Last Updated on December 5, 2020
3. Engage In Some Soap Surfing
What if instead of calling it hand washing, you started calling it surf school for the hands? Fill half the sink with water and use soap to generate waves of foam. Then engage in a simple metaphor and tell your kids to surf those waves using their hands – again, you can use Moana and Maui (Disney to the rescue, right?). Use foam instead of gel to create more bubbles and make this experience more fun.
4. Create A “Cleaning” Mission
Take a washable marker and doodle around the sink. Then, after you are done, tell your kid that it is their mission to clean that sink. As they try to wash the doodles away using soap, they will wash their hands at the same time. This is a good starting point, but over time it’s important that you encourage the habit of washing their hands without needing to get the sink dirty.
5. Create A Bubbly Fairy Tale
Everything is magic when you are a kid because you don’t know the reason behind things. So, turning hand washing into a funny and bubbly activity can be a wonderful way to get your kids to wash their hands. Teach them how to blow bubbles using nothing but their fingers, water, and soap, and turn this essential habit into something fun and creative. They might even end up telling their friends how fun it can be to wash their hands! Above all things, this is an educational process, and you need to be methodic as well. Washing hands can be fun, but there is also the serious part – making them understand the importance of this simple act. Be sure always to provide your kid with a clean towel, and carry hand sanitizer with you at all times to use when you are in a situation where you can’t wash your hands or your kid’s hands – the need to maintain hygiene is constant and imperative.
