For kids, washing hands can be a fun activity. It is simple enough for even very young children to understand. Handwashing gives children and adults a chance to take an active role in their own health. Once kids learn how to properly wash their hands, they can — and often do — show their siblings and encourage them to wash their hands, too.
Parents can help keep the family healthy by:
Teaching their kids good handwashing technique
Reminding their kids to wash their hands
Washing their own hands with their kids
Handwashing education:
Reduces the number of people who get sick with diarrhea by 31 percent
Reduces diarrheal illness in people with weakened immune systems by 58 percent
Reduces respiratory illnesses, such as colds, in the general population by 21 percent
In short, handwashing is one of the best ways to avoid getting sick and spreading illness to others.
Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention