How to Teach Good Handwashing in Kindergarten
While kindergarten play time is commonly filled with happiness and laughter, it can also be filled with germ-passing and infection-sharing if proper precautions are not taken. Hand washing is one of the most effective methods of preventing the passing of germs, according to the CDC. To ensure that your kindergarten students are properly washing their hands, teach them about the importance of the practice and how to make hand washing both effective and fun.
Things You'll Need
- Coloring supplies
- Scissors
- Tape
- Happy Birthday song recording
- Blacklight
- Hand lotion
- Reward ribbon
Instructions
-
-
1
Learn about germs. Introduce the concept of germs through the reading of a picture book. Try "Germs are not for Sharing," by Elizabeth Verdick, or a similar title that imparts information about germs.
-
2
Create germ puppets. While students can not see germs, they can likely imagine them as microscopic yet insidious disease causers. Allow students to demonstrate how they think a germ might look by creating a finger puppet. Provide each student with construction paper and art supplies and ask them create a bug finger puppet using their imagination. Allow the students to show their finger puppet creations to their classmates or put on a germy finger puppet show.
-
-
3
Show how easily germs can be passed. Without telling students, conduct a telling experiment. Pull one student aside and coat her hands with a germ-simulating powder or lotion that is visible only under a black light. Engage students in a group activity or allow them to play with classroom toys for 15 to 20 minutes. At the end of that time, gather students around and explain to them that you planted a pretend germ carrier in their midst. Bring the original student to the front of the room and shine a black light on her hands. The otherwise invisible powder or lotion will light up on her hands. Then ask students who played with that student to come up, and check their hands. You will likely find that the "germs" transferred. Continue to investigate the classroom with the black light to see just how much the room has been infested.
-
4
Demonstrate how to wash your hands. The biggest mistake that young children make when washing their hands is not washing for a sufficient length of time. Allow students to see how long proper hand washing takes by demonstrating the practice for them. Using a tub of water or a classroom sink, wash your hands using soap and water for 20 seconds. As you wash, allow students to count with you, keeping track of your washing time.
-
5
Sing while you sud up. While your kindergarteners may not be eager to count the seconds that they devote to washing, they will likely be willing to sing. Tell your students that the classic song Happy Birthday is 10 seconds in length, so to ensure that they wash for the required amount of time, they can sing the song two times through. Play a recording of this song two times, encouraging students to sing along.
-
6
Reward students for proper hand washing. Periodically, monitor students as they wash their hands. If you see a student engaging in proper hand washing procedures, reward him for the healthy habit with a ribbon or certificate to celebrate his success.
-
1
References
Resources
- Photo Credit washing hands image by JASON WINTER from Fotolia.com
