Back-to-school season brings new teachers, new friends, new routines, and a whole new mix of germs.
Young children are enthusiastic explorers. They learn by touching, sharing, moving, building, shaking, tapping, and trying things together. In any early childhood classroom, that means a lot of little hands—and often mouths—touching the same toys, books, blocks, instruments, movement props, and learning materials.
We want those experiences. It’s how children learn best.
Yet…
Back-to-school germs. Blech.
So, how can we make those essential hands-on experiences safer and more manageable for the educators who make them possible?
Hands-On Learning Is Worth Protecting
Young children learn with their whole bodies and through all of their senses.
For example, when a set of instruments is passed around a music circle, children experience far more than musical development. They practice listening, waiting, taking turns, coordinating their movements, making choices, imitating others, and contributing their own creative ideas.
These active experiences strengthen language, motor development, self-regulation, creativity, cooperation, and connection. They’re exactly the kind of learning we want more of in early childhood classrooms.
Of course, hands-on learning involves many hands.
A Few Ways to Make Hands-On Learning Safer
Make handwashing part of the classroom rhythm.
Young children benefit from predictable cues. A familiar handwashing song can help turn an easily forgotten task into a recognizable part of the day. Music also gives children a natural way to spend enough time washing without requiring them to understand the concept of counting seconds.
Kindermusik’s “Gonna Wash Both My Hands” is an upbeat tune to help little ones follow important handwashing steps and start forming positive hygiene habits. Play it below in English or Spanish, or stream it from the free Kindermusik app.
Create a clear landing place for used materials.
A clearly marked basket or bin gives teachers and children a simple place to put instruments, toys, and other shared items after use. Children can participate in the classroom reset while adults remain responsible for following the appropriate care process.
A familiar cleanup song can make the transition feel less like an interruption and more like part of the learning experience.
Rotate materials when needed.
Having a second set of frequently used materials allows one group of items to be cleaned, disinfected, or sanitized while another remains available. Children don’t lose access to valuable learning experiences, and teachers aren’t pressured to process every item immediately.
Know what each material requires.
A board book, scarf, electronic device, wooden instrument, and plastic shaker may not all be cared for in the same way. Programs should follow manufacturers’ instructions and confirm which cleaning, disinfecting, or sanitizing methods are appropriate for each material.
Explore tools that can reduce the burden on educators.
This is where we recently discovered a technology that is pretty fascinating.
The ZONO™ Cabinet uses a controlled combination of ozone and humidity to disinfect and sanitize a wide range of compatible classroom materials during an automated 38-minute cycle. Toys, books, electronics, soft materials, activity equipment, and compatible musical instruments can be processed together—including many items that would be difficult or time-consuming to wipe individually.
What caught our attention was more than the technology itself. It was what that technology could help preserve: a classroom filled with real objects children can touch, explore, and share without creating another labor-intensive process for teachers.
A ZONO™ Cabinet doesn’t replace handwashing or a program’s broader health and safety practices. It is one example of how technology can support the adults working behind the scenes to keep hands-on learning going.
If you’re interested in the technology, testing, and material-compatibility information, see how the ZONO™ Cabinet works here.
Keep the Materials and the Learning Moving
Hands-on learning is joyful, creative, social, and, inevitably, a little germ-y. That isn’t a flaw. It is part of how childhood and learning work.
The challenge is to give educators realistic ways to manage everything that comes with all that messy, valuable exploration.
This back-to-school season, thoughtful (musical!) routines, clear systems, and some very cool technology can help programs make shared learning safer, while preserving the active, connected experiences children need most.
For more ideas about creating meaningful hands-on learning through music and movement, explore Kindermusik’s resources for schools and early childhood programs.