As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, many of us find ourselves having to provide activities or lessons to our students that can be shared through remote learning. The “Handwashing Activities for Distance Learning” may offer you some ideas that you can share with your students for enrichment or new learning. Either way, they are practical life skills and habits to learn and practice during these difficult times. So, continue to be safe and check out the handwashing activities below as we navigate this new way of teaching!

Activity #1: Rewrite the Lyrics to Promote Important COVID-19 Messages

• If Neil Diamond can rewrite the lyrics to his infamous “Sweet Caroline” song to help spread the word about hand washing, then so can our students.
• For this activity, students view Neil Diamond’s Hands Washing Hands video and then choose another school appropriate song to remake.
• The song lyrics should be informative, relaying important information about safe hygiene practices, social distancing or even being quarantined.
• For those brave enough to actually perform and record their song, I encourage them to share.
• If you can only assign enrichment activities, the above instructions may be all you need. However, if you can offer new learning opportunities, then here is the Rewrite the Lyrics assignment in its entirety.

Activity #2: Handwashing Dance TikTok Challenge

• This activity is inspired by an article I read on the Parents website in response to the global coronavirus fears. Scroll down to watch the instagram video of the two young men (it’s awesome). I would send this link as a sample for students to see what others are doing.
• Encourage students to use their creativity and dance moves as they make an original TikTok to share with others on how to properly wash hands and they get to “move their bodies” while doing so!
• TikTok Handwashing Instructions & Rubric (shared by Charmaine Corrie–THANK YOU!)

Activity #3: Handwashing Demo Using WHO Techniques

• Recently I watched a YouTube video, How to Wash Hands Properly, where someone donned a pair of rubber gloves, and put paint on their hands to simulate soap in order to demo how to correctly and thoroughly wash hands according to WHO techniques. The demonstration was pretty impressive!
• Students could recreate the demonstration in their homes and either video record or take several photos of their demonstration to put into a Google Slide show, Animoto or Adobe Spark Video. They could even put their photos and instructions into a step by step order using Snap Guide.
• If they had younger siblings, they could teach them how to properly wash their hands as well, documenting in the same ways mentioned above.
• Handwashing Using WHO Techniques Guidesheet & Rubric (shared by Charmaine Corrie–THANK YOU!)

Activity #4: Handwashing Article, Anticipation Guide & Lyrics Poster

• Ask students to complete the agree or disagree columns of the Anticipation Guide prior to reading the article, “The Art of Handwashing Has Yet to Be Mastered”. After reading the article, they would provide evidence that supports or proves the statement wrong.
• Have students view this TedED video, How Soap Kills the Coronavirus which demonstrates proper handwashing and the science behind the process.
• Next, they create think about some of their favorite songs, keeping them school appropriate. Choosing one song, students use the Wash Your Lyrics website to generate a handwashing poster infographic to their favorite song with lyrics included.
• I will print their posters for them once we are back in school where they will be hung in the kitchens students work in as a reminded of proper handwashing techniques.