Washing Hands
The Montessori activity "Washing Hands" is a vital part of the Practical Life curriculum, specifically under Care of Self, designed to teach children independence and self-care from a young age.
- 📏 Range Age: 2.5 - 3.5 years (activity should be adjusted based on the child's age and skill level).
- 🧠 Prerequisites: Sensorial Activities (Water Activities), Language Activities (following simple instructions, naming body parts).
- 🛠️ Enhancement Skills: Physical Development (hand-eye coordination, fine motor control), Cognitive Development (sequence memory, understanding of hygiene practices).
This article explores the importance of this activity, its role in fostering independence, and effective ways to introduce it to young children at home.
Content
What is Washing Hands Activity?
The "Washing Hand" activity in Montessori education is a simple yet profound task where children learn to wash their hands independently.
This activity is structured to help children understand the step-by-step process of handwashing, including wetting hands, applying soap, scrubbing, rinsing, and drying.
It not only promotes hygiene but also encourages children to take care of themselves through a methodical approach.
Benefits of Washing Hands Lesson
Integrating the Washing Hands activity into your child's routine offers numerous benefits:
- 🧼 Boosts Independence: This activity empowers children to take charge of their personal hygiene without adult intervention.
- 🔄 Enhances Fine Motor Skills: The actions involved in handwashing such as turning taps and rubbing hands together help develop fine motor skills.
- 🦠 Promotes Health: Regular handwashing is crucial for preventing illness and maintaining overall health, teaching children the importance of cleanliness.
- 🕒 Encourages Routine Building: Establishing a habit of handwashing can help children develop structured routines in their daily lives.
- 👀 Increases Awareness: This activity helps children become more aware of their actions and the need to clean their hands after certain activities, fostering responsible behavior.
Purpose of Washing Hands Lesson
The primary purpose of this Montessori activity is to instill a sense of self-care and independence in children. By learning to wash their hands on their own, children not only keep themselves clean but also develop a greater sense of personal responsibility and autonomy.
How to Present the Montessori Washing Hands activity?
Materials
- A child-sized sink or basin, set at an appropriate height to ensure ease of access for children, facilitating independence.
- A step stool, if necessary, to ensure children can comfortably reach the sink or basin.
- A bar of mild soap, preferably unscented and easy for small hands to grasp, to promote effective handwashing.
- A faucet extender, which can help younger children easily reach the water flow.
- Small towels or washcloths, ideally individual-sized, to allow each child to dry their hands after washing, emphasizing personal responsibility and hygiene.
- Visual step-by-step instructions, illustrated to show the sequence of wetting hands, using soap, and rinsing, supporting children’s understanding and memory of the process.
The following instructions are montessori presentation of Washing Hands - Wetting Hands:
Presentation
- Prepare the Basin: Begin by filling the basin halfway with water from the jug. Ensure the water is at a comfortable temperature.
- Set Up the Area: Place the jug back in its designated spot on the table to maintain organization and order.
- Submerge Hands: Gently place your right hand into the water, followed by your left hand, immersing them completely.
- Wet Both Sides of Hands: Slowly turn your hands over in the water to ensure both the palms and the backs of your hands are wet.
- Scoop and Rinse Hands Individually: Use your right hand to scoop water and rinse your entire left hand, then repeat the process for your right hand with your left hand scooping the water.
- Drip Water from Fingers: After rinsing, lift your hands from the basin, keeping fingers pointed downwards, and allow excess water to drip off naturally.
- Apply Soap: Pick up the soap with your left hand, placing it in the palm of your right hand, then cover it with your left palm.
- Create Lather: Gently rub your palms back and forth to create lather, ensuring the soap is evenly distributed.
- Lather Each Hand: Continue to spread the lather by placing your left hand on the back of your right hand and rubbing back and forth. Then open your fingers wide and use your left fingertips to lather between each finger of your right hand.
- Thumb and Wrist Cleaning: Encircle your right thumb with your left hand and gently rotate to clean thoroughly. Repeat for your right wrist using your left thumb and index finger, rotating to spread lather.
