Ann A. Hertzler, Karen DeBord
Virginia Cooperative Extension
In this
series, the developmental skills in the preschool years are
divided into three general levels:
2-3 years
= naming and identifying
3-5 years
= sorting and classifying
4-6 years
= ordering, sequencing and comprehension
- To
name ways germs get into foods and practice safe food handling
rules.
- To
name hot, cold, and room temperatures as safe or unsafe
for food, at home, at the store, and eating out.
- To
name protein foods and safe food handling rules.
- To
look for places to store foods safely.
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Table of Contents
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Germs
are both good and bad. Some good germs live in the gastrointestinal
tract of the body to help make vitamins. Good germs are
also used to make some foods, such as pickles. Bad germs
that make you sick are carried by dirt. Some bad germs
eat sugar and decay teeth. Most germs need food, moisture,
and warm temperatures to grow. Animal protein foods (milk,
meat, fish, poultry, eggs) provide food and moisture for
harmful bacteria to grow at warm temperatures in the danger
zone from 40°-160°F (4°-71°C). Boiling
temperatures kill most germs. Bacteria do not grow at
cold temperatures, but they are not destroyed.
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3-5
years
Name
dirt and places where germs live and hide.
Where
do you find dirt?
|
garden
| floor
|
trash
cans
| sinks
|
spills
| garbage
|
dirty
dishes
| pets
|
clothes
| money
|
ridges
and crevices in skin, hair, fingernails
|
body
fluids: runny nose, sneeze, cuts and scratches
|
Use
a microscope/magnifying glass to look for dirt where germs
hide.
What
do you do to prevent germs from spreading?
Tell
about germs.
Locate
stories/books about germs for the book area and story time.
What
is a germ? a good germ? a bad germ?
4-6
years
Make
a germ squirm
Name
unsafe habits that spread germs. Name safe habits that get
rid of germs.
Cut out
pictures or make label cards to discuss germs in these settings:
handling
money
| changing
diapers
|
petting
an animal
| finding
food with a bite out of it
|
catching
bugs
| toileting
|
drinking
from the family water jug
| foods
licked by pet
|
tasting
from serving/cooking spoon/dish
| sneezing
on foods
|
food
with ahir or bugs on it
| finding
food on floor, ground, or playground
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Why is
each of the above unsafe? What would you do? Is licking a
safe way to get things clean?
Make
safety labels for food handling in the classroom and other
environments.
- hand
washing after toileting, playing outside, or sneezing
- clean
clothes/apron and clean kitchen
What
pictures or symbols mean safe or unsafe to you? to others?
Classify
ways to fight germs when eating out.
- How
do salad bar sneeze guards protect food from grownups? from
children?
- How
do waiters/waitresses in restaurants keep hands clean?
- Who
should wear plastic gloves?
- When
are plastic gloves no longer safe?
- When
is licking fingers safe?
- What
do workers wear at fast food restaurants to keep hair out
of food? (hats/hairnets)
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to Table of Contents
3-5
years
Name
and demonstrate steps for washing hands, utensils, and food
What
things are needed for washing hands? utensils? food?
- Water
- Rubbing/Scrubbing
- Soap
(not for food)
What
items are needed for hand washing at home? in a restaurant?
on a trip?
Practice
washing hands and foods.
Practice
washing lettuce, potatoes, carrots.
Which
foods must be washed?
- Garden
potato vs. canned potatoes
- Fresh
fruits/vegetables vs. canned vegetables
- Milk/cheese
What
can you do to be clean when working with food?
(Wash hands, wear hat and apron)
Name
rules for cleaning up spills
Spilled
water or crumbs on tables, counters, and floors can be cleaned
up by children if the spill is manageable; but not if there
is broken glass; hot grease; or sticky mess.
