Teacher Shares Simple Hack To Ensure Kids Are Washing Their Hands Properly

You'd only need to take one look at our dry, cracked hands to know we've been washing them around the clock. But when it comes to encouraging kids to reduce the spread of coronavirus, it's a little trickier.

But one teacher has come up with a genius way to ensure her kids are maintaining good hygiene.

Shauna Woods, who is a teacher in Missouri, has set up a brilliant game to encourage the children in her class to wash their hands.

Using a stamp that reads 'Mrs Woods' - which the teacher usually uses to stamp homework - Shauna now starts every day by stamping each student's hand.

Shauna Woods/Facebook)

The idea is, by the end of the day, those who have cleaned the stamp off will win a prize. Genius, right?

Obviously it encourages the kids to be extra thorough while washing, reaching the backs of their hands as well as fingers and palms.

Shauna told Tyla: "Student absentees were beginning to increase due to illnesses. I was trying to think of a way to be part of the solution and promote general hygiene for my students' safety.

Shauna Woods/Facebook)

"I saw my Mrs. Woods stamp on my shelf that I'd had for years, grabbed it on a Monday morning and the rest is history.

"It's been a routine in the classroom ever since. They wash their hands when they come in and then get their daily stamp.

"Small prizes are handed out by the end of the day if the stamp is faded or gone all together.

"I think it's been effective by keeping our teachers healthy as well. We have a very difficult time finding quality substitutes so there's many perks to the classroom hack."

Shauna Woods/Facebook)

Shauna shared the idea on Facebook, where the post has since gone viral, racking up over 56,000 likes and almost 8,000 comments.

In the post, Shauna wrote: "We are doing our best in room 550 to keep the germs away.

"Students got stamps on their hands this morning. If it's gone by the end of the day from washing their hands, they get a prize. We are trying."

We're so impressed by this idea and who doesn't love a prize for simply washing their hands?

Topics: Life News, Coronavirus

Lucy Devine

Lucy is a journalist working for Tyla. After graduating with a master's degree in journalism, she has worked in both print and online and is particularly interested in fashion, food, health and women's issues. Northerner, coffee addict, says hun a lot. Get in touch at [email protected].

@lucedevine