Hand Washing
Learning the proper way to wash
Month 1 · Activity 24 · Lifeskills
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
Motor Skills
Problem Solving Skills
