Presentation

  1. 1

    Invite the child. Put on an apron. Lay out materials from left to right: dirty dishes, wash basin, rinse basin, drying rack.

  2. 2

    Fill both basins using the pitcher. Add one squeeze of soap to the wash basin only.

  3. 3

    Place one dish in the wash basin. Scrub the front, back, and rim with the sponge.

  4. 4

    Move it to the rinse basin and swish it until no bubbles remain.

  5. 5

    Set it in the drying rack. Continue one dish at a time. The dish moving from dirty to clean, left to right, is the point of interest.

  6. 6

    Dry each dish with the towel and put it in its place in the snack cupboard.

  7. 7

    Empty the basins into the bucket, wipe them dry, and hang the towel.

  8. 8

    Invite the child to wash the dishes after snack.

Extensions, easiest to hardest

  1. Wash cutlery and glasses (handling sharp and breakable items)
  2. Wash dishes for the whole group after a class meal
  3. Wash the dishes from a food preparation work

Control of error

Food left on a dish or bubbles on a rinsed dish are visible; wet dishes left in the cupboard are noticed by the next person.

Ready to move on when the child…

  • Sets up the station and washes dishes in order
  • Rinses all soap off each dish
  • Dries and returns dishes to their places

Try “pink tower”, “tummy”, “diaper”, “grace and courtesy”, or “October”.