Give
children sponges, brushes, squirt bottles, dust pans, brooms
and mops to practice cleaning floor, walls, counter, and tabletops
in the classroom at snack and at meal time. Use label cards
for clean/dirty, floor/table equipment. Praise them for their
attempts even if an adult must clean again.
What
spills can kids clean up? adults?
(Use label cards for child, for adult)
4-6
years
Safe
practices for food safety and cleaning supplies
Learn
symbols such as "Mr. Yuk" for poison identification in the
kitchen; in the bathroom.
Permission
to use the Mr. Yuk poison warning symbol given by Children's
Hospital of Pittsburgh, 1992.
Why
are some cleaning supplies for the floor? for the table? and
others for food?
What
pictures symbolize opposite concepts such as safe/unsafe?
clean/dirty? hot/cold?
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to Table of Contents
3-5
years
Name
places foods are stored/kept
What
foods are stored in the cabinet? refrigerator? freezer?
How do
these things get hot/cold?
Using
Thermometers
Use thermometers
to label/classify temperature of food storage places.
Hot
| Warm
| Cold
|
summer
time
| room
temperature
| freezing
|
cooking
temperatures
| buying,
transporting, preparing, eating
| refrigerator
|
boiling/burning
|
| freezer
|
grilling
|
| winter
|
radiators
|
| ice
|
Collect
different kinds of thermometers and practice reading temperatures
in various settings (outside the house, in refrigerator, in
the sun, on ice).
At what
temperature/place should foods be stored? Use examples from
the food guide pyramid.
Name
protein foods you eat
Most
protein foods spoil easily at room temperature. (Meat, fish,
poultry, eggs, milk, cheese, yogurt -- keep them cold!)
Plan
a classroom shopping trip to the play grocery with containers
and bags.
Should
frozen foods be bought first or last?
Should
protein foods be bought first or last?
Where
will each purchase be stored?
Collect
food pictures or containers for play area.
Practice
safe food storage in refrigerators and cabinets. Use pictures
of real refrigerators and cabinets. Mix up containers and
allow children to correct your "storage mistakes."
4-6
years
What
foods spoil while shopping? during preparation? and during
storage? How can you tell?
Never
taste a food that looks bad (moldy, bruised, wilted, dirty)
smells (putrid, sickening), or feels funny (slimy, dry).
What
foods seem spoiled but are safe to eat? (mint with green center,
limburger cheese, curdled gravy, sour cream, cottage cheese)
Look
at, smell, and feel moldy bread or cheese or soured lunch meat
or ground beef. Is this food safe to eat? Why or why not?
Creative
Play
Prop
Box--Waiter/Waitress |
apron; hat (hair covering)
| trays
|
scrub
cloth
| kitchen
utensils
|
scraper
| table
service
|
nonbreakable
dishes
| straws
|
napkins
| tickets
|
mop
and sponge
| toy
foods
|
How
do places in the community keep dishes clean?
Tour
local kitchens, cafeterias, and restaurants. Look for ways
food work areas and eating areas are kept clean. (scrape dishes,
rinse dishes, hot water, soap, storage)
Clean
Dish Prop Box |
plastic/metal
tub(s)
| stacking
rack
|
rubber
spatulas
| unbreakable
dishes
|
brushes
| sponges
|
squirt
bottles
| play
food
|
Prop
Box/Carried Food/Picnic Safety
|
picnic
basket
| juice
|
hard
cooked eggs
| cookies
|
meat
sandwich
| napkins
|
peanut
butter sandwiches
| paper
or plastic ware
|
ground
or table covering
|
Disclaimer
and Reproduction Information: Information in NASD does not represent
NIOSH policy. Information included in NASD appears by permission
of the author and/or copyright holder. More
NASD Review: 04/2002
Publication
Number
348-653
,
May 1996
Ann
A. Hertzler, Extension Specialist, Human Nutrition and Foods,
Virginia Tech
Karen DeBord, Extension Specialist, Family and Child Development,
University of Missouri, Columbia.
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