Hand Washing Checklist

Turn "go wash your hands" into clear visual steps kids can follow independently.

Washing hands seems simple, but there are actually a lot of steps involved. Kids have to remember to turn on the water, wet their hands, use soap, scrub all the right areas, rinse, dry—and spend enough time actually washing.

The Hand Washing Checklist breaks the routine into 12 simple visual steps, helping kids see exactly what to do, how to do it, and what comes next.

🧧 What Does It Teach?

The visual walks kids through the complete hand-washing routine:

• Turn on the water
• Put hands under the water
• Adjust the water temperature
• Put soap in their palm
• Rub soap between both palms
• Scrub using different hand motions
• Wash the tops of both hands
• Rinse the soap off
• Turn off the water
• Dry hands with a towel
• Finish with a high five for a job well done! ✋

The scrubbing steps include visual arrows and count-to-5 prompts, giving kids something concrete to follow instead of simply being told to “scrub your hands really well.”

🧠 More Than a Reminder to Wash

This isn’t just a “wash your hands” sign. The visuals break down how to actually complete the task, including where to scrub and how to move their hands. That makes it especially helpful for kids who benefit from visual directions, predictable routines, or breaking larger tasks into smaller steps.

Each step also has its own check-off circle, allowing kids to work through the routine from beginning to end and see their progress along the way.

💛 How to Use It

Print and laminate the checklist and place it somewhere visible near the bathroom or kitchen sink. When first introducing it, work through the pictures together and demonstrate the movements. Then encourage your child to look at the checklist to figure out: "What comes next?"

As the routine becomes familiar, you can gradually reduce verbal reminders and allow the visual to do more of the prompting.

📦 What’s Included

2-page digital download:

• Hand Washing Checklist
• 12 visual steps
• Visual hand-scrubbing motions
• Count-to-5 prompts
• Water-temperature visual
• Check-off circles for each step

Print and laminate it to reuse with a dry-erase marker.

$3 • Digital Download • Mix & Match eligible

Also included in the Digital Hygiene Kit.