Health education is a vital component of learning. It equips children with knowledge and skills to make informed decisions about their physical and mental well-being. By using a Literacy First approach to health education, students can explore complex health concepts through relatable narratives, memorable characters, and hands-on activities. This ensures student’s literacy improves, while they deepen their understanding of health topics, build empathy, and develop critical thinking skills.
Many of us remember the beloved character Happy Healthy Harold from our own school days. The friendly Life Education giraffe has been a staple in Australian schools for decades. Teaching kids about health and well-being through interactive lessons and engaging content, Harold has been a trusted guide in helping children learn about nutrition, hygiene, and mental health. At Learn From Play, we’ve created activities for three wonderful books in collaboration with Life Education to further Harold’s mission.
Healthy Harold's "Library Liftoff", "Making Music" and "Fitness Fun" are perfect for a young audience. They provide a well-rounded health education focusing on sport and physical fitness, art and creative pursuits, and mental health with imagination and the joy of escaping through reading.
Good Food – Healthy Eating
Healthy eating is essential for overall well-being, and it’s critical we instill good eating habits in children from a young age. Through the power of storytelling, discussions about nutrition and food choices can be both engaging and educational. Books like “Market Day” by Carrie Gallasch and Hannah Sommerville and “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” by Eric Carle are perfect tools to introduce the concept of healthy eating. These stories allow children to explore the importance of choosing fresh, nutritious foods and understanding the balance between “sometimes” foods and “everyday” foods. Our accompanying activities help students connect the dots between what they eat and how they feel, encouraging them to make healthier choices in their daily lives. By incorporating these lessons into your classroom, you can help set the foundation for lifelong healthy eating habits.
Mental Health
Teaching students about mental health is increasingly important in today’s world, and literature offers a compassionate and relatable way to approach this complex topic. Books like "Xavier in the Meantime" and "Aster's Good, Right Things" by Kate Gordon provide gentle, insightful narratives that help older students understand and navigate emotions like anxiety, depression, and self-esteem. These stories encourage students to explore their own feelings and offer practical strategies for managing stress and uncertainty.
For younger readers, “Gus The Asparagus” by Ann-Marie Finn and Kaylene Hobson teaches children that it is okay to be different and that not everyone fits in. A play on the term Asperger’s Syndrome (neuro-diverse or autistic spectrum disorder are now the preferred terms), Gus is the only asparagus in his family and is happy until he goes to school and realises that he does not fit in with the other students. This is a story about accepting that you do not need to fit in to have friends while also teaching young children about green leafy vegetables.
Books on Hygiene and Everyday Health
Teaching children about hygiene and everyday health practices is crucial for their well-being. Picture books are an effective way to convey these messages in a fun and engaging manner. Books like “Do Not Like This Book” by Idan Ben-Barak and Julian Frost, “Filthy Fergal” by Sigi Cohen and Sona Babanjanyan, or "Dirty Bertie" by David Roberts are fun ways to highlight the consequences of poor hygiene. Bertie’s adventures, filled with dirt and grime, serve as a playful reminder to kids about the importance of keeping themselves clean. Our activities help reinforce these concepts and make these hygiene lessons stick.
Non-Fiction Books for Health Education
Nonfiction books are powerful tools for teaching students about the human body, diversity, and inclusion. By providing factual, straightforward information on health topics they help demystify complex subjects and present them in a way that’s accessible and engaging for young readers.
"All About the Heart" by Dr. Remi Kowalski and Tonia Composto was a 2024 notable Eve Pownall book. It is an excellent introduction to how the heart works and why it’s important to keep it healthy. Through clear explanations and engaging illustrations, children learn about the vital role the heart plays in their bodies and how exercise and diet can affect heart health. Created to answer all the questions children may have about their heart, and that of other creatures, this book can be read cover to cover or in sections as suits the reader.
"Hello Everybody" by Smantha Curcio is another non-fiction book which gives a colourful look at people, their body parts, and the fact that everybody is different. A simple way to share with children who are curious about their bodies that males and females have different body parts while also addressing the idea that body parts do not denote a person’s gender and it is more important to be happy with ‘who’ you are than ‘what’ you are.
Using a Literacy First approach to health education allows us to make health concepts more relatable and understandable. By incorporating engaging stories and characters into health lessons, we can shape how students understand health and well-being, and foster a lifelong understanding of important health topics. Whether it’s through Happy Healthy Harold’s adventures, tales of hygiene, or nonfiction explorations of the human body, our activities are here to support you every step of the way.