Nursery Activity Ideas - Hand Washing Routine

A simple activity suitable for older children, helping them learn how to wash their hands.

You will need:

Sink

Warm water

Soap

Paper towel

Activity:

Take a small group of three or four children into the bathroom area, where they all have access to a sink. Discuss with the children, why they wash their hands? when they wash their hands? and what they need to wash their hands?

Ask the children to wet their hands and put some soap onto their hands. Tell them to rub their hands together to make lots of bubbles with the soap, and cover their hands in the bubbles. Then rub their hands under the water, washing off all the bubbles and watching them go down the plug hole.

Whilst the children are washing their hands, wash your own to, for them to see how to do this properly and to have someone to copy and reassure them they are doing it correctly.

Once they have washed their hands, give them each a paper towel and show them how to dry their hands properly, then explaining how and where to dispose of their paper towels.

This activity encourages children’s independence in looking after themselves and their hygiene and also extends their knowledge on why this routine is important.

Areas of learning covered:

Personal and Social development

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