Lesson Plan for Toddler - Health Habits - Pests: Types

**Lesson Plan: Health Habits - Understanding Pests for Toddlers** **Lesson Title:** Pests: Types and Prevention **Grade Level:** Toddlers **Subject:** Health Habits **Duration:** 30-45 minutes **Objective:** By the end of this lesson, toddlers will be able to: 1. Identify common household pests. 2. Understand basic prevention methods to keep pests away. 3. Recognize the importance of cleanliness in pest prevention. **Materials Needed:** - Flashcards with pictures of common pests (ants, flies, mosquitoes, cockroaches, mice) - Storybook about cleanliness and pest prevention - Puppet or stuffed animal to demonstrate pest behavior - Hand soap and hand sanitizer - Visual posters on handwashing and cleaning - Coloring pages of pests and cleaning activities - Non-toxic play "pesticide" spray bottles (filled with water) - Toy broom and dustpan **Introduction (5-10 minutes):** 1. **Greeting and Circle Time:** - Gather the children in a circle. - Sing a welcome song. - Briefly talk about today's topic: Pests and how to keep them away. 2. **Show and Tell:** - Show flashcards with pictures of common pests. - Ask children to name each pest if they know them. - Briefly describe what each pest is and one or two characteristics (e.g., "This is an ant. They like to eat crumbs that we leave behind."). **Main Activity (15-20 minutes):** 1. **Story Time:** - Read aloud a storybook that discusses cleanliness and pest prevention in simple, toddler-friendly language. - Use a puppet to act out scenes from the book to engage the toddlers. 2. **Demonstration:** - Use a puppet or stuffed animal to demonstrate how pests behave. - Show how pests can be kept away by cleaning up crumbs, washing hands, and keeping food sealed. 3. **Interactive Play:** - Distribute toy spray bottles and toy brooms to the children. - Encourage them to practice "cleaning" around the room to keep the "pests" away. - Emphasize that keeping our spaces clean helps us stay healthy. **Hands-On Activity (10 minutes):** 1. **Coloring Time:** - Provide coloring pages with pictures of common pests and cleaning activities. - As they color, talk about why we need to keep our spaces clean to avoid pests. 2. **Handwashing Practice:** - Demonstrate proper handwashing techniques using hand soap. - Have children practice washing their hands with your guidance. - Use visual posters as a guide to show each step of handwashing. **Conclusion (5 minutes):** 1. **Recap and Discussion:** - Briefly go over what was learned in the lesson. - Ask a few simple questions to reinforce key points (e.g., "What do we do to keep ants away?"). 2. **Goodbye Song:** - Sing a song about cleanliness and saying goodbye to pests. - Praise the children for their participation and effort. **Assessment:** - Observe children during the interactive play and hands-on activities to ensure they understand the basic concepts. - Ask simple questions to gauge their understanding. - Provide positive reinforcement and gentle guidance as needed. **Extension Activities:** - Plan a follow-up activity where children can look for "pests" in a safe, controlled environment (e.g., toy bugs hidden around the room) and practice cleaning up. - Invite a guest speaker, such as a pest control professional or a health worker, to talk to the children about pest prevention in very simple terms. **Notes:** - Ensure safety and hygiene at all times, especially during handwashing demonstrations. - Be sensitive to any children who may have fears about bugs or pests and handle their concerns gently.