Lyndal Moore

The University of Georgia

Hand Washing Project

My project focused on the importance of hand washing and good hygiene in the
classroom for students, teachers, and parents. I was able to spend time with the children during
class time to practice proper bathroom etiquette along with presenting projects and examples to
the class to help them grasp a better understanding of why we wash our hands. When working
with two and three year olds hand washing can be a difficult topic for them to grasp, so this took
a lot of persistence and repetition in teaching them the proper NAEYC way to wash their hands. I
took them through the proper process individually and as a group. In order to make the children
understand what I was teaching them I did multiple experiments and individual and group
activities. I used glitter primarily to represent the germs, and this was a fun tool. The children
would ask to wash away the germs again, and they finally understood the importance of washing
their hands by the end of my internship!
There are many reasons as to why this project is so important in a setting such as the
Child Development Lab. In any atmosphere where there are a lot of children germs accompany
them, and it is important to minimize the spreading of germs and sickness in the classroom. In
the fast paced classroom it is difficult to get children to wash their hands before eating, after
playing outside, or after using the restroom. Sometimes children spend to long washing their
hands, which takes away from their classmates time, and other children do not spend enough
time at the sink and they do not properly get rid of the germs on their hands. Hand washing is
one of the most effective ways to minimize the spread of infectious diseases. According to the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hand washing can reduce the risk of respiratory
infections by 16 percent and reduce deaths from diarrheal disease by up to 50 percent (Techo,
2014).

According to the NAEYC requirements of how a childcare center should be run they
have a whole section focused on hand washing. The NAEYC states that children and adults are
required to wash their hands on arrival for the day, after diapering or using the toilet (use of wet
wipes is acceptable for infants), after handling body fluids (e.g., blowing or wiping a nose,
coughing on a hand, or touching any mucus, blood, or vomit), before meals and snacks, before
preparing or serving food, or after handling any raw food that requires cooking, and after playing
in water that is shared by two or more people. The reason I decided to do this project was
because before lunch there was always chaos at the sink, and I noticed that many of the children
were not spending at least 20 seconds at the sink.
I was able to meet departmental objectives by teaching and implementing a topic that was
useful and aided in the development of children. I was able to help with the shaping and
promoting of healthier lives for families. This project helped me meet my personal learning
objectives by working hands on with the children and implementing something that would
promote a healthy environment. I was able to teach the children the importance of this task, and
over time they were able to reach an understanding of why they should wash their hands. The
parts of the CFLE that were focused on through this project would be presentation skills and
teaching methods, program development and information application, and Human Growth and
Development.
The teachers continuing with the lessons about hand washing will utilize my project in
the Older Toddler classroom. They are going to keep up my tri-fold poster for the children and
parents to refer to. I also printed off pictures to go above the sink, so the children are reminded of
what to do while they are at the sink. This is an important requirement for the children to know
how to do, and I believe the teachers will continue to work with them and use my experiments to

keep showing the children the proper technique to wash their hands. Children who learn about
hand washing in school are more likely to bring this information home to their parents and
siblings (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014), which will promote a healthier
lifestyle at home. Families who have healthy hygiene routines spend less time being sick, at
doctors appointments, and missing school, therefore it is important to instill these habits in
children at young ages.

References
Hand washing A Family Activity: Keeping Kids and Adults Healthy. (2014, April 2). Retrieved
from www.CDC.gov
Revised NAEYC Early Childhood Program Accreditation Criteria. (2014, April 1). Retrieved
October 5, 2014, from http://www.naeyc.org
Techo, E. (2014, July 3). Proper handwashing still one of the best defenses against childhood
germs. Retrieved from
http://www.caes.uga.edu/applications/gafaces/?public=viewStory&pk_id=4796