Hand care hacks for kids in classrooms

It's no secret kids can be germ factories. It's crazy to think about how such teeny, half sized humans can produce so much mess and spread the germs and bacteria that they do - impressive really! Not to mention the domino effect this has for our teachers and childcare educators just by being in the same environment.

Of course, with immune systems that are less mature than those of adults and always being exposed to germs from other children, it's no surprise that kids are on a never ending cycle of sicknesses. Eliminating the spread of bacteria and nasties at the source can be a matter of practicing good hand hygiene. Let us show you how:

Here's a few tips on how to strategically encourage young kids to part-take in hand hygiene:

Get them excited! It's time to think outside the square and demonstrate the WHY behind hand hygiene. Try tying it in with sensory play; for example:

The Glitter Game
Instruct children to sprinkle glitter all over both sides of their hands and ask them to wash it off with soap and water, they will quickly see just how difficult it is to wash off germs - a quick and fun way to get the point across to young ones.

Most people are visual learners, that's no different for kids. Steering away from traditional forms of education (such as talking them through the importance) makes it a creative experience and allows them to see for themselves - seeing is believing!

It's no secret there's a direct correlation between scent and memory, but did you also know that scent can bolster our creativity?

A great starting point in encouraging hand care is to step away from traditional hand sanitisers, lotions and moisturisers with unpleasant odours, and start enhancing the sensory benefits associated with hand hygiene.

Introducing sweet, rich and zesty fragrances entices the use of hand hygiene whilst the scent notes have a direct link with happy memories that have the ability to boost mood and spark curiosity in their minds. By creating this unique and positive experience, we're collaboratively helping to remove the stigma of hand hygiene being seen as a 'chore', and turning it into a routine they love.

No matter how fun and fragrant you make hand hygiene, if they can't reach it, they can't practice it!

For early learning centres, think about eye level for young kids and how this varies from adults. In school settings, it's also important to note how eye level varies per individual child as they get older. Here's a few guides for strategic placement:

• Each table
• In frequent classroom entrance/ exit points
• Before and after entering the school canteen
• In the kids' shelves where they place their bags and other belongings
• Using wall brackets to hold the bottles in place just above the bag rack - creating a morning and afternoon routine for when kids go to their bags

📰 Check out the ins and outs of strategic hand sanitiser placement by clicking here.

Harnessing the power of creativity is one of the most effective ways to encourage hand hygiene. Try these simple steps and take a big step towards creating a safer future.