SNEEZING AND COUGHING AND GERMS - OH MY!
- julie93319
- Feb 11
- 2 min read
This month we are taking a moment to pause and focus in on handwashing - a routine that can sometimes feel repetitive (and even exhausting) with young children, but is necessary to the health and safety of the entire classroom community. When approached with intention, handwashing can become more than just a task to get through; it can be a moment of connection, learning, and care. In this edition, we’ll share practical tips, playful strategies, and supportive tools to help make handwashing more manageable, meaningful, and developmentally appropriate for young children.
“As an early childhood teacher are you sometimes surprised by the amount of time you spend in caring rituals? Do you ever feel that the snack to prepare, the hands to wash, or the nose to wipe is getting in the way of teaching? What if we adopted a new way of thinking about care and incorporated it into the heart of our pedagogy? What would our practice look like if we lifted up the daily chores of caring as honorable rituals and essential educational practices?” -Carol Garboden Murray, Illuminating Care: The Pedagogy and Practice of Care in Early Childhood Communities
SUPPORTING SUCCESSFUL HANDWASHING ROUTINES
BEFORE THE TRANSITION (PREPARATION)
Use Visuals: Post handwashing steps (we, lather, scrub, rinse, dry) with pictures to help children remember
Create Routines: Embed handwashing into daily schedules, making it predictable.
Give Warnings: Provide countdowns like, ‘In five minutes, we’ll wash our hands for lunch.’
Narrate: Describe the process in real-time: ‘Now we’re turning on the water, now let’s get some soap.’
DURING THE TRANSITION (ACTION)
Stagger Transitions: Send small groups (2-3) to wash hands, rather than the whole class at once.
Sing Songs: Use fun handwashing songs or make up tunes to keep energy positive and focused.
Assign ‘Jobs’: Give children simple tasks like carrying a towel or turning off the lights to engage them.
Use Movement: Incorporate simple movements like hopping or marching to the sink to release wiggles.
AFTER THE TRANSITION (REINFORCEMENT)
Model & Practice: Adults should model the steps, and children can practice with prompts.
Read Books: Use stories about germs and handwashing to reinforce the importance.
Validate Feelings; Acknowledge big emotions if a child is upset about stopping play.
HANDWASHING RESOURCE BANK
HANDWASHING SONG:
Tops and Bottoms (Tune: Where is Thumbkin?)
Tops and bottoms, tops and bottoms,
In between, in between.
Scrub them all together,
Scrub them all together,
Now they’re clean,
Squeaky clean!
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10!
BOOKS ABOUT HANDWASHING:
3-5 year-olds:
“Superheroes Wash Their Hands!”
“Pete the Kitty: Wash Your Hands”
“Sherm the Germ”
“The Day I Forgot to Wash My Hands”
“Curious George: Wash Your Hands”
0-3 year-olds:
“Wash, Wash, Wash!”
“Brush, Flush, Wash!”
TIPS AND STRATEGIES TO TEACH/MAKE IT FUN:
DEMONSTRATIONS FOR CHILDREN:
LINK TO NAEYC CODE OF ETHICS
SECTION I: ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES TO CHILDREN
“Early childhood educators have many ethical responsibilities and relationships, but our first and most important obligation is to ensure the safety and well-being of the children in our care. Our highest priority is to provide education and care that is safe, healthy, nurturing, and responsive for each and every child.”
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