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.

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:

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“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.

Speaking of Germs: Does anyone know the name of the flu that is going around right now? It’s a lot like the seasonal influenza. H1N1, some call it Swine flu because it is a lot like the germ/virus that gets the pigs sick, but you cannot get it from a pig, you get it from people.

H1N1 is another good reason for washing our hands. Hand washing is the number one action we can take to help get rid of germs which also helps prevent contagious diseases.

Signs & Symptoms of H1N1-fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, body aches, H/A, chills, fatigue, some diarrhea/vomiting.

How is it spread? Touching the germs, a cough, a sneeze (use a spray bottle to demonstrate germs flying around)

What should we do? Wash our hands often, or use hand sanitizer (alcohol based) stay home when sick & when you have a fever (24hr free), stay away from sick people, cough/sneeze in your shoulder or a tissue, don’t touch your eyes, mouth, nose, keep counters clean of germs in your bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and clean children’s toys (virus lives 2-8hrs on objects)

Call the Doctor if you have ?’s.

Bad for: frail people, diabetics, people w asthma, heart disease, people w kidney disease, real old people, real young children, pregnant women.

Vaccine is available to help prevent from getting H1N1 or lessens how bad it can get.

Medicine is available to those who are frail and may need to go to the hospital. Antiviral medication helps stop the virus.

Call the Doctor when you have questions:     

Call 911 if: short of breath and having a hard time breathing, color looks bad (bluish), not drinking fluid, fever w rash, bad pain, really sick

Teaching children and parents about good health habits is important, and learning with music is fun and effective. Try using “Rubba Dub Dub or Don’t Spread Your Germs Around” to present your good hygiene health habit lesson to your young children and their families.

Other resources: Hand Washing Lesson Plan, Music

Check with your local health department for current information pertaining to your geographic area.

For Healthy Families,

Ms. Dawn, The Singing Nurse

another article about handwashing, Rhinovirus interesting observances. The common cold.

Doing what is takes to teach the point!

This handwashing post is dedicated to those feisty energetic preschool teachers, who I happen to believe are some of the most creative bunch of gals on the planet. Most of us are women who work in early childhood because, who else has the patience, and delights in hanging out with a gang of wiggly equally energetic three and four year olds.

My experience working with preschoolers developed while being a mother of three, teaching Sunday school, being a teacher assistant for emotionally disturbed children, and then later, as a nurse, the singing nurse.

The task of hand washing became necessary not only as a mother washing off mud pie and finger paints, but also as a Head Start Nurse. You might be familiar with this program that helps low income families learn all they can about parenting, raising healthy children, leadership and setting goals for themselves. The staff’s job was to discover anything that may hinder the child’s growth in all aspects, be it emotional or health issues, hearing or vision difficulties or the spotting of a potential learning disability.

We worked as a team and were privileged to be part of their developing lives, to give them a “Head Start” before Kindergarten. We worked not only with the children, but with the whole family unit. We take for granted the skills we’ve learned from our parents like, being encouraging, sitting and reading a book with our child, cooking a meal together and gathering as a family to eat it. It was part of the Head Start program to teach and model these family values.

The Rubba Dub Dub Baby

Oh yes, hand washing, just a slight sidetrack and bit of knowledge about the path I’ve been on. So, how does this all tie together? I am a musician as well as a nurse, so I decided to write some health songs while I was working in early childhood development. Who can vouch for the fact that we all write and sing little songs for every purpose while working with preschool children? The common adventures and sometimes scary situations preschoolers encounter in school and with medical professionals gave me the spark to write songs like; I’m Gonna Brush My Teeth, The Dentist is a Good Guy, Don’t Spread Your Germs Around, The Audiologist, The Tick Song, and Babies Are Beautiful.

One health song in particular is a hand washing song for preschoolers called “Rubba Dub Dub”. The tune is an echo song, it is easy to sing, the hand motions are simple, it’s tested and true and the kids love the lively beat. I was blessed by my daughter Hannah who created an animation of my song as a Christmas gift.

I just completed a lesson plan with activities and discussion points that integrates my hand washing song. The basic health lesson is complete with a germ game and several project options, lyrics with hand motions and more.

“Rubba Dub, Dub”, as well as other health tunes can be downloaded at my website. Check it all out, sign up via my contact page to receive news when my animated dental song and completed lesson plan book is finished.

Thanks to a new friend Deborah Stewart who encouraged me to reach out to her circle of early childhood educators with my educational health songs. I found her and her website, Teach Preschool via twitter.

Cheers to competent, innovative preschool teachers. Lead by example and they will follow!

For Healthy Kids, Dawn Ginese, The Singing Nurse

www.TheSingingNurse.com

The Singing Nurse, Dawn Ginese, RN © 2010

The winter is upon us, so we need to teach our children to protect themselves from the lurking germs about us. We need to enthusiastically model to them; washing our hands often, educate our children to not touch their eyes, mouth and nose and remind them to cough and sneeze in their shoulder. The Singing Nurse has a special song available to download that makes your job fun and easy.

Your kids will think you are amazing as you dance and incorporate hand motions and a conga line while waving your tissue. Read on to learn more, to read the lyrics, and to learn the history and inspiration behind the health song, “Don’t Spread Your Germs Around”.

PreschoolRadio.com has included the song, “Don’t Spread Your Germs Around” on their most recent Radio Show. PreschoolRadio is a fun podcast formatted show who plays music for children 6 and under and those who love them. You will meet new artist and have access to their websites to purchase their music. My hat is off to Lyn Michaels-Carden, the producer.

Drawing by April Matula, special ed. preschool teacher, artist and illustrator.

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#4 on the TSN CD, To purchase click on Music. Can be used with the hand washing health lesson.

Don’t Spread Your Germs Around

Dawn Ginese, RN  2004

If you think you need to cough

You think you need to cough

If you think you need to cough

(Cough sound into your shoulder) in your shoulder

If you think you need to cough

You think you need to cough

Show me what you’re going to do.

(Cough sound into your shoulder) in your shoulder

Chorus:

Don’t spread, don’t spread, don’t spread your germs around x3

Oh no, don’t spread your germs around

If you think you need to sneeze

You think you need to sneeze

If you think you need to sneeze

(Sneeze sound into your shoulder) in your shoulder

If you think you need to sneeze

You think you need to sneeze

Show me what you’re going to do.

(Sneeze sound into your shoulder) in your shoulder

Chorus:

Inspiration

“Don’t Spread Your Germs Around” has a Latin beat so I had my Puerto Rican friend, Jackie Rosado  sing it. The song helps children learn to cough or sneeze in their shoulder rather than in their hands or in the air. If they happen to forget and do it in their hands Jackie asks the children “what are you going to do?”, and they jubilantly reply “wash your hands”. It’s amazing how kids pick up concepts when you use music and motions. We’ve dressed up in Latin attire for this song and towards the end of the song formed a conga line while someone handed a tissue to each child as they passed by. If you have a smaller group, have them pass by a second time for another tissue so they will have one in each hand. One time we had a child dress up in my Nurses dress and cap and had her hand out the tissues.

To purchase click on Music.

3 Free Christmas songs are available until the end of 2009, add them to your library today ready for next Christmas!(update: The Christmas songs will be back again@ the end of 2010)