Teaching children about health and hygiene at an early age is crucial because this stage, they are more receptive towards new information. They are happy to learn. In fact, the younger children start practising good hygiene and healthy lifestyle, the more prepared they are to face hormonal and physical changes at will take place when they reach the adolescence stage because they already have the foundation of the good habits. However, explaining to children how to our bodies work can be a little complicated. So, to aid you with this task, we have come up with some Ted-Ed animated videos that could help you describe how the body functions and why keeping ourselves clean and healthy is important.
Ted-Ed is a youth and education initiative that shares ideas and knowledge through their short award-winning animated videos. Their videos are researched based to help people answer questions that spark their curiosity.
What is a coronavirus?
We are currently living in that point of history where everyone is wearing a mask, social-distancing and sanitising themselves as often as they could – all so that they won’t be contracted by the disease. But do we even know where did the virus initially come from and what could it do our bodies? This video explains more about the deadly virus.
Read: Can face mask really help to beat flu, coronavirus and pollution? Here’s what we know.
Soap vs sanitiser
Now, more than ever, people are very concerned about the sanitary of their hands and bodies. To clean our hands more quickly, we often opt for sanitiser because it’s easier to carry and it does not require us to have water at our disposal. But between soap and sanitiser, which one is actually better for us? How do they work in killing off those germs?
Immune System
Whenever we fall ill, our bodies work hard to fight off our sickness and try to bring us back to health quickly. The system that helps to protect our bodies is known as the immune system. In this video, your child will be able to learn more about how do these specialised cells, tissues and organs work together to destroy bacterias and viruses that intrude our bodies.
The importance of water
We are always told to drink 8 glasses of water a day, and that is what we tell our children too. But do you know that water intake is different for every individual based on their body size, gender and their living condition? And drinking excessively can be bad for our bodies too? Watch this video with your children to understand more about this.
Cavities
Getting our children to stay away from sugary drinks and treats can be challenging at times. Nevertheless, if they really understand what could happen to their teeth if they do not reduce their intake, maybe they will be more conscious the next time they want to ask for that chocolate. This video explains in detail how cavities can ruin our appearance and may even cause other illness.
What causes bad breath
Bad breath can be terrifying because it can repel people away from you and it might also signal that there is something wrong inside your oral cavity or stomach. Sometimes, people don’t even realise that they have bad breath. Learn more about what causes this unwanted smell and how can you treat it through this video.
Body odour
Body odour can intensify during puberty, and this can be very unpleasant for adolescents who are experiencing it and others smelling it. Soap and water can help, but because the bacteria resides under the skin, one needs to take an extra step to ensure that the odour can be masked. Watch this video to take a look at what your child can do if he or she has a body odour.
How do germs spread?
Describing germs can be a bit hard because they are not visible but knowing them is necessary because often, they are the cause of an illness. Learn more about how can you avoid the germs to spread and make your body sick in this Ted-Ed video.
Good posture
With online classroom and phone usage being more prevalent these days, we often see people slouch when they are engaged with their electrical devices. These bad postures can be bad for us in the long run because it can lead to ailments such as scoliosis. Through this video, your children can learn about a few activities that will help them maintain good posture.
How the food you eat affects your gut
We consumed different types of food every day, but a few food types such as fruits and vegetables that contain fibres, are extremely good for our digestive system. For parents who have troubles getting their children to eat these two types of food, the explanation in this video might help to change your children’s mind a bit.
Generally, children are more likely to understand a concept better when they see it being visualised, which is what these videos are designed to do. Nonetheless, children learn best by examples. Therefore, it is also as equally important for you as a parent to show them how they can be more hygienic and healthy by practising the good habits yourself.