What is this skill?
Healthy habits are small things done again and again that keep a body well: washing hands, brushing teeth, sleeping, eating good food and moving around. First graders are old enough to understand why each habit matters, and that is the key to making it stick. A habit with a reason, such as "washing hands washes away germs before they get into my mouth," lasts longer than a habit that is just a rule.
In this practice a child answers questions such as "What should you do before eating?" (wash hands), "How often should you brush your teeth?" (twice a day) and "You need to sneeze. What do you do?" (sneeze into your elbow). A sort puts snacks into Healthy snack, an apple, a carrot and a banana, or Sometimes treat, candy, a cupcake and a cookie. Other questions ask what helps your body grow strong, how much sleep kids need (about ten hours), when to wash your hands, what to do when you feel sick (tell a grown-up and rest) and why you should cover a cough (so germs do not spread to others). There are also true-or-false questions on sleep, washing hands for about 20 seconds and brushing to help stop cavities.
Why it matters
Habits that start in the early grades tend to stay with a child for years. Learning at six that hands get washed before eating, and teeth get brushed morning and night, is easier than changing those routines later.
Health lessons also build a sense of responsibility for one's own body. A first grader who knows why a habit matters can do it without being nagged and can explain it to a younger sibling.
The practice treats treats sensibly. It calls candy and cupcakes "sometimes" foods, not "bad" foods, which helps children think about balance without worry about food. For questions about your own child's sleep, food or health, your pediatrician is the right person to ask.
Common mistakes
- Washing hands only when they look dirty. Germs are too small to see, so the rule is to wash after the bathroom and before eating, not when hands look grimy.
- Rinsing for a second and calling it done. Washing with soap for about 20 seconds is the aim, and singing a short song helps children keep going.
- Sneezing or coughing into hands. Hands touch everything, so use an elbow or a tissue.
- Thinking a healthy habit is a punishment. Frame it as taking care of a body that does a lot for them: run, play and think.
How to help at home
- Sing a song while washing hands and brushing teeth. A two-verse song makes the time pass without watching the clock.
- Make a habit chart for the bathroom with pictures of washing, brushing and sleeping. A sticker for each one makes it feel like a game.
- Let your child pick the fruit or vegetable at the store this week, and ask how it helps their body.
- Practice the elbow sneeze together. Pretend to sneeze and cheer when your child does it right.
Worked examples
These are real questions from the Tutorsaurus healthy habits practice, with the answers worked out.
Example 1
What should you do before eating?
Choices: 🧼 Wash hands, 👟 Put on shoes, 📺 Watch TV
Answer: Wash hands. Wash your hands before eating so germs do not get on your food.
Example 2
Healthy habit or not?
To sort: 🛌 Bed on time, 🪥 Brushing teeth, 🥤 Soda every day, 🧼 Washing hands, 🌙 Up all night, 🚴 Riding a bike
Answer: Keeps you healthy: Bed on time, Brushing teeth, Washing hands, Riding a bike · Not so healthy: Soda every day, Up all night. Sleeping on time, brushing, washing hands and biking keep you healthy. Daily soda and staying up all night do not.
Example 3
Brushing your teeth helps stop cavities.
Answer: True. True! Brushing cleans off sugar and germs that make cavities, which are tiny holes in teeth.
Printable worksheet (PDF) — one page of questions from this practice that work on paper, easier ones first, with an answer key on page 2. Free to print, no sign-up.