Hand Washing and Hygiene word search, scramble and crossword puzzle

Hand Washing and Hygiene word search, scramble and crossword puzzle

I made this hand washing and hygiene puzzle set for my 1st and 2nd graders 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 wash, soap, water, scrub, rinse, dry, germs, bacteria, virus, sick, healthy, twenty seconds, fingertips, nails, between fingers, backs of hands, sneeze, cough, elbow, tissue, and disinfect. Nothing fancy — just puzzles to help the hygiene habits finally stick.

The PDF is four pages. Three puzzles plus one answer key page. 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 K through 3rd grade. 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.