Early childhood is when a child’s developing brain is most open to influence and experiences1.
On that note, playful intervention allows children to utilise their creativity while developing imaginative, physical and cognitive skills. To use this to establish a foundation for health and learning, healthcare professionals should adopt playful strategies to promote healthy practices1.
Here’s what research shows about the effects of playful intervention on nasal hygiene for children.
The Methods And Their Effects
A study involving 39 children attending a public daycare centre by the University of Sao Paulo was conducted with two educational sessions to promote healthy behaviours for nasal hygiene. It was adopted with playful strategies such as:
– A story told by puppets
– Card games
– Simulation of nasal hygiene in front of the mirror
Results showed an increase in the median of healthy nasal hygiene behaviours after the intervention, with a significant statistical difference in behaviour.
The behaviour of forcing air out of one opened nostril increased from 5.1% to 30.8% and forcing the air out of the other nostril rose from 5.1% to 28.2%. Throwing a used piece of toilet paper in the garbage increased from 53.8% to 87.21%, and sanitising hands with soap and water increased from 15.4% to 43.6%.1
Similarly, other studies2-4 performing health education practices with preschool children adopted strategies such as stories, painting, games, and puzzles. This includes using games, cartoons, drawing, and interaction with an adult dressed as a superhero.
Playful Learning: A Powerful Teaching Tool
Playful learning describes a learning context in which children learn while playing freely with guidance (guided play) or in a structured game. Teachers maximise learning while individualising learning goals by harnessing a child’s natural curiosity and behaviour to experiment, explore, solve, and engage in meaningful activities5.
Rather than viewing children as empty vessels receiving information, teachers see children as explorers and discoverers who bring their prior knowledge into the learning experience to construct an understanding.
In other words, playful learning supports children to be active learners.
Adopting The Practice Of Playful Intervention
Playful intervention helps children adopt healthy nasal hygiene behaviours. With the element of play, it makes healthy choices the “cool” thing to do, not just the important thing to do. This includes simple acts like educating in silly voices6, puppet play or making mundane tasks such as using a nasal spray with a “beat the clock” game or a race and freeze to the music challenge7.
With a strong heritage in providing natural remedies for nasal conditions, the Stérimar™ range was developed to effectively clear and unblock little noses and keep them in top working condition. Inspired by nature and made from specially monitored sea water, Stérimar™ helps with the daily nasal hygiene of consumers without the need for steroids, drugs and preservatives found in other products on the market.
If you’ve considered educating your child about washing or cleaning the nose with a neti pot or nasal, but don’t know which to start with, learn more why nasal sprays are a better option here. After all, what you do for your child now would help them breathe easily to enjoy life’s beautiful moments.
References
- Costa, P., Ermini, T., & Sigaud, C. H. S. (2019). Effects of an educational playful intervention on
nasal hygiene behaviors of preschoolers: a quasi-experimental study. Health promotion
perspectives, 9(1), 50–54. https://doi.org/10.15171/hpp.2019.06
- Shirzad M, Taghdisi MH, Dehdari T, Abolghasemi J. Oral health education program among
pre-school children: an application of health-promoting schools approach. Health Promot Perspect.
2016;6(3):164–70. doi: 10.15171/hpp.2016.26. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27579261/
- Matwiejczyk L, Mehta K, Scott J, Tonkin E, Coveney J. Characteristics of effective interventions
promoting healthy eating for pre-schoolers in childcare settings: an umbrella review. Nutrients
2018;10(3). doi: 10.3390/nu10030293. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5872711/
- Souza MMA, Enumo SRF, Paula KMP, Souza RV, Bezerra RS, Mendes KB. Promoting healthy
behaviours in preschoolers. Rev Bras Promoc Saude. 2013;26(3):387–95. doi: 10.5020/2945.
http://www.bioline.org.br/abstract?bh13098
- The Power of Playful Learning in the Early Childhood Setting. (n.d.). NAEYC.
https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/yc/summer2022/power-playf
ul-learning#:~:text=Playful%20learning%20describes%20a%20learning,or%20in%2
- Wonders, L. (2019, January 8). 6 Playful Parenting Strategies – Wonders Counseling Services,
LLC. Wonders Counseling Services, LLC.
https://wonderscounseling.com/6-playful-parenting-strategies/
- Wonders, L. (2018, September 2). Playful Parenting Methods: Alternatives to Yelling and
Punishing. Wonders Counseling Services, LLC.
https://wonderscounseling.com/playful-parenting-methods-effective-alternatives-to-ye
We like our noses, but we do not like what we find inside them. Specifically, boogers and nose hairs. Nobody likes it when their nose feels clogged with a bunch of boogers being clumped up or when they feel the tickling of overgrown nose hairs. Most people make it a routine to clean out boogers […]
Nasal sprays are sprayed directly into the nose to relieve nasal allergy symptoms. They help relieve congestion or stuffiness in your nose, which is often a symptom of cold or nasal issues. If you regularly deal with thick nasal congestion, nasal sprays can help to loosen and thin out mucus. Many types of nasal sprays […]