Reducing Lead Hazards for Children in the Home

Child Development Curriculum by Sam Umscheid

After an adult has presented age-appropriate information to children, the following activities can be utilized to enforce specific concepts.

Objectives: To learn it is better to play on grass than on bare soil, because it reduces the chance for lead exposure (from soil contaminated with exterior lead-based paint and/or leaded gasoline.)

Goals: To develop fine motor skills and teach children to distinguish between grass and soil.

Supplies: Soil, grass seed, paper egg carton, watering can/cup, sunlight, scissors

Directions: Using scissors, punch small holes in half the egg carton to allow for drainage.

In that part of the egg carton, add one and a half inches of soil, sprinkle with grass seed, and cover with one half inch of soil.

Moisten soil every other day and place in sunlight.

In the remaining portion of the egg carton, punch holes, add two inches of soil and moisten.

Watch seeds grow into grass.

Discuss the difference between the two portions of the egg carton.

Find places outdoors which contain soil only and which contain grass.

Note: Hands should be washed after playing with soil, since hand-to-mouth activity is the way most children are poisoned from lead.

Objectives: To show that lead is invisible and that good handwashing techniques are important to prevent exposure to lead.

Goals: To develop fine motor skills, to learn that lead is invisible, and to learn good handwashing techniques.

Supplies: Water table, soil bought at hardware store, salt, play items such as cups, shovels and pails.

Directions:

Let children play with the soil on the water table and have fun.

Put some soil in their hands, then pour a little salt in their hands, and have the children rub the salt and soil together.

The salt will become invisible like lead does in soil.

Note: Hands should be washed after playing with soil, since hand to mouth activity is the way most children are poisoned from lead.

Objectives: To learn that it is important to wash your hands when playing in dirt because dirt may have lead in it, and because handwashing helps stop the transmission of diseases.

Goals: To be able to distinguish when to wash hands.

Directions:

Turn on faucet, adjusting water to warm. (Why? Warm water is better for the skin, is less irritating, and causes soap to lather better.)

Wet hands with the finger tips pointed downward. (Why? Germs will run off hands into the sink.)

Apply a little soap, and create lather by vigorously rubbing hands together in a circular motion. Then, interlace fingers and rub together. (Why? Soap helps to remove germs picked up from playing outside or after using the restroom. You always want to remove germs from hands before eating. In addition, soap and handwashing helps to remove lead from hands.)

Rinse hands with finger tips pointed downward. (Why? Germs will flow in the direction of the running water.)

Dry hands with a paper towel from the finger tips to the wrist, holding hands upward. (Why? Some germs may flow from the wrist to the fingertips.)

Turn off the water with the paper towel. (Why? A paper towel is used so there is no contamination from the dirty faucet.)

Objectives: To identify chipping and peeling paint.

Goals: To develop fine motor skills and hand-to-eye coordination.

Supplies: Large cardboard box, paint, paint brushes, construction paper, egg shells, glue

Directions: An adult should prepare the box by cutting out windows and doors.

Children can paint the house and/or glue small pieces of torn construction paper to the house and/or glue pieces of egg shells to the house. This will create the effect of chipping paint.

Dried egg shells can also be crushed into powder and sprinkled on the house to create the effect of lead dust.

Note: While eating paint chips will certainly poison a child, most lead poisoning cases occur when lead dust from chipping paint is ingested, often from hand-to-mouth activity.

Objectives: To learn about how to prevent lead poisoning by choosing foods high in iron, calcium, and Vitamin C, and low in fat.

Goals: To identify foods high in iron, calcium, and Vitamin C, and low in fat.

Supplies: Cardboard or paper, hole punch, scissors, yarn, glue, magazines, markers or crayons

Directions:

Cut pictures of nutritious foods out of magazines.

Categorize the pictures by the nutrients listed above. (Use a Food Guide Pyramid.)

Create a book by gluing pictures onto hole-punched pages, connecting the pages with yarn.

Label the sections by nutrient, noting that fat is an undesirable nutrient.

Note: Discuss the importance of eating 4- 6 times a day, because an empty stomach absorbs more lead.

Objectives: To learn about lead poisoning prevention and teach it to others

Example: Lead, lead let it be said

Lead is hiding everywhere

It's not green, it can't be seen

Lead is harmful

Lead is clear

Lead is hiding there and here

Prevention, control, remove the old!

Let it be told, it must be controlled

Lead, lead is so very old

Super heroes of today

Help us fight lead poisoning away

Example: Be a Lead Stomper

It's in old paint, it's in old dust

Wear a mask if you dust, you must.

Be a Lead Stomper

If there's old paint, lead's hiding there

Don't chew on that painted chair.

Be a Lead Stomper

Play on the grass, lead lurks in the dirt

Don't eat dirt, you could be hurt.

Be a Lead Stomper

Stomp it down

Turn it down.

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