shealthyhabits

Handwashing Steps: By the way, do you know the six steps to handwashing? Well, actually, I've always felt there were 7 steps. We can review these steps with the children in our classrooms anytime throughout the school year. (Oh, for step 5, I like to demonstrate how we can use the fingertips of one hand as little "brushes" to clean under the nails of the other hand.)
1. Remove all jewelry
2. Roll up long sleeves if wearing them, then wet both hands with warm water
3. Work up sudsy lather on both hands and forearms
4. Rub and scrub for 20 seconds making sure to include palms, back of hands, between fingers, and forearms
5. Use fingernail brush to clean under fingernails
6. Rinse hands and forearms, again in warm water, keeping fingertips pointed down
7. Dry hands and turn off faucet with the paper towel to prevent re-contamination

From Susan Wray, Library Storytime Leader, Dyersburg, Tennessee:
I always say, "Please, please, CATCH that sneeze!" "Catch it!" I always talk about keeping germs to ourselves and not sharing them. "Catch that sneeze and don't let it get away!" (Children usually laugh at this.)

From Elly Lampner, Randolph, Massachusetts:
Hand Washing Experiment: (This can be done with any age above Toddler, with any number of children, and at any developmental level.)

Learning Goals include:
1. Children will learn how healthy habits protect the body from disease
2. Children will experience the social skills of working cooperatively
3. Children will observe and compare
4. Children will have the opportunity to express the results orally and through drawings if desired
Materials needed:
Plastic zipper bags (one per child, though the children will work in pairs), labels and markers, some soil (not sterilized), baby wipes, uncooked potatoes, clean knife (to be used by teacher only to slice the potatoes), paper and writing tools for recording observations

Procedure: Help children pair up then give them each a bag. Label one bag "Dirty Hands" and the other "Clean Hands." Ask one child from each pair to dirty his/her hands with the soil. Ask the other child to clean his or her hands with a baby wipe. Give each child a slice of potato to rub thoroughly before placing it into the appropriately labeled "Dirty" or "Clean" bag and zipping it shut. Assist the children in drawing and/or dictating their observations over the next 2-3 weeks.
Expected Observation: More mold and bacteria will grow on the potato slice handled by dirty hands.
Language Discussion: What happened to the potato in the "Clean Hands" bag? "Dirty Hands" bag? Why is there less bacteria (germs) on the potato handled by washed hands? Why is it important to wash your hands? Explain to the children that more mold and bacteria will grow on the potato touched with dirty hands because dirt carries bacteria that can grow on the body. Some diseases are caused by bacteria. Washing our hands keeps germs from spreading.
Possible Extension: Provide a microscope or magnifying glasses if possible for looking at the bacterial growth. Discuss healthy cleaning habits for school and home: Have the children think of ways to stay healthy and prevent germs from spreading: Washing hands before eating, covering mouth and nose when coughing/sneezing, using tissues then throwing them away, etc.

From Alexandra Draper, West Chester, Pennsylvania:
Spreading Germs: I use this activity in my preschool class to teach how germs are spread: The children are sitting in a circle. I put a small amount of glitter in my hand (hidden from the children) and then I pretend to "sneeze." I then shake the hand of the first child on my left to say hello. I then have that child shake hands and say hello to the child next to him who then shakes hands with the next child and so on all the way around the circle. Then I ask them all to look at their hands. (Glitter will be on their hands.) I then explain that had I really sneezed into my hand, I would have spread the germs to the whole class. This then leads to a discussion on the importance of washing our hands. (Then we all go to the sink and wash the "germs" off!) This is a great way to help children understand how germs are spread.

From Ana-Lee Sandru, North Olmstead, Ohio:
Hand-Washing Poster: Dear Stormie, to help reinforce the six steps in hand washing, I take a picture of six different children, each doing one of the steps. I then mount each picture on a long piece of poster board and label them. I laminate it and hang it above the sinks. This way the children can look at the pictures and remember the steps. We also review the steps while waiting in line for the bathroom. This has worked out great in my room!