Handwashing for Kids, Step by Step

Handwashing is the first kitchen skill, and one children can practice many times a day. This short activity walks through the CDC’s steps, adds kid-friendly cues, and shows how to set up the sink so every child can reach it.

What children learn

• The five handwashing steps in order: wet, lather, scrub, rinse, dry.
• The parts of the hands that are easy to miss: backs of hands, between fingers, and under nails.
• When to wash, especially before and after handling food.
• That soap and water is the first choice, and sanitizer is only a backup.

You’ll need

A sink with clean running water (warm or cold both work, according to the CDC), plain soap, a clean towel or paper towels, and a way to count about 20 seconds. FoodSafety.gov recommends plain soap; you don’t need antibacterial soap. The handwashing steps poster can go at kid height beside the sink.

Before you start

Safety: If a child stands on a step stool, use a sturdy, non-slip one and stay within arm’s reach. Check the water temperature yourself before a young child uses the tap.

Set the soap, towel and poster where the child can reach them without stretching across the sink. Wet floors are slippery, so put a towel or mat down.

Steps

These are the CDC’s handwashing steps, with a short phrase you can say together.

1. Wet. Wet hands with clean, running water, turn off the tap, and put on soap. Say: “Water on, water off, soap on.”
2. Lather. Rub hands together to make bubbles. Get the backs of hands, between fingers, and under nails. Say: “Palms, backs, fingers, thumbs, nails.”
3. Scrub. Keep scrubbing for at least 20 seconds. The CDC suggests humming “Happy Birthday” from beginning to end twice.
4. Rinse. Rinse hands well under clean, running water until the bubbles are gone.
5. Dry. Dry with a clean towel or an air dryer.

Practice once together with you doing each step first, then let the child lead while you copy them. Children often enjoy being the “teacher.”

When to wash

Among the key times the CDC lists, these come up most for children:

• Before, during and after preparing food
• Before and after eating
• After using the toilet
• After blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing
• After touching an animal, animal food or treats, or animal waste
• After touching garbage

FoodSafety.gov adds: after touching raw meat, poultry, seafood, their juices, or uncooked eggs. A grown-up usually handles those foods, but a child who helps should wash right after.

What about hand sanitizer?

The CDC says soap and water is the best choice. Use sanitizer only when soap and water aren’t available, and choose one with at least 60% alcohol. Sanitizer doesn’t get rid of all kinds of germs and may not work well when hands are visibly dirty or greasy, such as after gardening or outdoor play. To use it, cover all surfaces of the hands and rub until dry.

Safety: The CDC advises supervising young children when they use hand sanitizer so they don’t swallow it. Store it out of reach.

Teaching tricks for young children

• Pick a scrub song. “Happy Birthday” twice is the CDC’s tip, but any song of about 20 seconds works. Let the child choose one.
• Name the hiding spots. Call the spaces between fingers “the hallways” and under the nails “the caves,” and check them together.
• Use a sand timer or count slowly to 20 on fingers.
• Show, don’t scold. If a step gets skipped, do it again together without fuss.
• Make it routine. Wash at the same moments every day, like before snack and after the bathroom, so it becomes automatic.

Make it easier / make it harder

• Easier: Focus on just three cues (“wet, bubbles, rinse”) for 3-year-olds, and you handle drying. Use foam soap, which is easier to spread.
• Harder: Older children can teach the steps to a younger sibling or classmate, or make a list of “when to wash” moments they notice during one day.

Inclusive and accessible options

• Sink height: Use a sturdy step stool with handles, or a faucet extender so a small child can reach the stream.
• Wheelchair users: A sink with clear space underneath, lever or sensor taps, and soap and towels placed within easy reach help children wash on their own. If the sink can’t be reached, an adult can pour clean water from a pitcher over the child’s hands into a basin, then help with the rinse.
• Motor differences: Pump or foam soap, lever handles and a towel hung on a hook (not a roll) are easier to manage. If the child is comfortable with it, hand-over-hand help is fine; ask first, or model on your own hands beside theirs instead. Let the child do as much as they can.
• Sensory differences: Let the child choose water temperature and test it first. Unscented soap and a soft towel may feel better. Some children prefer counting silently to a loud song.
• Language and reading: Point to the picture steps on the poster and use gestures. Learn the step words in the child’s home language.

Talk about it

• Which part of your hands is easiest to forget?
• Why do you think we turn off the tap while we scrub?
• When did you wash your hands today? When will you wash next?
• Can you show someone else the steps?

Next, try the Clean, Separate, Cook, Chill guide or the handwashing glitter lesson plan for a classroom demonstration.