Teacher’s Handwashing Dialogue

Teacher: "Alright, friends! It’s time for one of our super important healthy habits—washing away those invisible germs! Who can tell me why we wash our hands?"


(Pause and call on 1–2 volunteers.)


Teacher: "Yes, Leah?"

Student: "To get rid of germs!"


Teacher: "That’s right—germs can make us feel icky. So let’s wash them away in five easy steps! Follow along with me."

Step 1: Wet Hands

Teacher: "First, we need to wet our hands. Hold your hands under the warm water up to your wrists. Ready?"

(Lead by example; demonstrate dipping hands under water.)

Teacher: "Great job—water everywhere! Now your turn."

Step 2: Apply Soap

Teacher: "Next, squeeze a little bit of soap—just like this."

(Squeeze soap onto your palm.)

Teacher: "Can someone remind us what comes after the soap? Right, we need to lather and scrub!"

Step 3: Scrub for 20 Seconds

Teacher: "Time for the scrubbing party! Rub your hands together to make lots of bubbles. Don’t forget the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails."

Teacher: "We’ll sing ‘Happy Birthday’ twice to make sure we scrub for twenty seconds. I’ll start!"

(Sing while scrubbing.)

Teacher: "One more time!"

(Sing second round.)

Teacher: "Awesome scrubbing—bubbles everywhere!"

Step 4: Rinse

Teacher: "Now let’s rinse all that soap down the drain. Hold your hands under the water until the bubbles wash away."

(Rinse your hands.)

Teacher: "Feel how smooth and clean your hands are?"

Step 5: Dry

Teacher: "Last step—dry off! Grab a clean paper towel or use our hand dryer. Shake your hands to get the rest of the water off."

(Dry your hands.)

Teacher: "Nice and dry—perfect!"

Teacher: "Give yourselves a big round of applause for sparkling clean hands!"

Teacher: "Quick check—why did we scrub between our fingers and under our nails? Who remembers?"

(Call on volunteers.)

Teacher: "Exactly—germs love hiding there, so we make sure to clean every spot."

Teacher: "You are all Handwashing Heroes! Remember to do these five steps every time you use the bathroom and before snack or lunch. Clean hands help keep us and our friends healthy!"

Glitter Germ Demonstration Kit

This hands-on activity helps students visualize how germs spread on their hands—and why soap and water are the best way to get rid of them!

Materials Needed:

• A small basin or tray with a light dusting of glitter (to represent germs)
• A second basin for warm, soapy water
• Paper towels for drying
• A waste bin for used towels

Roles:

• Teacher: Guides the activity, asks questions, and models handwashing
• Volunteers: Dip fingertips into glitter and “spread” germs to classmates
• Observers: Watch carefully and share what they notice

Activity Steps:

1. Set Up (1 minute):
   
   • Place the glitter basin, soapy water basin, and paper towels on a low table.
   
   • Demonstrate how to dip just the fingertips into glitter—no spilling!
   
   
2. Glitter Spread (3 minutes):
   
   • Invite 2–3 volunteers to dip a fingertip into the glitter basin.
   
   • Each volunteer gently shakes hands or does a high-five with 3 classmates.
   
   
3. Observation & Discussion (3 minutes):
   
   • Ask observers: “What do you see on everyone’s hands?”
   
   • Prompt: “Why can’t we see real germs like glitter?”
   
   • Highlight that germs are too tiny to see without help.
   
   
4. Clean-Up Demo (3 minutes):
   
   • Lead volunteers to the soapy water basin.
   
   • Use the teacher dialogue to model wetting, soaping, scrubbing (20 seconds), rinsing, and drying.
   
   • Encourage singing “Happy Birthday” twice to time the scrub.
   
   
5. Group Reflection (2 minutes):
   
   • Ask:
   • “What removed the glitter best?”
     
   • “Why do we need to scrub between our fingers and under our nails?”
     
   • “When should we wash our hands during the day?”
     
     • Reinforce the five handwashing steps.

Guiding Questions for Students:

• What surprised you about how far glitter traveled?
• Which finger spots held the most glitter?
• How long did you have to scrub to get all the sparkles off?
• How could we make sure we don’t spread germs at home or school?

Teacher Tips:

• Use very little glitter to keep cleanup quick.
  
• Have extra paper towels on hand for any spills.
  
• Celebrate volunteers as “Germ Detectives” to keep energy high.

Clean-Up:

• Have students drop used towels in the bin and return to their seats.
  
• Wipe down trays and tables to remove remaining glitter.

After this demo, students will understand how easily “germs” can spread and why each step of proper handwashing matters to stop them!

Clean Hands Recap Cards

Use these cards to review the five handwashing steps and check your understanding.

1. Sequence the Handwashing Steps

Write the numbers 1–5 in the blanks to put the steps in the correct order.

___ Wet hands with water

___ Apply soap and lather

___ Scrub for 20 seconds (front, back, between fingers, under nails)

___ Rinse off all the soap

___ Dry with a clean towel

2. Quick Thumb Check

Thumbs up 👍 if the statement is true; thumbs down 👎 if it is false.

1. Scrubbing between fingers and under nails is important. 👍 / 👎
   
   
   

2. Singing “Happy Birthday” twice helps you scrub long enough. 👍 / 👎
   
   
   

3. You can skip soap if your hands look clean. 👍 / 👎
   
   
   

4. Washing hands before eating keeps germs away. 👍 / 👎
   
   
   

Great job, Handwashing Heroes! Keep practicing these steps every day to stay healthy.