Free Pre-K 3 lesson plan · Unit 3: Healthy me
Pre-K 3, week 9: clean hands and counting to 4
This week your learner will practice washing hands, count up to 4 things and talk about bath time. Each activity takes about 5 to 10 minutes. Print the pages, or do them with things you already have at home.
Week 9 of 36 · See the Pre-K 3 year map · Not sure of the level? Take the 3-question Pre-K 3 or Pre-K 4 picker
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5-minute parent prep
- Put a step stool by the sink if your learner needs one.
- Gather 4 large spoons or blocks.
- Print pages 2 to 5, or skip printing and use the no-supplies swaps.
Household supplies only: Paper, crayons, soap and water, a towel, 4 large spoons or blocks. No supplies? Every activity has a no-supplies swap.
The week at a glance
| Day | Focus | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Talk and listen | Clean hands page, Handwashing steps card |
| Tuesday | Math | Count to 4 page, Four in a row card |
| Wednesday | Explore | Bath time page, Wash the toys card |
| Thursday | Make and move | Bubble path page, Squeeze the sponge card |
| Friday | Story and review | Song of the week, Parent notes page |
| Every day | Read, sing, play | Read a picture book together, sing the song of the week, play outside and check in on feelings with the free feelings cards. |
Printable pages
Clean hands
Say: "First water, then soap, then rub, rub, rub." Your learner points to each picture and says what it is, then colors them.
Count to 4
Say: "Touch each one and count with me." Your learner counts each row, touching each picture, and colors one dot for each.
Bath time
Say: "What do we use in the bath?" Your learner points to each picture and tells you about it.
Bubble path
Say: "Follow the bubbles. Start at the green dot." Your learner traces each path from left to right.
Activity cards
Handwashing steps
- Wet your hands together.
- Rub soap on the fronts, backs and between the fingers while you sing the song.
- Rinse and dry.
Easier: You do the soap.
Next step: Your learner tells you the next step.
Say this: "Rub, rub, rub. Now rinse."
No supplies: Practice the rubbing with dry hands.
Health: hygiene
Four in a row
- Line up the spoons.
- Count them together, touching each one.
- Take one away and count again.
Easier: Count to 3.
Next step: Ask "How many now?" without counting out loud.
Say this: "One, two, three, four. Four spoons."
No supplies: Count fingers up to 4.
Math: counting and cardinality
Wash the toys
- Fill a small tub with a little water.
- Your learner washes the toys with the cloth.
- Dry them on a towel.
Easier: Wash one toy together.
Next step: Count the clean toys.
Say this: "Wash, wash, the duck is clean."
No supplies: Wipe toys with a damp cloth, no tub.
Science: hygiene
Squeeze the sponge
- Soak the sponge in one bowl.
- Your learner squeezes it into the other bowl.
- Do it again.
Easier: Use a dry sponge to practice squeezing.
Next step: Squeeze with one hand, then the other.
Say this: "Squeeze. Drip, drip, drip."
No supplies: Squeeze a rolled sock.
Physical: fine motor
Song of the week: Wash, wash, wash
Wash, wash, wash your hands,
Front and back and in between.
Wash, wash, wash your hands,
Now they're nice and clean.
Actions: Rub your hands as you sing. Try next: Sing it twice while washing.
Parent notes for Friday
Not a test. Notice what your learner does this week, and practice the rest later. Nothing here is sent to UpOnly Learning.
- Rubs hands with soap with help
- Counts 4 objects, touching each one
- Names 2 bath things
- Squeezes a sponge
Want the bigger picture? See developmental milestones by age and the child development guide for ages 3 to 5.
Safety for this week
- Use objects too big to fit in your learner's mouth, and stay close during any counting or sorting with real objects.
- Water play only with an adult within arm's reach the whole time, even in a small tub.
- An adult handles anything hot or sharp, knives, and rocks or heavy objects.
- Dry beans and seeds only with an adult watching closely, and not with a learner who still puts things in their mouth.
- No scissors needed: tear paper instead. If you do use scissors, use child safety scissors with an adult right there.
- Choose crayons, markers and paint labeled for young learners (look for the AP seal).
Questions parents ask
Do it together every time, in the same order: water, soap, rub fronts, backs and between fingers while you sing, rinse, dry. A step stool and a short song help. Expect to help for a while.
Name things, count toys, talk about warm and cold water and play sink or float. Always stay within arm's reach in the bath, even for a moment.
Many 3 year olds say numbers up to 5 or 10 but count objects correctly only to about 3. Pre-K 3 builds touch-and-count to 3 first, then to 5. Counting further is a Pre-K 4 goal.
Use only objects too big to fit in the mouth, such as large spoons, socks, blocks and big toys, and skip beans, pasta and small pieces. Stay close during every activity with real objects.
Related pages
Recommended for your student
Pre-K 3 Full Year
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The whole Pre-K 3 year in one print-ready book: 36 weeks of parent plans, printable pages, activity cards and songs for ages 3 to 4, with a clickable table of contents, page numbers and parent answer notes. 309 pages.
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UpOnly Learning Pre-K is general education, not medical advice. If you have concerns about your learner's development, talk with your pediatrician. In an emergency, call 911.
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