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Washing My Hands

Kindergartners learn how to wash their hands the right way — wet, soap, scrub, rinse, and dry — to wash away germs and stay healthy.

KindergartenHygiene25 minutes1 class periodSHAPE / Skills-BasedExplicit teaching4 StandardsSHAPE
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Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Know why to wash hands.
  • ✓Order the steps.
  • ✓Scrub with soap.
  • ✓Wash away germs.
Essential Question

Your hands touch LOTS of things and pick up germs! Washing them washes the germs away. How do you wash your hands?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Put in Order · Interactive

Order the Handwashing Steps

Project this and have children put the handwashing steps in order — wet, soap, scrub, rinse, dry.

🧼 Put the handwashing steps in order!Try it
Tap the first step!
The Lesson · Health & PE Flow (Warm-Up · Learn · Practice · Apply · Cool-Down)

25 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Warm-Up — Germs Away

3 min

Your hands pick up germs — how do you wash them away?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Show “yucky” hands.
  • Ask how to clean.
  • Get ready.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Look.
  • Guess.
  • Get ready.
2

Learn — Handwashing

7 min

Children learn.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Show wet, soap, scrub.
  • Count to 20.
  • Rinse and dry.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Learn it.
  • Scrub.
  • Rinse.
3

Practice — Order the Steps

7 min

Children practice.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send children to Order the Handwashing Steps.
  • Put them in order.
  • Pretend to wash.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Order them.
  • Wash.
  • Explain.
4

Apply — Wash

5 min

Children apply.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Pretend-wash your hands.
  • Scrub for 20.
  • Say when to wash.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Wash.
  • Count.
  • Say when.
5

Cool-Down — Cool-Down

3 min

Children close.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Name the first step.
  • Say why we wash.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Name it.
  • Say why.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to SHAPE America National Health Education & Physical Education Standards.

SHAPE
HE.1

Comprehend concepts of hygiene.

SHAPE
HE.7

Practice healthy handwashing.

SHAPE
HE.5

Make healthy choices.

SHAPE
HE.3

Access healthy-habit information.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Handwashing step cards.
  • Sentence frame: “First ___, then ___.”
  • Use a sink or pretend.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with wet and dry.
  • Order two at a time.
  • Pretend-wash.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Sing a 20-second song.
  • Say when to wash.
  • Make a poster.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Screen / board
  • 🧼Soap and water
  • 💻Order the Handwashing Steps
  • 🎵A 20-second song
  • 🖍️Crayons
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

washto clean with waterhandswhat you touch withsoaphelps clean off germsscrubto rub hardrinseto wash off soapdryto get the water offgermstiny things that make you sickcleannot dirty
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
What do you do FIRST to wash your hands?
Wet your hands with water.
QUESTION 2
How long should you scrub?
Count to 20 (about 20 seconds).
QUESTION 3
Why do we wash our hands?
To wash away germs and stay healthy.

Cool-Down: wash up.

Have children wash their hands before eating, scrubbing while they count to 20. A printable handwashing sheet is in the PE & Health library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 Washing My HandsFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 Washing My HandsQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
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Nice work!

Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ Washing My HandsPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: clean, dry, germs, hands, rinse, scrub, soap, wash
  1. to wash off soap
  2. to clean with water
  3. to get the water off
  4. helps clean off germs
  5. to rub hard
  6. what you touch with
  7. tiny things that make you sick
  8. not dirty

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What do you do FIRST to wash your hands?
  2. How long should you scrub?
  3. Why do we wash our hands?
Answer key — Part A: 1) rinse · 2) wash · 3) dry · 4) soap · 5) scrub · 6) hands · 7) germs · 8) clean
Part B: 1) Wet your hands with water. 2) Count to 20 (about 20 seconds). 3) To wash away germs and stay healthy.