The results you will see from the fun loving activities below are why I love teaching preschoolers how to wash their hands. It’s not only that they will learn how to properly wash their hands, but it’s seeing the light go on in their little heads. And of course, we will have fewer germs flying around that can cause colds and the flu.
The number one action we can take to help stop spreading germs and those dreaded runny noses this year is washing our hands.
I would like to share with all of you teachers, parents and healthcare providers how to create memorable learning experiences that will get your kids happily washing their hands. And… being healthy, not ill and cranky!
This will be a series of posts, so please subscribe so you won’t miss the fun. You will also receive a free, very colorful downloadable/printable “Hand Washing Activity eBook”.
I will start with Option 9 & 10 from “The Singing Nurse, Health Lessons for Kids” curricula as a starting point. I love making and using visuals with kids.
Option 9 in “TSN Health Lessons for kids”, in lesson 1.
Take pictures of your children at hand washing time, create a class book or poster so the children can find themselves, or create a slideshow with “Rubba Dub Dub “ in the background.
Option 10 in “TSN Health Lessons for kids”, in lesson 1.
Create an ABC Health Book…
An added option: Adding words and editing pictures.
Take pictures like I have above and add little sayings. A future post will describe how to do this.
So for our 1st post today we will look at Option 9:
1. Create a Sing-A-Long Book: Take a bunch of pictures of your kids during hand washing time:
Keep in mind all the actions to washing hands and the lyrics to the song, see below.
Take pictures of: Turning the water on, “make some soapsuds”, “rinse your hands”, picture of kids pointing up with 1 finger, “wash your hands” (picture of several children or your whole classroom with hands raised)
Add (copy and paste) each picture to a document page and add the phrases to the bottom of the page. This can be done easily in “word”. You can add fun borders too or use colorful stationary paper that already has a cool border. If you need help with “word”, please comment below. A detailed “how to” can be a future post.
Download the song from the player here
Download from CDbaby
Download from iTunes
Song: Before singing the song show and say to the children “this is how an Opera singer sings”, hold hands to your chest and sing a little operatic scale (“We will waasssh our hands”…like the one in the song)Ham it up a bit, here’s your big chance to belt it out, the kids will love it. When the song starts you can pretend to turn on the water, pump some soap into your hand and start to rub your hands together. At the end of the song pretend to take a paper towel to turn off the water and dry your hands and then throw the paper towel in the trash.
1. Rubba Dub Dub- Dawn Ginese 2003 Lyrics and Motions
Rubba Dub Dub (echo) Rub hands together as if washing hands, rub between fingers etc. continue through 1st verse.
Make some soap suds (echo)
Rubba Dub Dub (echo)
Make some soap suds (echo)
Rubba Dub, Rubba Dub, Rubba Dub, Rubba Dub
Make some soap suds
Rinse your hands (echo) Hang hands down letting the water rinse the soap off, flip hands back and forth, continue through 2nd verse.
Rinse the soap suds (echo)
Rinse your hands (echo)
Rinse the soap suds (echo)
Rinse, rinse, rinse, rinse, rinse, rinse,
Rinse the soap suds
What is the one thing that can make your hands clean? Hold up one finger.
(Wash your hands) Raise both hands, open and shut them on each word.
We will waaaaaaaaaaaaash our hands. Hold hands to chest like an opera singer, tilting head back and forth.
2. Create a Classroom Poster: You can use the same pictures and solicit pictures from family and friends so the children can find and point out people they know that also wash their hands. This is similar to where’s Waldo right? It’s fun! Trim your pictures, paste them to your poster board, add words like “We wash our hands to wash germs away” or “Rubba Dub Dub, make some soap suds”.
3. Create a slide show: Again you can use the same pictures. If you are at a preschool program make sure and include the teachers, assistants, the director and school nurse. If you need help with this, comment below and I will create a post on how to do this.
Download the song from cdbaby or iTunes or directly from TSN. This lesson is also available as an individual lesson download if you prefer.
For Happy Healthy Kids,
Ms. Dawn
Option 10 Post : How to Create an ABC Health Book…
Can’t wait? I understand, here’s the whole downloadable book; more info on the ABC book is on page 19 in the Resource section of “The Singing Nurse-Health Lessons for Kids”. See more detail.
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