The hands are one of the parts of the human person that express human intelligence in all of its breadth and depth. The human hands hold a large swath of real estate in both the motor and sensory cortices of the brain. And so, using the hands with intelligence is a significant natural drive in the child, even in simple activities such as washing one’s hands. Children will do this over and over again before the age of ~5, and then as part of care of self later, hence only as needed. This is why in Montessori so many of the materials and lessons involving using the hands.
Material
- A table or stand
- A small basin, (a jug of water inside the basin)
- a soapdish with soap
- a soapdish (or small dish) with nail brush
- a hand towel
- a small drying cloth
- a bucket (under stand or table)
- a cloth for wiping the floor.
Presentation
Remember to pause 2 seconds between each step. Notice how each step is a breakdown through task analysis of each movement within the overall activity of washing hands. All presentations are designed this way.
- Hold the jug with two hands, right hand on handle, left under spout.
- Lift and pour following the steps of ‘the pouring exercises‘, wiping last drop on spout with cloth.
- Put jug down.
- Roll up sleeves and take off wrist watches and/or bracelets.
- Plunge hands into water.
- Take hands out of the water, shake them gently over the center of the basin.
- With right hand take soap and rub it over your hands, using right hand to soap palm and back of left hand, and vice versa.
- Rinse soap, shake it gently over basin, shaking also the right hand.
- Place soap in dish.
- Wash hands very slowly.
- With right hand, rub each finger of left hand individually, and vice versa.
- Dip hands into water and rinse them, each hand rinsing the other.
- Take hands out of the water, looking carefully at nails to see where they are dirty.
- Shake right hand over center of basin, making sure that fingers will not drip.
- Take nail brush, holding it correctly, depending on type of brush.
- Shake left hand, and reach for soap.
- Dip nail brush into water, bring it out.
- With left hand, apply soap to nail brush.
- Put soap back on dish.
- Brush finger nails of left hand, emphasizing care not to splash soap on clothes. Brush thumb nail separately.
- Rinse brush and left hand.
- Take brush with left hand.
- Repeat actions as above in order to brush nails of right hand.
- Rinse brush again. Rinse hands.
- Bring hands out of water and shake them gently over center of the basin.
- Unfold hand towel and dry hands carefully. Dry each finger individually.
- Fold towel and place it on the table or hook.
- Bring bucket from under table.
- Using both hands, lift basin carefully and carry it over bucket.
- Tilt basin gently and pour out water into bucket.
- With left hand, hold basin over bucket; with right hand, reach for drying cloth.
- Still holding drying cloth, grasp basin with right hand and cloth on part of rim side from which water has been poured, to avoid drops falling on floor.
- Replace basin on table.
- Pour more water onto the basin.
- Rinse basin carefully, using nail brush.
- Empty basin again.
- Dry basin with drying cloth, folding cloth corners to center.
- Dry jug and place it in basin.
- Take bucket to be emptied.
- Rinse bucket and dry it. Place it under table.
- Look around for spilt water and, if any, wipe it with floor cloth, folding its corners to center.
- Replace wet towel and cloths with dry ones.
- Invite child to come with you to refill jug.
- Replace full jug on basin.
- Invite child to do all of this.
Direct aim
To help the child realize the complex actions of washing hands and the necessity for exactness.
Indirect aim
Care of the person; personal independence: ability to sequence actions:development of ability to concentrate.
Control of error
Spilled water-visual.
Language
Basin, brush, soap, towel, cloth, names of fingers, skin, nail, dry,wash,wet,soapy, cuticle,etc.
Age of interest
2½ to 4½ years.
Points of perfection
Washing hands without spilling water, putting everything away.
Other exercises
Washing hands in the ordinary basin with running water.