During most months, the topic most searched for on the Healthy Childcare® website is handwashing. In early care and education settings, handwashing is important because it helps combat illnesses and puts in place a healthy habit that can last long past the preschool days.
The Henry the Hand Foundation offers a variety of resources that can help teach and reinforce handwashing concepts. Henry the Hand’s 4 Principles of Hand Awareness are:
- Wash your hands when they are dirty and before eating.
- Do not cough into your hands.
- Do not sneeze into your hands.
- Above all, do not put your fingers into your eyes, nose or mouth!
By visiting the Henry the Hand Foundation’s website, you will find resources such as a teaching curriculum that includes skits and hands-on activities, a downloadable handwashing song and movie, posters, coloring books, and Power Point presentations for staff. Also available are stickers, temporary tattoos, book marks, buttons, puppets, sink reminders, nail brushes, newsletters, handwashing instruction posters, and more. Many of these resources also are available in Spanish.
The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention’s Ounce of Prevention campaign’s goal is to provide resources about handwashing, cleaning and disinfection, and other easy-to-follow steps in an effort to develop and maintain successful hand hygiene and cleaning practices. Available are posters and brochures in English and Spanish.
The CDC’s Germ Stopper campaign has information and posters on coughing, healthy habits, and cover your cough.
NSF International’s Scrub Club provides posters, songs, games, coloring pages, webisodes, hand outs, and classroom/center activities available in English, Spanish, and French.
Resources
Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, www.cdc.gov/ounceofprevention and www.cdc.gov/germstopper
Henry the Hand, www.henrythehand.com
Scrub Club, www.scrubclub.org
