>> Rachel: Rise and Shine! It’s time for Chompers, your morning and night toothbrushing show.  

It’s Nature week, and today we’re going to do something NEW! We’re going to share some POEMS with you.

But first, start brushing on the top of your mouth on one side, and brush the molars in the way back

>> Kids: 3, 2, 1 brush! 

>> Rachel: Today we’re talking about a kind of poem called a haiku. Haiku were first written in Japan and they’re are very SHORT poems that follow a special pattern. Haiku have only three lines, and each line in the poem has a certain number of beats. Haiku follow a rhythm that goes like this: (5, 7, 5).

Switch your brushing to the other side of the top of your mouth, and brush your tongue too!  

Here’s an example of a haiku, by a very famous Japanese poet named Matsuo Basho:

See if you can hear the 5, 7, 5 pattern in our first haiku: 

On a withered bough

A crow alone is perching

Autumn evening now

This haiku is about a crow on the branch of a tree that’s lost its leaves because it’s fall, or autumn.  

Switch your brushing to the bottom of your mouth, and make sure to brush the inside, outside and chewing side of each tooth. 

So now we’re going to read you a haiku and you have to tell us what it’s about.  Ready?

Soaring over head 

The bird of prey seeks rabbits

Soon to be dinner

What is this haiku about?

>> Kids: An Eagle!

>> Rachel: Switch to the other side of the bottom of your mouth, and brush your front teeth too.

This poem is about an eagle hunting! Eagles are birds of prey: that means they have a sharp pointed beak, and razor sharp nails called talons. 

And here’s a haiku that one of our Chompions, Callum, sent us!

"Brushing my teeth, fun!

Listening to Chompers, Yay!

It is nature week"

That’s it for Chompers, come back tonight for more nature week and until then rinse before you 

>> Kids: 3 2 1 spit!