Hand Washing and Hygiene word search, scramble and crossword puzzle

I made this hand washing and hygiene puzzle set for my Grade 1 and 2 students during our health unit, especially during cold and flu season. The kids knew they should wash their hands but had no idea why or how long to scrub. So I put together a word search, a word scramble, and a crossword using words like soap, lather, scrub, rinse, dry, germs, bacteria, virus, sanitizer and hygiene. Nothing fancy — just puzzles to help the hygiene habits finally stick.

The set is six pages. Three puzzles plus an answer key page for each. The word search works well for quiet time after recess. The scramble gets them talking because they argue about how long to wash hands. The crossword I use for partners. I added a couple simple soap bottle, water drop, and happy clean hand drawings but nothing too busy.

Works for Kindergarten through Grade 3. Print and go. Sometimes I have early finishers list the steps of hand washing in order on the back. The kids actually ask for these now.