During the lesson, the information for you to know is written in regular type, and what we suggest speaking or reading aloud to children is in bold. All resources for this lesson, including the Teacher Guide, Student Page, Family Connection Card, and other resources can be downloaded in a ZIP file by clicking on the following link:
In some lessons you will find "resource articles." These are articles written by experts from around the world to help equip you for your work with children and adolescents. Share them with parents or guardians if you consider it appropriate.
Before beginning the lesson, set out the basin or bowl, water, soap, and towel. Cover your hands in thick mud. This might seem strange, but it will help the children remember the lesson and its importance. While your hands are dirty, ask a student to hold this book for you so that you can read from it and not get it dirty.
Don’t you know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit? The Spirit is in you, and you have received the Spirit from God. You do not belong to yourselves.
1 Corinthians 6:19
We belong to God—every part of us. How do you give honor to God with your body? Think about what you do with a food container that is now empty. You wash it so you can use it again. God cares about our spiritual health first, but He also cares for our bodies.
When you recognize that you belong to God, you see that the Holy Spirit is in you. You would not borrow something from someone and misuse it, would you? Then you also should think about what you do with your body. Do you do things that honor your body because it belongs to God? He knows that keeping your body clean will help you stay healthier.
Encourage families to wash their hands at home. Have the children share with their families the hand washing steps they learn in the lesson.
Teacher Tip: If possible, email or text the Family Connection Card to the families of your students.
Greet the children by name as they come to class. Do not touch anything with your hands. If any children ask about your hands, tell them you have a problem that you will need help solving.
Welcome! I am happy you are here today. Please excuse me, but my hands are really dirty! I cannot do much until my hands do not have mud on them.
Allow the class to respond as a group, or call on 2–3 children if you prefer.
Pause for children to respond. Then, rub your hands together over a trash can, or the ground if you are outside. Try to rub off as much mud as possible.
My hands look a little better. But I still have mud in my nails and between my fingers. I need to get the rest of the dirt off my hands.
Allow 2–3 children to respond.
I think the only way to get all this dirt off is to wash my hands.
Soap, water, and a towel.
Point to the needed items as the children name them. If the children do not know what is needed, name each item as you point to it. Have the children gather around you to watch.
Now I have everything I need to wash my hands.
Allow students to respond. Repeat each step of washing your hands as you do it. If the children are unsure of how to wash their hands, use the following steps: Wet your hands, get them very soapy. Then scrub between your fingers, the backs of your hands, and your palms. Finally, rinse your hands with clean water. As you dry your hands, thank the children for helping you to wash your hands.
Now that my hands are clean, let’s learn how to wash our hands and why clean hands are important.
Read this verse directly from your Bible.
The Bible says:
Apply your heart to what you are taught. Listen carefully to words of knowledge.
Proverbs 23:12
This Bible verse tells us to listen when we hear words that are true and important. Today, I am sharing something with you that is both true and important. Washing your hands can help you to be healthy. We should keep ourselves healthy because the Bible tells us we were made by God in amazing and wonderful ways! Listen to this verse:
How you made me is amazing and wonderful. I praise you for that.
What you have done is wonderful. I know that very well.
Psalm 139:14
We all do things during the day that make our hands dirty. This is a normal part of life. There are times when washing our hands can help us to stay healthy. You need to wash your hands at these times:
If your hands have germs on them, you can spread the germs to other things like wood, cloth, tile, metal, etc. Germs can live on surfaces for short amounts of time. As you go through your day, you collect germs from the things you touch. If you touch your mouth or eat food with germs on your hands, you can get sick.
Let’s do an activity to see how germs spread.
Ask the children to sit in a circle. Go around the circle and put a small dot of mud on the palm of each child’s hand. After everyone has mud on 1 hand, pass the object around the circle. As the object is passed around the circle, point out how each child leaves more mud on the object and picks up some of the mud from the others who went before him. Ask the children to hold their hands closed or hold them together so they do not touch their clothing or each other.
Teacher Tip: If you are concerned about using the mud, you can have 3 children volunteer to do the activity. Ask each child to wash her hands after touching the object.
Children might answer that the mud rubbed off. They also might talk about how the object became dirty.
Did you know that germs are a lot like the mud on your hands? Germs stick to things when you touch them. Let’s think about that some more. Think about eating mud, and use your face to show me what you think it would taste like.
You do not want to eat mud, right? In the same way, you do not want to eat germs. It is important for you to wash your hands before you eat so that you can get the germs off. You also do not want to touch your face or eyes with germs on your hands because the germs will get in your eyes and mouth.
Now, let’s practice washing our hands to get the mud off!
It is your turn to wash your hands. First, let’s review how to wash your hands. As we go through the steps, pretend to wash your hands with me.
Let’s sing a song while we wash our hands! Once you have soap on your hands, we will sing this song. When we stop singing, you can rinse your hands.
You can sing a short song the children know or use the one below. It is important to wash your hands for 20–30 seconds. Sing or chant the song to a slow and steady rhythm to allow the children enough time to clean their hands.
“Wash Your Hands” song—to be sung 2 times:
Wash, wash, wash your hands; wash them really well; if you wash them well enough, the germs will not stay!
Give each child the opportunity to wash his hands. Allow more than one child to wash their hands at the same time. As the children wash their hands, encourage the whole class to sing the song. Also, help the child washing his hands remember to rub all of the different parts of his hands as he washes them.
Look at your hands. They are very clean! The next time you are ready to eat and have just used the toilet, been in the market, or touched an animal, be sure to wash your hands! Let’s quickly review when it is important to wash your hands so you do not spread germs:
Have the children repeat each phrase after you say it:
Optional: If you are using Student Pages, have children do the activity on them. Put the crayons and, if you have them, scissors out for the children to use.
You are God’s special and precious creation! He loves you so much that He made a plan for you before you were born. Our memory verse today is:
How you made me is amazing and wonderful. I praise you for that. What you have done is wonderful. I know that very well.
Psalm 139:14
Help the children remember the verse by teaching them actions to go with the words. Use the same motions each time you say each word or phrase. Lead the children in repeating each sentence of the verse with its actions 3 times.
You—Point up to the sky.
Made—Cup your hands as though an imaginary ball is between them. Rotate the imaginary ball in your hands.
Me—Point to yourself.
Wonderful—Spread both hands out and hold them with your palms facing away from you. Push and pull back your hands 2 times.
I praise you—Fold your hands in front of you as if in prayer. Point them up to the sky.
Have done—Pretend to hammer a nail into something.
I know—Point to the side of your head with a finger.
Very well—Motion yes.
Let’s honor God’s thoughtful creation of us all by keeping our hands clean and our bodies healthy.
End class by saying this blessing, based on Proverbs 23:12, over the children.
Blessing: May God help you to apply what you learned today to keep you healthy. May the words of wisdom you heard fill your mind when they are needed in your life.
Share the worship song for this quarter with your children if possible.
Life on Life ©2020 David C Cook. Reproducible for home or classroom use only. All other uses require written permission from David C Cook [email protected]. All rights reserved.
