Toddlers LOVE water! In an effort to conserve water and to minimize the interest in the bathroom sink, I came up with this:
I took photos of Little One washing his hands, step by step, and then put them up for a visual guide. I plan to introduce this set up next week. Before lunch set up time, each child will wash hands and then take their lunch box from the lunch box shelf.
The set up is sequenced left to right beginning with:
1.) wet your hands
2.) one squirt of Method soap
3.) rub your hands together to create bubbles (sing the hand washing song)
4.) rinse hands in rinsing bin
5.) dry hands with small cloth
6.) put cloth in basket
Hand washing song:
"This is the way we wash our hands,
wash our hands, wash our hands.
This is the way we wash our hands
before we eat our lunch."
I will also mention that the floor has a non-slip pad and that the water bins are filled only 1 inch high with fresh warm water after every third child is finished cleaning hands. This method is not preferred when a child's hands are especially dirty, the idea is for the young learner to experience the repeated action of following step directions, taking turns and the sensory experience of warm water; not necessarily getting one's hands clean.
Happy Hand Washing!
In PEACE
Montessori Mama
