“Did you wash your hands?”
Anyone with young children old enough to have just started using the bathroom by themselves are no doubt speaking these very words on a daily basis.
I know I sure am.
And these days, we are being told to be extra vigilant when it comes to hand hygiene, with most experts agreeing that frequent hand washing and good hand hygiene are some of the absolute most effective ways you can prevent the Coronavirus from spreading.
However, how can you make sure your children wash their hands properly when they wash them (and not just run them under the cold tap for seven seconds, shake and run off, like they are inclined to do)?
Luckily, Safefood has created a clever campaign to help make learning good handwashing habits fun, and prevent children from becoming ill from E.coli.
And right now, the video has resurfaced again in the midst of the Coronavirus outbreak – and just as well for all of us who are a little concerned our kids aren’t really washing their hands the way they should be doing.
So say hello to Rufus – the clever monster who will teach your children how to properly wash their hands – using a very catchy song to do so.
Sung to the tune of Row, Row, Row Your Boat, here is a song all children should be singing when they wash their hands:
Wash, wash, wash your hands,
Thumbs and fingers too,
Rinse and then make sure they’re dry,
That’s the thing to do!”
As well as the song, childcare and education professionals can download or order a full programme pack to help make handwashing fun. There is a storybook, cut-out figures, a sink poster, and even some colouring pages, all with the intention to make handwashing fun and teach children to do it correctly.
Here is what Dr Linda Gordon, Chief Specialist in Food Science with Safefood had to say;
“Because children spent lots of time together in creches or school, it’s important to protect them from the spread of harmful bacteria. Teaching young kids how but also when to wash their hands and reinforcing that behaviour is a fun, engaging way is a great way to help protect them.”
To order or download the posters, storybook and cut-outs, head over to Safefood now.
