God Made Me Series for Preschoolers: He Gave Me a Healthy Body and Mind
Unit
The activities for this God Knows Me lesson plan are designed to be carried out on Day Three out of five. If you choose, preface these
activities with those from the first two articles in this series. Bear in mind though, that these lessons can also be carried out individually. If you haven’t found our lesson plans for Day One and Day Two, click on these links:
- Teaching Preschool Children They Are All Unique to God
- God Made Me Special: Preschool Lesson About the 5 Senses
Day Three: Happy, Healthy Me!
Objective:
This day is designed to teach the students about healthy habits. Since childhood obesity is on a continuous rise, teaching youngsters how to be healthy is a very valuable concept. Life lessons should be taught at an early age. Preface the day by explaining to each student that God gave us our bodies and wants us to take care of them.
Activity/Game:
Have your kids make a food pyramid that lists the six food groups and has pictures of foods in each group.
Materials:
a piece of construction paper for each student that is already cut into the shape of a large triangle
several pictures of various foods that are already cut out (I recommend using Clip Art or magazines to get the pictures.)
Directions:
1. Draw three horizontal lines across the middle to divide the pyramid into four sections.
2. Then, draw a vertical line to divide the two middle sections in half, thus creating a total of six sections.
3. Label the first section FATS, OILS, AND SWEETS, the second section MILK, YOGURT, AND CHEESE, the third MEAT, POULTRY, FISH, BEANS, EGGS, AND NUTS, the fourth VEGETABLES, the fifth FRUITS, and the last section BREAD, CEREAL, RICE, AND PASTA.
4. Begin the activity by holding up a picture and asking the students to tell you what it is. If they have trouble identifying items, help them and tell them where it would go in the pyramid.
5. You can also give each student 20 pictures of different foods.
6. Help them place the pictures in the appropriate food group.
7. Have the students glue the pictures down.
Snack:
Make st People. Follow the directions on the link to make this delicious snack your students will love. This snack ties in with the topic because it is healthy and in the shape of a person.
Song:
Teach your students the following song.
If You’re Healthy and You Know It (to the tune of If You’re Happy and You Know It)
If you’re healthy and you know it, clap your hands
Clap-Clap
If you’re healthy and you know it, clap your hands
Clap-Clap
If you’re healthy and you know it,
Then your face will surely show it
If you’re healthy and you know it, clap your hands
Clap-Clap
Suggested Supplements:
Subtopics for teaching students about good health and the importance of taking care of the body God gave us could be “good dental habits” and “bathing and hygiene.” I also recommend outdoor play, because it encourages exercise. If weather is not permitting, you can play a game like Simon Says, where the students imitate an action you do.
What’s Next?
With the rise of concern about childhood obesity and the influx of Type 2 Diabetes amongst children, it is of extreme importance to educate young students on how to take care of their bodies. The ideas presented in this article are not only educational in that aspect, but also they are fun. Your preschool students will love learning how to take care of their bodies with this God Knows Me lesson plan! Read on for more preschool classroom fun with the next article in this series which focuses on our talents!
This post is part of the series: I’m Somebody Special to God!
Do you need ideas to teach your students that they are special to God? Do you want your students to learn how to use their individuality and serve God by doing so? God made us all unique. In my series, you will find activities to teach young ones they are special. These lessons are comprehensive.
