Hi from The Singing Nurse,

Just created a free dental fun sheet that you can use in a snap. It helps kids learn how to draw happy and sad faces and to choose what makes our teeth happy or sad. Use it during dental health month to spice up your dental lesson plan. 

The Singing Nurse’s dental hygiene and dentist visit lessons includes a fun game which incorporates my fruit and veggie graphics, and of course happy and sad faces.

Both, “I’m Gonna Brush My Teeth” and “The Dentist is a Good Guy” are fun songs to teach kids about good dental care and that the dentist is a good guy.

Happy Brushing, don’t forget to brush your tongue too.

For Healthy Kids, Ms. Dawn

 Click What makes sad happy teeth to get your free PDF activity sheet.

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

Make a comment below to let us know what you are doing to teach your children about good dental care.

Squirrels prepare for winter!

Prepare & Promote Good Health?

Squirrels are known to gather acorns to get ready for the big wintry cold season ahead. They scamper around in the leaves and race up and down the trees to get prepared, it is just in them.

Well, like the squirrels, we want to get ready too; it is just in us to protect the health of our families. We would be honored to help prepare you and your children for the cold and flu season coming soon. Burr!  And, we’d love to partner together with you to promote healthy living to the public.

Go here to learn how The Singing Nurse can help prepare your family/students.

We’d love to hear your ideas. Please respond below in the comments box.

We all know the feeling when we are caught in a tight space and the gentleman next to us starts coughing, blowing his nose and yes, spreading those yucky germs around. People can be very inconsiderate by not protecting the public from their germs. So it is our job as conscientious parents and teachers to teach our children healthy consideration for the greater public health good and seize teachable moments as good public health ambassadors.

“Healthy”, what is it? The Merriam-webster.com dictionary meaning says:

1: enjoying health and vigor of body, mind, or spirit

2: revealing a state of health <a healthy complexion>

3: conducive to health

“Consideration”, what is it? The Merriam-webster.com dictionary meaning says:

1: continuous and careful thought <after long consideration he agreed to their  requests>

2 : a matter weighed or taken into account when formulating an opinion or plan <economic considerations forced her to leave college> b : a taking into account

3: thoughtful and sympathetic regard

4: an opinion obtained by reflection

“Healthy consideration”, what is it?

So, as we reflect on enjoying health, we make a continuous thoughtful regard and “do something”,  and take action on our reflection.

Some of our thoughts on Healthy Consideration and the actions to take:

Healthy consideration is:

♥ Covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue.

♥ Sneezing or coughing into your elbow or shoulder.

♥ Washing or sanitizing your hands if you coughed or sneezed into them.

♥ Staying home from work away from others while you are sick.

♥ Keeping your child home from school if they are ill.

♥ Staying away from shopping or going to large gatherings such as kid activities or your house of worship when you are ill. 

Promoting healthy consideration and wellness to others:

We most likely will be in a position to encourage someone to stop spreading their germs around. We may have the opportunity for a teachable moment while handing someone hand sanitizer or a sanitizer wipe when you see they need to clean their hands.

♥♥♥ Remember to do it as sweetly as possible with bushels of “consideration”, taking into account that they most likely are not feeling well.

Creative ways to promote healthy consideration:

Print up business cards(you can let your children create messages) or print on a sticker and stick it to a small bottle of hand sanitizer or pre-packaged handwipe with a healthy message like:

1. Please Cough & Sneeze in Your Shoulder “Don’t Spread Your Germs Around”.

2. Sorry you’re not feeling well, please cough or sneeze in your shoulder.

3. Sorry you’re not feeling well, please don’t spread your germs around.

4. Sorry you’re not feeling well, please accept this hand wipe to wipe the germs away.

5. Not near a sink, please accept this hand wipe to protect all of us from germs.

Some TSN ideas:

We ♥ Living Healthy, please “Don’t Spread Your Germs Around”

Sing & Learn w Us, Hear the ♫ Song @ TheSingingNurse.com

We ♥ Living Healthy, Hand Washing is Important, ”Rubba Dub Dub”

Hear the ♫ Song @ TheSingingNurse.com

Here are some comments that others have said about promoting good public health.  Below are some #hashtag ideas for twitter searching. We’d love to hear yours too. To follow TSN on twitter click here.

A young family man/professional working in NYC suggests:

“How about something edgy like”
#keepyourgermstoyourself
#sharehealthnotgerms
#germspreaderssuck
#curbyourgerms

Check out TSN health lessons for kids, click here.

Have a happy healthy winter,

Ms. Dawn, The Singing Nurse

You may have some ideas to promote healthy consideration, what do you plan on doing to promote healthy living with your family this cold and flu season?

You may like these posts : reasons to wash hands

#1 H1N1

#2 Rhinovirus

#3 Strep Throat

#4 Influenza (flu)

CDA Birgit-ToothFairyCyber in 1970's

Upstate NY Apple 2011

 How appropriate to marry National Dental Hygiene Month and National Apple Month.

Both good dental hygiene and crunchy apples are healthy for the teeth of young children. Children will enjoy being introduced to proper dental hygiene and the nutritious goodness of apple snacks.

