Blowing your nose

• Blow your own nose so your child can see how it’s done.
• Use a tissue to wipe their nose, then ask them to blow gently into the tissue.
• Give praise when they do it themselves.

Teach your child how to blow their nose with these fun activities:

• Tear a small piece of facial tissue and crumble it into a very small ball. Place it on the table surface and ask your child to blow the tissue on the table using their nose.
• Ask your child to pinch one nostril closed and to blow air through their nose onto a mirror.
• Ask your child to blow bubbles using their nose instead of their mouth.

Activities to try at home

• Cleaning station. Give your child some dolls, or animals and a range of different sponges/ towels/ toothbrushes/ flannels etc. Fill up a bucket/box of water and let your child clean their toys. As your child plays, talk to them about why cleaning is important and how fun it can be.
• Wash the germs away. When your child is in the bath or shower talk to them about the importance of keeping clean and washing away germs. You could even put something on them that they need to wash away like bubbles from the bath or a spot of chocolate spread or something similar. This is a fun way for your child to learn about germs and take pride in cleaning themselves.
• Glitter germs. Mix glitter and glue together and cover your child’s hands. The glitter represents the germs. Use soap to make their hands nice and clean and wash away the ‘germs.’ Glitter helps to provide a visual of ‘germs’ to help your child see how fast germs can spread and move around if we don’t wash ourselves.
• Zip lock bags. On the outside of a zip lock bag, draw hands with a marker pen. On the inside of the bag, fill it with water or gel and add pompoms or anything small you have in the house. Encourage your child to move the pompoms to the outer edge of the drawn hand to clean them.

If you feel your child needs more support…

Start with these tips below.

• Use a washing up bowl filled with soapy water. Add cups for pouring and sponges, let your child explore the water and play.
• Model wiping a doll/teddy’s face & nose or brushing their teeth during play. Narrate what you are doing to your child. “Ohh look, dolly’s face is dirty after her lunch! Let’s give it a wash.”
• Some children may dislike the feeling of washing their hands. If possible, use an adjustable water pressure with soap that has a nice smell and texture and a soft towel to dry their hands off may help them feel more comfortable.
• Some children may dislike the feeling of blowing their nose. Make it as fun as possible and try using soft, unscented tissues.
• Some children may dislike the feeling of brushing their teeth for several reasons.
  • Discuss with your child if they would prefer a soft or hard bristle, or even a vibrating toothbrush.
  • Ask if they prefer warm water over cold water.
  • If your child dislikes brushing sounds, try overriding them by using background noise or music.
  • Some children may dislike the taste of toothpaste, discuss this with your child and try other natural flavours or a mild mint flavour.

Songs

Books

Help stop the block

Try reading the book ‘Lily and the Wipe Monster’ to your little one or you can snuggle up and watch it with them. This fun story helps children understand why wipes shouldn’t be flushed down the toilet as you join Lily on her journey with the ‘Wipe Monster!’

Helpful links

• • HENRY – Tips for healthy teeth
  • BBC – Tiny Happy People

This page is part of our Ready Steady School series, helping you and your little one get ready for school.

You might also find these other topics useful:

• Recognising their name
• Listening and attention
• Making choices
• Getting dressed
• Talking
• Hand and finger strength
• Mealtime independence
• Talking about feelings