Good, Clean Fun: How to Make Hand Washing Fun for Kids

Tips for making hand washing a fun part of your child’s daily routine

This year has been far from normal for all of us. But, for all you parents out there, this especially rings true for your kids and their school schedule. By now, many schools in Arizona have reopened for in-person learning. So, now is a great time to remind your kids about the importance of practicing good hygiene through hand washing.

You probably already know that hand washing can be hard for little ones, as it requires some patience and focused attention. That’s why our cleaning experts have come up with a few tips that make hand washing a fun activity your kiddos can look forward to.

First, be sure to remind your little ones of when they should be washing their hands.

These are some of the most recommended times for children to wash their hands:

• before and after breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack times
• after bathroom breaks
• after playing outside
• after coming home from school or other outings
• after petting animals

Second, make sure they know the 5 steps to proper hand washing:

1. Wet
   Wet hands with clean running water, then turn off the tap, pump some soap and get ready to lather!
2. Lather
   Suds up your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Get those germ-fighting bubbles all over the backs of hands, between fingers and under nails.
3. Scrub
   Scrub your hands for 20 seconds, minimum.
4. Rinse
   Rinse off all those soapy suds under a stream of clean, running water.
5. Dry
   Dry off any excess moisture with a clean towel, or air dry.

And Finally, make it fun! Here are three ways you can make handwashing an interactive experience for your kiddos.

These three ideas will keep your kids occupied while teaching them that hand washing can be a fun part of their daily routine.

1. Turn hand washing into an art project
   Make a poster with your little ones with reminders about proper hand washing practice. Grab some markers, crayons, colored pencils and poster board. Consider writing out reminders on when to wash your hands, or draw out the 5 steps of proper hand washing.
2. Host a soapy sing-along
   Proper hand washing should last at least 20 seconds. So, if music is more your child’s thing, have them sing “happy birthday” out loud, twice. That should be enough time for successful scrubbing!There’s also ton of songs on YouTube encouraging hand washing as well. This article from Pre-K Pages has collected some of the most popular songs from around the web for you and your little ones!
3. Give them a clean hand challenge
   Add some fun to hand washing by drawing a smiley face or other doodle your kid’s hand with washable marker. Then, challenge them to wash off the entire design. They’ll have fun watching the marker design fade and you’ll have peace of mind knowing all those germs are down the drain.

We hope these tips help you and your family stay safe, happy and healthy as your young ones head back to in-person learning!