Hand Washing
Learning the proper way to wash
Instructions
- Teach a child how to wash their hands. "80% of infections are transported by touch, so handwashing is the number one thing you can do to prevent infection", says WedMD's chief medical editor. We have all learned the importance of handwashing with COVID-19.
- Have the child at a sink, standing on a stool at a comfortable height with soap nearby
- Use warm temperature water and wash for at least 20 seconds. Singing a song (ABC's, Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star of another favorite) can help with washing for a given amount of time
- Illustrate how to wash hands ... palms, in-between fingers, fingernails, and backs of hands using the soap until lather appears. Rinse with water removing all soap.
- Dry hands with a towel when finished. Drying the hands with a towel helps to remove the remaining bacteria.
Simplify
Illustrate first exactly how to wash by doing your own hands. Explain aloud while you wash with soap - your palms, in-between fingers (we pretend to make a butterfly by interlacing fingers from both hands and moving back and forth), fingernails and backs of hands (we pretend the back of our hands are a dog we are patting) Follow-up by rinsing and then drying hands on a towel.
Extend
QUESTIONS FOR CHILD
Who should wash hands?
Why should we wash our hands?
Why is soap important to use when washing hands?
Materials
- soap
- sink
- water
- towel
Share This Activity
Curriculum Plan Resources
Skills Focus
- Shape - Square
- Color - Yellow
- Number - One, 1
- Alphabet Letter - A, E
- Senses - Touch
- Character Trait - Caring
- Target Words - In, Out, Empty, Full
Monthly Proverb
Swedish - The best place to find a helping hand is at the end of your own arm.
Did You Know?
Children who are not ready for kindergarten often have trouble succeeding in school. Those who do poorly in school are more likely to need to repeat classes, need special education, drop out of school, become teen parents, and get into trouble with the law. As adults, drop-outs have trouble making a living wage, and are at risk of poverty and homelessness
From Plan for the Washington Early Learning System – Draft 12/1/09 (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, 2005; Isaacs, 2008).
Books to Read
"The Mitten"
by Jan Brett (Activity 22)
"Little Blue and Little Yellow"
by Leo Lionni (Activity 8)
"How Kind"
by Mary Murphy (Activity 12)
"Little Blue and Little Yellow" VIDEO
by Leo Lionni (Activity 8)
"The Mitten" VIDEO
by Jan Brett (Activity 22)
"How Kind" VIDEO
by Mary Murphy (Activity 12)
Music Playlist
"The Hokey Pokey"
by Music for Little People Choir from album Toddlers Sing Playtime (Children) (Activity 14)
"Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major, K448 II."
Andante by Alicia de Larrocha from album Mozart: Concerto & Sonata for 2 pianos (Classical) (Activity 20)
"ABC (The Alphabet Song)"
from album Dora the Explorer (Children) (Activity 1)
"The Hokey Pokey" VIDEO
by The Learning Station (Activity 14)
"Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major, K448, II. Andante" VIDEO
by Mozart (Activity 20)
"ABC (The Alphabet Song" VIDEO
by Dora the Explorer
Monthly Materials List
Click Here to view the list!
Fingerplay / Poems / Songs
Select one poem for child to memorize this month and recite it at bedtime plus one song/fingerplay to learn. Here are two examples:
My NAME Song
(Activity 25 Month 1 - Sung to tune of BINGO)
There was a family had a child
and Carly (insert child's name) was her name.
C - A - R - L - Y C - A - R - L - Y C - A - R - L - Y (spell child's name)
And Carly (insert child's name) was her name
Kind To Others
(Activity 13 Month 1 - Fingerplay)
5 little children
Standing in a row ( hold up 5 fingers)
They are kind to others
Everywhere they go. (walk hand in front of body)
I am one of the children (point to self)
Standing in a row (hold up 5 fingers)
I'll be kind to others (point to self)
Wherever I go. (walk hand in front of body)
(This fingerplay works as a reminder to a child to be kind in any situation- without saying a word. Just walk hand in front of body to silently signal a child to remember to be kind or use actual sign language for the word kind.)