Getting kids to remember to wash their hands may sometimes be a difficult task. With children returning to school, they are exposed to many kinds of germs that they can bring into your house. Teaching kids to wash their hands after they use the restroom, before they eat, and when they come home from school will help your child remain healthy and happy. Making hand washing fun is a great way to keeps kids reminded, and even excited, about hand washing. Check out these fun tips to encourage kids to wash their hands:

Sing

Children love to sing, so encourage your child to sing their favorite song for the duration of their hand washing. When the song is over, they can wash away the soap and be on their way! Get creative with your songs – make your own, or sing season related songs. If you’re stumped for a song check out these creative song ideas:

  • Sung to the tune of Frere Jacques: “Top and bottom, top and bottom, in between, in between, rub your hands together, rub your hands together, they’re all clean, squeaky clean!”
  • Sung twice to the tune of Row Your Boat: “Wash wash wash your hands, wash them nice and clean, scrub the fronts and scrub the backs and scrub the in betweens.”
  • If you’re still stumped, sing the Happy Birthday song through twice – really any song will work!

 

Have a Dance-Off

If singing isn’t for you, try turning on a radio and dance together for one song while scrubbing. Play your child’s favorite song and wash away the germs when the song ends.

Get Crafty

Mix water and glitter in a spray bottle. Give your child’s hands a spray and have them wash until all the glitter is removed from their hands. This is great for little kids who are all about glitter!

Make It Fun

Tell your child that they are special Germ Fighters and give them the task of protecting themselves and others from germ invasion! Adventurous kids will love this brave task!

Get Wacky

Forget about boring soap dispensers, companies make all kids of fun shaped bottles and soaps. From soap shaped like trucks and robots to cupcakes and gummy bears, your kid will get a giggle out of these funny shapes. They even make soap bottles that light up in a disco show for the duration of the washing cycle. What could be cooler?

Make it a Treat

Kids love using their parents’ things and sometimes you have to get creative. Designate a bottle of soap as Mommy or Daddy’s “special soap”. Make it seem very important and odds are they will beg you to let them use your special soap.

When All Else Fails

Use foam – what kid wouldn’t want to play with soap foam? You can even blow bubbles with it!

Teaching kids to wash their hands early on will create healthy habits. It is recommended that everyone scrub their hands for at least 20 seconds before rinsing away soap to ensure that all germs wash away with the bubbles. Don’t forget to turn off the spigot while scrubbing to save water!


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