Science · Tick and colouring worksheet
Hand Washing and Hygiene: Free KS1 Science Worksheet
This free printable worksheet helps Year 2 children think about good hygiene habits and, in particular, when and why we wash our hands. It pairs a simple tick activity with a calming colouring task, so children practise recognising healthy routines while they relax with their colouring pencils.
It supports the Year 2 Science unit Animals, including humans, where pupils learn about staying healthy. Print it onto a single sheet of A4 for use at home, in class, or as part of a topic on keeping clean and looking after our bodies.
Keeping Clean: Wash Your Hands
Free Science worksheet · Ages 6 to 7
Activity 1
Tick the boxes next to the times we should wash our hands.
- Before we eat our food
- After going to the toilet
- After playing outside in the mud
- After coughing or sneezing into our hands
- When we have just put on clean, dry socks
- While we are fast asleep in bed
Activity 2
Colour the picture of the hands being washed at the sink. Use a colour key to make it bright and clean.
- Colour the water from the tap light blue
- Colour the soap bubbles white with thin blue outlines
- Colour the tap shiny silver or grey
- Colour the sink your favourite clean colour
Keeping Clean: Wash Your Handsowee.worldAnswer key
- Before we eat our food — tick
- After going to the toilet — tick
- After playing outside in the mud — tick
- After coughing or sneezing into our hands — tick
Why hand washing matters in Year 2 Science
Hand washing is one of the clearest, most relatable examples children meet when they study how to stay healthy. By the time they reach Year 2, pupils are expected to understand that hygiene is one of the things humans need to do to look after their bodies, alongside eating well and exercising. Tiny germs are invisible, so washing hands gives children a concrete, everyday action they can actually carry out and feel in control of. This worksheet keeps the science honest and age-appropriate: it focuses on the simple message that washing our hands with soap and water helps remove germs and keeps us well.
When should children wash their hands?
Children remember hygiene best when it is tied to specific moments rather than taught as an abstract rule. The key times to wash hands are: before eating or helping to prepare food, after using the toilet, after coughing, sneezing or blowing their nose, after playing outside or touching animals, and when their hands look or feel dirty. The tick activity on this sheet asks children to identify some of these moments, which gives you a natural opening to talk through their own daily routine and add any times that are relevant to your family or classroom.
How to wash hands properly
Good technique is part of the learning. Encourage children to wet their hands, add soap, and rub all over for around twenty seconds, including the backs of the hands, between the fingers and around the thumbs, before rinsing and drying. A familiar trick is to hum a short song, such as 'Happy Birthday' twice, to judge the length of time. Talking through these steps while the child colours the picture of hands at the sink helps connect the worksheet image to a real action they can repeat at home.
Using this worksheet at home or in class
This printable works well as a starter, a calm-down task, or a take-home reminder. The tick activity can be completed independently or discussed as a group, and the colouring picture is forgiving enough for a wide range of fine-motor abilities. To extend the learning, ask children to draw or name one more time when they should wash their hands, or to design a poster for the bathroom. Because the science here is straightforward and universal, the sheet also suits mixed-age groups and children revisiting the topic.
Frequently asked questions
What age is this hand washing worksheet for?
It is designed for children aged 6 to 7 (Year 2, KS1), but it also suits Year 1 children and older pupils revisiting hygiene as part of a health topic.
Which part of the curriculum does it cover?
It supports the Year 2 Science unit 'Animals, including humans', which asks pupils to describe the importance of hygiene, and it links to statutory Health education on personal hygiene and germs.
Is the worksheet free to print?
Yes. The worksheet is completely free, prints to a single A4 page, and can be used at home or in the classroom with no sign-up required.
How long should children wash their hands for?
Around twenty seconds with soap and water, covering the backs of the hands, between the fingers and the thumbs. Humming a short song twice is an easy way to judge the time.
How do I explain germs to a 6 year old?
Keep it simple: germs are tiny things we cannot see that can make us poorly, and washing with soap and water helps wash them away so we stay well.
Curriculum links
- Year 2 Science, Animals, including humans: describe the importance for humans of exercise, eating the right amounts of different types of food, and hygiene.
- Working scientifically (KS1): asking simple questions and recognising that they can be answered in different ways, and observing closely.
- PSHE / Health education (statutory from KS1): about personal hygiene and germs including bacteria, viruses, how they are spread, and the importance of hand washing.
- PSHE / Health education (KS1): the importance of building simple, healthy daily routines that benefit physical and mental wellbeing.
Made by The Owee education team. Updated 02/06/2026. Free to print and share.
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