Ordering the Steps for Washing Hands Properly
About this lesson
Children put six handwashing steps in the right order, then act out each step together and practise a full 20-second scrub without water. They learn how to wash hands well and why each step matters. You need six sticky notes or the whiteboard. It takes about 12 minutes.
- Grade
- 2
- Subject
- Health
- Time
- 12 min
- Prep
- 3 min
Objective
Students will put the six steps of proper handwashing in order and show how to scrub hands for 20 seconds.
Prep
3 min: write six handwashing steps on separate sticky notes and stick them on the board in mixed-up order
Materials
- 6 sticky notes
- whiteboard
- marker
Steps
- Point to the mixed-up sticky notes (Wet hands, Add soap, Scrub for 20 seconds, Rinse, Dry with a clean towel, Use the towel to turn off the tap) and read each one aloud with the class.
- Ask, "Which step comes first?" and invite volunteers to move the notes one at a time into the right order, asking the class to give a thumbs up or thumbs down for each move.
- Have everyone stand and act out each step with pretend water, saying the step out loud as they do it.
- For the scrub step, show palms, backs of hands, between fingers, thumbs and fingernails, then have the class scrub while counting slowly together from 1 to 20.
- Ask, "Why do we scrub for so long?" and agree that scrubbing well with soap helps wash germs off our hands, then point out that we wash before eating, after using the toilet and after sneezing or coughing.
Quick Check
Take two notes off the board and ask students to tell a partner which steps are missing and where they go.
Differentiation
Make it easier: Use four steps only (wet, soap, scrub, rinse and dry) and add a simple drawing to each note.
Make it harder: Have pairs list three times in the school day when they should wash their hands and explain why for each.
Good For
- Before lunch
- Transition time
- Supply teacher
- Review
