Tips for Teaching Kids To Wash Their Hands
Let’s be honest: kids get messy quickly. Practicing basic hygiene is a good habit to instill in children early on to keep them clean and healthy. Of all of these habits, teaching kids to wash their hands is one of the most important.
Educating children about hygiene can be tricky since they don’t understand how germs work. However, this doesn’t mean you can’t turn the process into a learning experience. Make handwashing fun and encourage kiddos to practice good habits.
Contents
Sing a Song
Music is a powerful learning resource. It’s also a fun way to engage your students in something new. If you want to make handwashing a fun experience, sing a song to pass the time.
Songs are excellent tools since you must wash your hands for a certain amount of time for it to be effective. Children’s songs like “Mary Had a Little Lamb” or “the ABCs” are the perfect handwashing length. Encourage your kids to sing these songs or choose their own favorites, so they’re always squeaky clean.
Get Crafty
Another way to teach kids to wash their hands is through arts and crafts. Explaining germ transference is a difficult lesson to get across to young children. However, using visual tools can communicate your point while encouraging creativity.
If you want to mimic germs in an obvious way, use glitter and nontoxic, easy-to-remove glue. Create a paste and let your kids apply it to their hands. Have them wash their hands until all of the glitter is gone to show how handwashing removes germs from the skin.
Use Hand Sanitizer
Sometimes, soap and water aren’t readily available. It’s just as important to teach students how to use hand sanitizer safely in these situations.
Find cute sanitizer holders that feature your kid’s favorite animals and characters. You can offer them as rewards and clip them to their backpacks for safekeeping.
Something to note: proper hand sanitizer disposal is essential since it can be volatile in the wrong setting. Since schools use a lot of this stuff, you’ll need to learn how to get rid of your excess safely.
Parents and teachers need to work together to teach good hygiene to their kids. By making handwashing exciting, you’ll help children make positive connections that encourage good, clean habits.