- Repeat for Left Hand: Perform all the cleaning movements on your left hand that you did with your right, ensuring thorough lathering and cleaning.
- Rinse Hands: Place both hands back into the water and rinse them by repeating the initial scooping and rinsing actions.
- Dry Hands: Carefully pat each hand dry with the hand cloth, ensuring not to rub harshly to maintain gentle skin care.
- Dispose of Used Water: Securely grasp the basin and pour the used water into the water bin, carefully tilting the basin away from you to ensure a controlled pour.
- Clean the Basin: After emptying the basin, rinse it with the remaining water from the jug to clean any residual soap from the rim and sides.
- Final Rinse and Dry: Perform a final rinse of your hands as before, then dry them thoroughly with the hand cloth, mimicking the lathering movements to ensure all parts of the hands are dry.
- Restore the Environment: Replace the basin on the table and organize the space to conclude the activity, demonstrating respect and care for the environment.
Vocabulary
- Hands - "These are your hands."
- Water - "Turn on the water."
- Wet - "Wet your hands."
- Soap - "Use the soap."
- Rub - "Rub your hands together."
- Rinse - "Rinse the soap off."
- Dry - "Dry your hands with a towel."
- Turn off - "Turn off the water."
- Clean - "Now your hands are clean."
- Tap - "This is the tap."
Progressive Extensions
- Preparing Materials: Children are first taught to gather all the necessary materials for hand washing — soap, towel, basin, and a jug of water (if using a standalone basin).
- Wetting Hands: The child learns to wet their hands under running water, an initial step to prepare the hands for soap.
- Applying Soap: Children practice applying a small amount of soap to their hands. They learn how much soap is enough and how to get the soap evenly distributed over both hands.
- Scrubbing Hands: Detailed instruction is given on how to scrub all parts of the hands, including palms, backs of hands, between fingers, and under nails. Children practice scrubbing for at least 20 seconds (sometimes taught as long as it takes to sing the "Happy Birthday" song twice).
- Rinsing Hands: After scrubbing, children learn to rinse their hands thoroughly under running water, ensuring that all soap is removed.
- Drying Hands: The final step involves drying the hands completely with a clean towel. Children learn the importance of using a clean towel to prevent re-contaminating their hands with germs.
- Turning Off the Tap with a Towel: For older children, learning to turn off the tap with a towel to avoid getting germs from the tap onto their clean hands can be introduced.
- Independent Hand Washing: As children master each step, they move towards performing the entire hand-washing routine independently, without adult assistance.
Variations & Extentions
Variations
- Introduce fragrant soaps or soaps with different textures to engage the children’s senses and make the activity more interesting.
- For older children, incorporate different types of handwashing techniques, such as using a nail brush to clean under the nails.
- Use colored water temporarily to visually emphasize the coverage and effectiveness of their washing technique.
Extension
- Extend the lesson to include the importance of drying hands properly, discussing the role of bacteria and how damp hands can spread germs.
- Create a related activity that involves identifying situations when it is crucial to wash hands, such as before eating, after using the restroom, or when coming inside from playing outdoors.
- Include a session on the science behind soap and its effect on germs and viruses to deepen understanding and curiosity.
Recommendations
- Regularly remind and demonstrate proper handwashing techniques throughout the day to reinforce good hygiene practices, especially before meals and after outdoor activities.
- Encourage children to monitor each other and offer gentle reminders about handwashing, fostering a community of care and responsibility.
- Provide step-by-step visual aids or charts near the washing area to help children remember the steps independently, promoting self-sufficiency.
References
- Lillard, A. S. (2017). The Montessori Toddler: A Parent's Guide to Raising a Curious and Responsible Human Being. New York: Workman Publishing. pp. 95-110.
- Montessori, M. (1989). To Educate the Human Potential. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO. pp. 150-165.
- Montessori Blog - The Center for Guided Montessori Studies
- Educateurs sans Frontières - AMI
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