Projects that integrate crafts, songs and information on healthy living are a fun way to get young children to apply healthy habits to their daily lives.

Below are a couple health lessons to enjoy with your preschool and young children during dental hygiene and apple month.

Tooth project:

1. Give children two pieces of white paper to draw two teeth.
2. Instruct them to draw one healthy tooth (show them how to make little lines so it looks like it is sparkling). And have them draw a tooth with decay (tell them to add brown or green on the edges). 
3. Have the children cut out their teeth creations.
4. Let the kids pick out a large piece of construction paper, have them pick which color they want, and you or the child should draw a line down the middle.
5. Paste one tooth on each side.
6. Have them add little pictures or drawings to the appropriate tooth, of things good for teeth (toothpaste, toothbrush, dentist, etc.) and things bad for teeth (candy, soda).

Apple project:

1. Draw a picture of an apple on a large piece of paper, label: An apple is a good snacks for my teeth.
2. Draw, cut and paste smiling white teeth on page, can be from magazines.
3. Use real apples to make apple prints- dip apples in paint-cut apples in different directions to create various shapes and add to page.
4. Add nutrition facts like: Apples give us vit. C, Apples are crunchy, Apples are a natural treat. Search apple facts on the internet: lots of info to choose from.

Songs:

Ten Juicy (Healthy/Crunchy/Little) Apples by Dawn Ginese-to the tune of “Down in the Bottom of an Itty Bitty Pool”

Use fingers to count, point up to tree, add motions for climb and pick etc.

10 Juicy apples, up in the tree, 10 juicy apples just for me,

Climb up the latter, pick if you can, so I climbed and I picked one in my hand  (put it in the basket)

9 juicy apples, up in the tree, 9 juicy apples just for me,

Climb up the latter, pick if you can, so I climbed and I picked one in my hand (put it in the basket)

8 juicy apples…etc.

I’m Gonna Brush My Teeth-by Dawn Ginese, RN

I’m gonna brush my teeth (echo)

Every day (echo)

I’m going to brush my teeth (echo)

Every day (echo)

I don’t want (echo)

Tooth decay, no way

I’m gonna brush my teeth (echo)

Every day (echo)

Chorus: Every day no tooth decay, no way (repeat)

I’m gonna brush my tongue (echo)

For all the lyrics click here.

To Listen and Download/Purchase “I’m Gonna Brush My Teeth” and other healthy living songs from The Singing Nurse click here.

To Purchase “The Singing Nurse: Health lessons for Kids”:

By mail: which includes a printed version of the lessons and the sing-a-long/data CD-which includes all the lessons in PDF form, TSN songs and the “Rubba Dub Dub” hand washing animation.

Price: 29.95+$5 Processing and Handling click here.

By download: which includes all the lessons in PDF form, all TSN health songs and the “Rubba Dub Dub” hand washing animation.

Price: 24.95 No Processing and Handling fee, click here.

Click here for sample, overview and more info.

Be healthy, be creative and express your joy of healthy living.

Ms. Dawn, The Singing Nurse

How has TSN Songs and Lessons helped you in your home or classroom? How will you implement them to teach your children?

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

Dental Health Month is February and I want to get the word out about two catchy educational health songs that teach a dentist song and a song about brushing your teeth.

Kids learn by doing. They will get involved with their whole selves while they sing “I’m Gonna Brush my Teeth”, and “The Dentist is a Good Guy”.

Your kids will experience the joy of learning as they sing a long and move to the music.  There are hand movements to the songs but I’m sure you can come up with your own as you listen to the lyrics.

Go to the Music Home tab and download your dental health month songs today and get those kids rocking and brushing. Have a great February….Ms. Dawn, The Singing Nurse

click to: Listen and Download the Songs

]]> http://thesingingnurse.com/dental-health-month-songs/feed/ 0 http://thesingingnurse.com/the-singing-nurse-lesson-plan-book/ http://thesingingnurse.com/the-singing-nurse-lesson-plan-book/#comments Fri, 15 Oct 2010 16:40:34 +0000 admin http://thesingingnurse.com/?p=1239

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:

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“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…

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“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.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

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

other articles about handwashing, H1N1 a reason to wash hands

Five Dollar Friday with The Singing Nurse health songs for healthy living.

Hi,

Thanks for your curiosity about The Singing Nurse music. I’m trying to get the word out about my fun upbeat songs for kids, young children, preschoolers, teachers, health care workers and parents.

Twitter has follow fridays so I thought I would have a Five Dollar Friday to make my whole downloadable album available @ that price of course.

Most of my songs on this CD are health related but there are a couple inspirational songs.

Parents, children and professionals who work with children enjoy my songs and I hope you will take advantage of one of my occassion Five Dollar Friday.  If you like what you hear, please get the word out to your friends and contacts.

Most people don’t know this, but you can also embed my bandbox player on your website so all your visitors can check out and purchase TSN songs.

Appreciate You, Have a Great Week-End and Stay Healthy.

Healthy Living for the Whole Family,

Ms. Dawn, The Singing Nurse

Go to Music

Only available as download @ that price

a lot more goes into the full CD production.