Washing hands — Wellbeing, 4–6 years
Washing hands helps remove dirt and many germs before they travel to our mouths or other people.
What handwashing does
Hands pick up dirt and tiny germs from toys, tables, the ground and other people. Soap and running water loosen these things so they can be rinsed away. Clean hands are not magic or perfectly empty; they are simply safer for eating and touching faces.
Why wash them?
We wash hands because they carry things we cannot see from one place to another. Before eating or after using the toilet, unwanted germs could reach our mouths. Washing lowers that chance and also protects people we touch, especially when someone is ill.
The handwashing steps
After playing outside, Noor washes her hands. She wets them, adds soap, rubs palms, backs, fingers and thumbs, then rinses. She keeps rubbing for about 20 seconds, roughly as long as singing a short song, and dries them with a clean towel.
The common mix-up
A child may splash water quickly and think the job is done. That feels reasonable because the hands look wet and the visible dirt may disappear. But water alone and a very short rub may leave germs behind, especially between fingers and around thumbs.
Where it helps
Wash hands before eating, after using the toilet, after blowing your nose and after touching something dirty. Do it when you come home from outside too. These moments matter because hands are about to meet food, mouths or other people.
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