Making Hand Washing Fun For The Classroom!

There is no way around it, our kiddos are notorious for having germy little fingers.  Unfortunately, while they are at school, they are less likely to wash or sanitize their hands after using the restroom, before lunch, and after recess….. Perhaps it is because they don’t have us there to nag.  If you think about it, students spend the entire day in such close proximity and when you have at least half of them not washing their hands throughout the day,  it’s no wonder why student lose nearly 22 million days of school per year.

As parents, we are constantly staying on top of clean hygiene with our own little ones but I couldn’t imagine trying to stay on top of entire classroom of kids.  It’s time to come together as parents, teachers, and staff to start promoting healthy hand washing habits to reduce the spread of these nasty germs that spread like a wildfire among these children. Here are a few fun activities that teachers and school staff can use to start getting students excited about washing their hands:

Coloring and Activity Projects
Allow the kids have a little fun during this lesson, it will keep them entertained and they will also get the visual of the importance of keeping germs away.  Here is a link to “Henry the Hand” free printable coloring and activity book.  This is a great start!

Explore the Campus
Set aside 15 minute out of the day to take the class to different sink locations throughout the campus.  The kids will look forward to not only taking a break from their school work but you will have them excited to explore the different areas of their campus…. Just another simple fun way to get them into the habit of washing their hands.

Reward
Encourage clean hand washing habits by coming up with a reward system.  Use a chart that they can earn stickers after they practice their good habits. Once they fill their card, offer fun incentives, such as a prize out of the “mystery box”, a homework pass, wear your favorite hat day, etc.  Be as creative as you would like, kids will love earning their rewards!

Oh my, glitter
Glitter is a great way to show the kids how much effort you should use to properly remove germs.  Since we cannot see germs, using glitter to symbolize germs will allow them to see the different techniques that are used to remove all “glittery germs”….. Let them try different variations of the process, warm vs. cold water, soap vs. no soap, etc.  This will allow them to see which method works best for germ removal.

This is a great start to keeping our kids healthy and showing that healthy practices can be fun. The more we encourage our kids/students to be enthusiastic over keeping their hands clean, the more likely they will keep germ-free hands and that will reduce the illnesses spreading in the classrooms.

SanServe Janitorial has been offering exceptional Custodial services to many schools/educational institutions throughout Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas, we are more than happy to assist you with any questions or needs that you may have for your facility.

---

SanServe is a leader in the janitorial field and can provide QUALITY service at competitive prices.  SanServe Janitorial was founded in 1963 and has been providing exceptional building maintenance services to several major petrochemical plants and refineries, as well as numerous banks, medical facilities, and commercial buildings.

In addition to our janitorial services, SanServe Janitorial also offers:

• Floor care including stripping and waxing
• Carpet Cleaning
• Construction Cleaning
• Day Porters
• Labor Services
• and more...

SanServe Janitorial employs over 650 service personnel. All of our employees are bonded and insured, including ten million dollar umbrella liability coverage and worker’s compensation.