds are common.

Research has also shown that along with coughs and sneezes that send the virus droplets into the air, we are more likely to get the virus from things and surfaces. Think: phone, doorknob, remote control, shopping cart, desk and toys.  The virus can live up to 24 hours or more on a surface.

Droplets from coughs and sneezes can spread to a distance of 12 feet.

The entry points for the virus are the nose, eyes and mouth, less so by mouth as once thought, for Dr. Hendley says, “Substances in saliva quickly destroy the virus.”

Washing our hands is still the best practice; alcohol rinses are good for flu viruses but not as effective against the rhinovirus. Good old H20, soap and friction is best for preventing the spread of the cold virus.

Carnegie Mellon University researchers discovered those who were more rested (8 or more hrs of sleep) had less chances of catching a cold, while those with less than 7 hrs sleep were 3 times more likely to become ill from exposure to the rhinovirus.

The same research team discovered people who were happy, lively and calm fought off cold and flu viruses better than those who were anxious, hostile and depressed. I guess the proverb is still true, “a merry heart does good like a medicine”.

Being in a dry environment, being a smoker or being around a smoker increases our chances of catching colds and also resulting in more complications like bronchitis and pneumonia.

Signs and Symptoms in multiple combinations:

Runny nose, cough, sneezing, headache, sore throat, mild fever, fatigue, muscle aches or loss of appetite are the most common signs of a cold.

Things to Remember

Cover your cough or sneeze, do it into your elbow, shoulder or tissue.

If you cough or sneeze into your hands, or blow your nose, wash your hands.

Don’t share items with others: towels, toothbrushes, drinks, fork, spoon etc.

When in doubt as to which medicines or products can be used on children, always consult your pediatrician. Try and get your pediatricians advice about caring for a child with a cold before they get one.

Drink plenty of fluids, do not drink caffeinated drinks as they cause frequent urination and may cause dehydration especially in children.

If you observe any severe symptoms of: coughing, breathing difficulty, turning blue, high fevers, severe pain of any kind, the safest practice is to; “when in doubt, check it out,” with your health care professional of course or call 911.

Be an example by washing hands as mentioned, covering your cough and sneezes to be kind to your neighbor.  And remember, to not put your hands in your nose, eyes or mouth without washing them first.

Have a ongoing matter of fact conversation with your children throughout your day like; “oops, I coughed in my hands, I’m going to go and wash these germs down the drain” or ” wow, so glad I sneezed in my should (right after you have done it) because I don’t want you to get my germs.” Or “I’m going to wash my hands because we just went shopping and we are touching things that lots of people touched, they could be sick and this will help keep us healthy.”

Make hand washing fun, kids love to play in water, make it a teachable moment, make up a song about washing those germs down the drain or sing a song you know about hand washing.

The Singing Nurse uses “Rubba Dub Dub and Don’t Spread Your Germs Around” to teach families about hand washing, not spreading germs and health living.

Other resources: Hand Washing Lesson Plan and Animated Handwashing Song, Music

For Healthy Families,

Ms. Dawn, The Singing Nurse

To contact The Singing Nurse: click contact

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