Age
⚙ 3 years and up
Time and Place
⚙ Any time of day
⚙ Any time of year
⚙ Indoors
Materials
⚙ Water
⚙ Different kinds of soaps (e.g., bar, liquid) and soap dispensers (e.g., pump, squeeze bottle)
Optional Materials
⚙ Recycled materials (e.g., plastic container, milk carton)
Safety
⚙ Supervise children at all times
⚙ Make sure soaps are safe for young children
Instructions
When children get their hands dirty (e.g., after outside play or finger painting), offer a variety of soaps and encourage them to get their hands as clean as they can.
Play-based Context
Most young children enjoy getting their hands dirty. With encouragement, many children also enjoy exploring the textures and smells of soap.
Questions You May Ask
⚙ Why do you need to wash your hands even if they don't look dirty?
⚙ Where could you wash your hands?
⚙ What do you need to wash your hands?
⚙ What do you [hear, feel, smell] while you are washing your hands?
⚙ What areas of your hands are the hardest to clean? Why?
⚙ What type of soap works best to get [sand, dirt, paint] off of your hands?
Related Children's Books
⚙ Scrubba Dub, Carlos by Stuart J. Murphy
⚙ Wash Your Hands! by Tony Ross
⚙ Wash, Wash, Wash! by Pamela Chanko
