When Do We Need to Wash Our Hands?

Food Safety Children’s Activity
When Do We Need to Wash Our
Hands?
Purpose
• To help children understand the different
times in the day they need to wash their
hands
• To help children understand the concepts of
before and after
• To reinforce the correct way to wash hands
and the length of time needed to wash hands
Materials Needed
Images of daily activities from magazines or
clip art glued to separate pieces of poster board or cardboard
• Mealtime
• Bathroom (toilet)
• Person sneezing or coughing
• Pets (dog or cat)
• Art supplies
• Playground, sandbox, or play items, such as balls
• Person preparing food
• Person washing hands or sink with soap and towel
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Food Safety Children’s Activity
When Do We Need to Wash Our Hands?
Activity—When to Wash Your Hands
Tell the children we wash our hands to remove germs. Germs are tiny, tiny things
we cannot see. Even though they are tiny, germs can make us sick. When we
wash our hands, we remove germs. See handouts at the end of the lesson for
examples of the activities.
We always wash our hands before we start some activities.
• before we help prepare a food or a meal.
then the image of preparing food.)
(Show the image of hand washing and
• before we eat a meal or snack.
(Show the image of hand washing and then the
image of mealtime or eating food.)
Ask the children to tell you what activities we always wash our hands before we
start (preparing food and eating food).
We always wash our hands after other activities. After discussing each activity
show the image of hand washing.
• after we play outside.
such as balls.)
(Show the image of a playground, sand box, or play items
• after we sneeze or cough. (Show the image of a person sneezing or coughing.)
• after we use the bathroom. (Show the image of a bathroom, perhaps a partially
opened door that shows the interior of the bathroom.)
Ask the children to tell you what activities we always wash our hands after we
finish (playing outside, sneezing or coughing, using the bathroom).
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Food Safety Children’s Activity
When Do We Need to Wash Our Hands?
How Long to Wash
It is important to wash our hands long enough to wash away the germs. It takes at
least 20 seconds to thoroughly wash your hands. An easy way to know the right
amount of time is to sing the ABCs, Happy Birthday, or the song below. Washing
for as long as it takes to sing the song will help make sure hands are clean.
Teach the children this song sung to the tune of Mary Had A Little Lamb
Everyday We Wash Our Hands
Verse
Everyday we wash our hands, wash our hands, wash our hands.
Everyday we wash our hands, many times a day.
Refrain
This is how we wash our hands, soap and water, bubbles too.
Then we rinse and dry our hands, many times a day.
Variation: If desired, sing two rounds of the verse with very young children and
omit the refrain.
Use the lesson extension ideas below to reinforce the importance of when to wash
hands.
Lesson Extension Ideas
Sing and Wash Your Way Through the Day
Sing the song to cue the children when to wash hands throughout the day. For
example, sing the song while the children line up to wash hands before snacks or
meals, or after arts and crafts.
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Food Safety Children’s Activity
When Do We Need to Wash Our Hands?
Remind the children that the song takes about 20 seconds to sing, which is the
amount of time needed to wash hands thoroughly. Tell the children that washing
for as long as it takes to sing the song will help make sure hands are clean.
Watch for Signs to Wash Hands
Use the images to make signs and post in different activity areas. On each sign,
show a picture of an activity and picture of hand washing positioned before or after
as appropriate to the activity.
Examples:
• Picture of child washing hands / Picture of child setting the table
• Picture of child petting an animal / Picture of child washing hands
Learn About Hand Washing the Active Way
Talk with the children about hand washing frequently during the day. Show the
children how to demonstrate washing their hands.
• Wash hands – mimic washing hands by turning on water and wetting hands,
using soap, thoroughly rubbing hands, rinsing and drying with a towel (take 20
seconds to complete this activity to show how long it takes to wash hands).
Ask the children to tell you times during the day when they need to wash hands.
When a child gives a reason, have the children act out motions to match the
suggestion, such as
• Plays outside – bounce a ball
After acting out the motion, ask the children if we wash our hands before or after
the activity (we wash after playing outside). Act out the activity (bouncing a ball),
then act out hand washing.
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Food Safety Children’s Activity
When Do We Need to Wash Our Hands?
Repeat two or three times more, using the children’s suggestions of other times we
wash our hands.
Additional ideas for actions:
• Sneezes or coughs – sneeze or cough into a hand
• Eats a meal – eat a sandwich or other food held in the hands
• Leaves the bathroom – flush a handle or put the lid down on a toilet or other
appropriate or desired action
• Helps with a meal – Pretend to set the table
• Plays with a pet – Act out petting an animal
• Uses paints or glue – Mimic painting or gluing a piece of art
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Food Safety Children’s Activity
When Do We Need to Wash Our Hands? Handouts
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Food Safety Children’s Activity
When Do We Need to Wash Our Hands? Handouts
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Food Safety Children’s Activity
When Do We Need to Wash Our Hands? Handouts
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Food Safety Children’s Activity
When Do We Need to Wash Our Hands? Handouts
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