10 Songs Kids Can Sing At The Sink To Ensure They're Washing Their Hands Long Enough

Most every kid knows the lyrics to the "Happy Birthday" song, and singing this song twice through takes about the same amount of time as it does to properly wash your hands. If your kids are anything like mine, they might try to sing the song as fast as they possibly can. If they do, try telling them to sing the song a third time for good measure.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) knows a thing or two about the need for proper hand-washing. They note that frequent hand-washing can help prevent the spread of germs and is the best way to protect your family from getting sick. The CDC's "Happy Handwashing Song" is set to the familiar tune of "Happy Birthday," so it is easy for kids to pick up on.

If your kid knows how to sing "Row, Row, Row Your Boat," the tune of this hand-washing song will be familiar to them and they'll probably catch on quick. The intro to the video even includes a few words of encouragement telling kids they are "a hand-washing rock star" before the song begins. At the very least, the song should get them to pump the soap into their hands.

The "Wash Your Hands Song" by the Singing Walrus is a great option for kids first learning how to wash their hands. Although the song itself clocks in at more than three minutes long, it does a great job of explaining the steps of hand-washing for kids, including scrubbing, rinsing, and drying. If your kids don't quite understand why their germy hands need to be scrubbed clean, this song can help them learn by way of its repetitive tune.

Children's librarians Dana and Lindsey, the masterminds behind the kids story time YouTube channel Jbrary, created this hand-washing song to the tune of the classic nursery rhyme "Frere Jacques" to show proper hand-washing technique. Complete with hand motions, this song teaches kids to scrub the tops and bottoms of their hands, as well as in between their fingers — something my own kids still haven't quite mastered despite my desperate pleas and constant reminders.

Set to the tune of "The Wheels on the Bus," the video for this song about hand-washing for kids instructs them to keep washing until they're finished singing. The ending even reinforces the idea of when your kids should be washing their hands by reminding them that they should wash their hands after using the restroom with the lyric, "We wash our hands so they're nice and clean, after we go to the potty."

The classic alphabet song is one that most kids learn as toddlers, so it's fairly easy for them to remember how to sing it while they're washing their hands. If your kids try to rush through singing their ABCs at the sink, remind them that singing it fast means they'll have to sing it two or three times. If they sing it slow, just once through should clock in at about 20 seconds.

Created by Kim Lytton and produced by New Mexico State University, this hand-washing song includes instructions for kids on how to wash between their fingers and is the perfect length for proper hand-washing. The lyrics "First the water, then the soap" are an absolute life-saver for parents whose kids (raising my own hand here) flat out refuse to use soap. The song literally tells them to use the soap, so they can't claim they "forgot" again.

Leave it to Doc McStuffins and her crew of stuffed animal pals to create an adorable song about hand-washing. This video from the Disney Junior show has the whole gang singing and dancing to their hand-washing song several times through, but just one round of the tune clocks in at just about 20 seconds, so it's perfect for your kids to gauge how long it takes to wash before their hands are actually clean.

Set to the tune of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star," this hand-washing song is the perfect length for kids to wash their hands to. The song also includes all of the steps to hand-washing like scrubbing, rinsing, and drying. The adorable child's voice in the intro of the video even reminds your kid, "Don't forget the soap!" in a cheery, singsong voice before the actual song begins.

If you think you’re showing symptoms of coronavirus, which include fever, shortness of breath, and cough, call your doctor before going to get tested. If you’re anxious about the virus’s spread in your community, visit the CDC for up-to-date information and resources, or seek out mental health support. You can find all of Romper’s parents + coronavirus coverage here, and Bustle’s constantly updated, general “what to know about coronavirus” here.

Expert:

Dr. Jennifer Trachtenberg, pediatrician and assistant clinical professor of pediatrics at The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai