School activities can be super fun and exciting, but it’s also a great chance to teach your child about the importance of washing their hands to help them stay clean.
Check out this guide for helping children learn how to wash their hands in the video below.
Speaker 1: Malay, isn't it time for… Duggee!
Child 1: Duggee!
Children in classroom: Hey, Duggee! Hey, Duggee!
Speaker 1: Duggee and the Bubble Badge.
Hello, squirrels. I wonder what Duggee has planned for us today?
Duggee: A woof!
Speaker 1: Starting primary school? That's a big thing for a small person. It's exciting but there are so many new things to learn.
At school there are lots of grown-ups who will help us and tell us what to do, but sometimes we need to do things for ourselves and by ourselves.
Cool shades! Look at these squirrels! Looks like they're having fun doesn't it?
Duggee: A woof!
Speaker 1: But what a mess! Imagine eating your lunch with those dirty hands. Yucky!
So it's important that we know how to wash our hands properly. Can you help, Duggee?
Duggee: Woof!
Speaker 1: Of course you can, because you've got your bubble badge. And this is something you can practice at home, so you already know how to wash your hands with soap and bubbles before you even start school.
Speaker 2: First I put the tap on.
Speaker 1: Always use warm water, not too hot and not too cold.
Speaker 2: I make sure my hands are nice and wet, and I put some soap on my hands.
Speaker 1: Watch as Malay rubs her hands together to make lots of bubbles.
She's making sure she covers every bit of her hands, even right between her fingers.
And now to rinse the bubbles off with more water.
So that's get your hands wet, add a squidge of soap, rub your hands to make bubbles, get the bubbles all over your hands, and rinse them off.
And always dry your hands afterwards. Super drop them away.
Speaker 2: Look, nice and clean.
Speaker 1: Oh, make sure you turn off the tap as well.
Thank you, Doggie.
Duggee: Oh, woof!
Speaker 1: Didn't Malay do well, Duggee?
Well done, Malay. You've earned your bubble badge, just like Duggee.
Keep practicing, because when you get to school, you'll need to wash your hands after painting or sticking, before a snack or eating your lunch.
And of course, after you've been to the toilet.
Well, that was fun, wasn't it, Duggee?
Duggee: Woof, woof, woof!
Speaker 1: Bye bye everybody.
How to talk children through washing their hands
Use action words like wash and scrub to help your child understand instructions.
Talk through the process - describe what they are doing as they are doing it to help your child learn new words and sounds.
Repeat words after your child says them, to help them stick.
Looking for bubbles
Telling your child to look for bubbles lets them understand the importance of proper hand washing techniques and what they look like.
Make sure to keep reminding them to scrub and look for bubbles by repeating action words.
It also lets children practise following simple instructions, and learning new skills.
How to teach your child when to wash your hands
Routines are important when it comes to learning new skills, so it’s important that your child understands when they will need to wash their hands during the school day.
Talk to them about all the times they might need to wash their hands and make sure that you are doing these at home:
After painting, sticking or any messy play
Before eating any snacks or lunch
After handling or playing with animals
After going to the toilet
You can use action words and simple instructions like ‘it’s time to wash your hands’ to let your child know it’s time to start a new routine.
Tips to help with keeping clean
Here are some fun useful articles for tips and advice on keeping clean for you and your little squirrels.
Does your child love Hey Duggee? interactive
Play games and earn your Hey Duggee badges on the CBeebies website.
