Introduction
Welcome to the Clean Hands Club!
We will learn when and how to wash our hands to help keep ourselves and others healthy.
Our guiding questions are: When should we wash our hands? What steps help us wash them correctly?
By the end of this adventure, children will identify two times when handwashing is needed, arrange five handwashing picture cards in order, and demonstrate wetting, lathering, scrubbing for at least 20 seconds, rinsing, and drying with adult support.
Bloom’s taxonomy: Children will remember the steps, explain why handwashing matters, and apply what they learn through practice.
Florida Standards Alignment:
Florida Early Learning and Developmental Standards: Four Years Old to Kindergarten (2017).
Domain I: Physical Development
A. Health and Wellbeing
c. Personal Care Routines
Standard 1: “Responds to and initiates care routines that support personal hygiene.”
Benchmark a: “Initiates and completes familiar hygiene routines independently.”
This WebQuest builds toward independent hygiene routines through teacher modeling, picture sequencing, and supervised handwashing practice. Adult support will gradually decrease as each child develops confidence and skill.
Task
My mission is to become a Clean Hands Helper!
With adult guidance, work in a small group to create a handwashing picture poster showing five steps in order: wet, lather, scrub for at least 20 seconds, rinse, and dry.
Each child will choose or draw a picture, help arrange the steps, and name two times when handwashing is needed, such as before eating and after using the bathroom.
The teachers will turn the poster into one digital slide to share with the class. Each child will also demonstrate the handwashing steps at a sink with adult supervision.
Process
- Explore together.
With your teacher, review the handwashing pictures and directions on the CDC website:
https://www.cdc.gov/clean-hands/about/index.html
Talk about when we need to wash our hands. - Choose group roles.
Work in groups of three with adult support:
• Picture Helper: Choose or draw pictures for the poster.
• Step Organizer: Help put the pictures in order.
• Clean Hands Speaker: Help explain the steps.
Take turns so everyone participates in each role. - Practice the steps.
Watch your teacher demonstrate: wet hands, lather with soap, scrub for at least 20 seconds, rinse, and dry. Practice at the sink with adult supervision, rubbing palms, backs of hands, between fingers, and under nails. - Create your poster.
Arrange the five pictures in order. Each child names two times when handwashing is needed. The teacher helps turn your poster into one digital slide. - Share at different times.
The teacher posts the slide in a private classroom platform. With a caregiver’s help, each child adds a drawing or dictated comment about a handwashing step. Group members view these contributions later and use them to review their poster. This is asynchronous collaboration because everyone does not need to participate at the same time. - Show what you learned.
Present your poster together. Then each child demonstrates handwashing with adult support.
Evaluation
The teacher will observe each child’s learning using this rubric. Adult assistance and accessibility supports are welcome.
Each area earns 1–3 points:
- Identifying When to Wash
3 points: Names or identifies two appropriate times.
2 points: Names or identifies one appropriate time.
1 point: Is still learning to identify an appropriate time. - Ordering the Steps
3 points: Places all five picture cards in order.
2 points: Places three or four cards correctly.
1 point: Places two or fewer cards correctly. - Practicing Handwashing
3 points: Demonstrates all five steps, including scrubbing for at least 20 seconds, with reminders as needed.
2 points: Demonstrates three or four steps and needs additional modeling.
1 point: Demonstrates two or fewer steps and needs continued guided practice. - Group Participation
3 points: Contributes a picture or idea and takes turns with reminders as needed.
2 points: Participates with repeated invitations and guidance.
1 point: Is still learning to contribute and take turns.
Total possible: 12 points.
The teacher will celebrate progress, explain what each child did well, and model any steps that need more practice. Children may respond through speech, pointing, gestures, or assistive communication.
Conclusion
Congratulations, Clean Hands Helpers!
You learned when to wash your hands and practiced five important steps: wet, lather, scrub for at least 20 seconds, rinse, and dry. Your group also created a picture poster to help others remember the steps.
Think about our guiding questions: When should we wash our hands? How do we wash them correctly?
Extra Adventure:
With a caregiver, explore the CDC handwashing guide:
Choose one time to practice handwashing at home, such as before eating. Draw a picture of yourself washing your hands. Ask your caregiver to help you share your drawing and explain the five steps to your teacher.