Clean Hands, Healthy You
Good hygiene starts with clean hands – teach your child about the importance of hand washing with this week’s activities:
Activity #1 – Invisible Dirt
This activity is most effective in the middle of the day, after your child has been about playing for a while.
Have your child look at her hands and tell you if they look clean or not. To her naked eye, they probably will.
Then, with a wet wipe, scrub both of her hands firmly.
Together, look closely at the wet wipe for smudges of dirt.
Why We Like It: Your child will be surprised to see that her hands weren’t so clean after all!
Activity #2 – Invisible Germs
Activity #1 is a good lead-in to this activity. Your child has learned that she can’t always see the dirt and germs on her hands. Show her some pictures of germs, like the following, and explain that the germs on her hands are too small to see.
then trace her hand-print around the germs.
Why We Like It:
This activity reinforces the concept that hands are one of the germ-iest places on the body.
Activity #3 – Dirty Food
For the next activity, you will need some flour and some finger foods. Tell your child to pretend that the flour is dirt and germs.
Have her get her fingers “dirty” in the flour.
Now, present your child with the food and have her pick it up.
Strawberries work really well.
Why We Like It: Your child will see how dirt and germs get on the food she eats if she doesn’t wash her hands. She will definitely want you to wash it off before she eats it!
Activity #4 – Good, Clean Fun
This craft is an extension of the personalized soap dispenser craft found in our workbook, About Me. It’s easy and helps motivate your child to wash her hands.
You will need a soap dispenser with clear soap and a small toy.
Remove the labels from the soap dispenser (*warning: cheaper dispensers have tougher, stickier labels).
Twist off the nozzle and push the toy inside. (Small, rubbery toys work best.) Replace the nozzle.
You could also use cute beads for a future necklace or bracelet craft.
Now, get those hands clean! Hand washing should last for 15 seconds.