Back-to-School: Learn About Hand Hygiene for Kids

Yes, it’s August already and am sure you’re gearing up for back-to-school season. In the middle of shopping for school supplies, checking on uniforms and getting those backpacks ready, spend some time teaching the kids about hand hygiene. 

Yes, that is the one thing you shouldn’t forget if you want to enjoy a healthier, happier school season.

Here are some fun ways to help kids learn about hand hygiene:

 Make Hand Washing Fun

Begin by making hand washing a fun and easy exercise for even young kids. Make the wash basin easily accessible by adding a colorful step stool and put out fun soaps, such as our latest, ghost soaps to boost appeal and interest.

Make hand washing a game and time the kids while they wash their hands. Whoever washes for a full 20 seconds gets a gold star!

Have Kids Sing a 20-second Song While Washing Their Hands

 Young kids often wash their hands quickly and briefly, and that sadly, isn’t good enough. Help them time themselves by teaching them a 15-20 second song that they can sing or hum while washing hands for the right duration.

Set a Good Example

Children learn best by example and demonstration so let them watch you wash hands  regularly and diligently. Let them see how you value hand hygiene as a way of staying healthy and chances are they’ll be following suit soon.

 Have an Older Kid Teach a Younger Kid Hand Hygiene

Kids make great teachers and learners. If you can, have the older siblings teach the younger ones about hand hygiene. They’ll have more fun and the lessons would be remembered for longer as well.

Read Books or Watch Videos About Germs and Washing Hands

Finally, one of the best ways to teach a kid just about anything is through books, pictures and videos. Wash Your Hands! By Margaret McNamara and  Body Buddies Say,”Wash Your Hands” by Leeann Wenkman are two good options to start with.

Here are some more ways to make overall hygiene fun for kids and have a really healthy, wholesome school year.

How will YOU make back-to-school season a time for teaching your kids about hand hygiene?

Photo Credit: woodleywonderworks 

4 Fun Simple, Surefire Ways to Encourage Hygiene in Kids

Keeping children healthy involves ensuring that they follow good hygiene habits. Yes, you know. Washing their hands. Sneezing in their elbows.  Blowing their noses in tissues. Yes, good, ole’ basic hygiene.

Keeping good hygiene ensures that infections don’t get passed around as much and last for shorter durations as well. So, how does a parent ensure that kids develop good hygiene. By telling them, for sure. But we all know how effective that is. Instead, if you make learning about health and hygiene fun and interesting, they would be more inclined to remember what you “tell” them.

So, here are some fun and yet effective ways to encourage good hygiene in your child:

1. Make Hygiene Habits Fun


Begin by creating an element of fun. Our fun animal and planet soaps make it super-easy to do that. Kids enjoy washing their hands with a cute li’l cow or sweet li’l frog that smell as good as they look. Bring these in and they’ll never complain about having to wash their hands..again.

2. Add Toys and Games

Does your child run a mile at the thought of a bath? Throw in some toys or make it a game of bathing the doll or washing the truck and sit back and watch them have fun splashing about and having a blast getting rid of all the dirt and grime.

3. Bring in Song and Dance

Is brushing teeth a dreaded chore? Liven it up with fun songs or even, a dance.  Just take any nursery rhyme such as “A, B, C” and add your own words for brushing. Kids Soup, for instance, has some fun songs to help make brushing teeth really fun and interesting.

Let your little ones swing and sway while you sing in the background and before you know it, teeth brushing would be something they’ll looking forward to.

4. Read about Hygiene

Finally, end the boo-boo around hygiene with books. Brush, Brush, Brush by Alicia Padron  and  Germs are Not for Sharing by Elizabeth Verdick  are just some books that you can check out when adding to your child’s library.

Hygiene is essential but it doesn’t have to be boring and tiresome. Adding simple elements of fun can ensure that kids not only remember what you teach them but they do it happily, making life as a parent so much easier.

So, how do you make learning about hygiene fun for your kids?