Fun Hand washing activities

[mumofone]

Looking for fun ways to learn about washing our hands, germs etc, does anyone have any? :-)

[BallyH]

We have a A4 blue nhs poster with pictures about handwashing, that and 'smelly' hand soap, coconut at the moment, it is just normal here. We just talk about germs nearly every time they wash but the smell of the hand soap gets there attention. No games so will be interested in what others post.

[Mouse]

I make sure I have a "fun" soap, but we don't do any fun hand washing activities.

The children particularly liked the Squidsoap that leaves an ink spot on their hands when they press down on the top. I don't think it really helped them learn how to wash their hands as they just concentrated on the ink spot, but it does make them very keen to have a go!

SquidSoap - Teaches & Trains How To Wash Hands Properly - The Green Head (http://www.thegreenhead.com/2006/11/squidsoap-teaches-trains-how-to-wash-hands-properly.php)

When they're washing their hands I just talk them through it - palms together, backs of hands, between fingers, round the thumb, round the wrist, check your hands are covered all over with bubbles (so they know they done all areas), then rinse it off. After a while they don't need to be told and just do it themselves.

As they're doing it we talk about why they need to wash their hands - to get rid of dirt and stop it getting on toys etc, to get rid of germs as germs could make them ill. They know where germs come from - going to the toilet, from the garden, from pets. My pre-schoolers can clearly explain how & why they wash their hands.

What age are you looking at activities for?

[Simona]

I would read the children the story of the Little Princess 'Wash your hands'!!...what better message is there to get the children to run to the sink and wash away?

As for fun..one of my children used to have a special activity but better not share...it was fun for her not for my sink!!

[FloraDora]

We made instructions together: they took photos of each other at each stage of washing hands: turning tap lever to the correct place, wet hands, hand under automatic soap dispenser, rub together ....etc up to putting towel in the laundry. Then they downloaded the photos. Sorted and chose, ordered, added numbers to order and added words like clean, dirty germs etc... I put it on the toilet door, low at their level, then we played at following the instructions....they then use them to check they have followed...works a treat. Lots of areas covered in the activity including UW technology.
After painting /art I always put out a small bowl for the youngest and he plays in it for a while, copying my rubbing and rinsing actions. I put a cork in and a stone which he plays with. Other times he uses the wash basin in the toilet like the others.
I don't think you really need to plan fun activities, just make every time they really wash their hands a good experience because they do it so often throughout the day.......
But water activities with bubbles are always great fun anyway.