Short Stories About Cleanliness for Kids: Handwashing, Teeth and Bath Time

Four short stories about looking after your body, each about two minutes long, to read at bedtime or before a new habit. After each story there are two questions to talk about, and at the end the real habits behind the stories, from the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

1. Youssef and the Tiny Germ Army

Youssef ran in from the garden with muddy hands. "I'm hungry!" he shouted, and reached for a sandwich.

"Wait," said Mama gently. "Look closely at your hands." Youssef looked. He saw mud, and a bit of grass. "There are also tiny germs you can't see," said Mama. "They want to jump into your sandwich."

At the sink, Youssef wet his hands and made a mountain of soap bubbles. He rubbed his palms, the backs of his hands, between his fingers and under his nails, while he and Mama hummed the birthday song twice from start to finish. Then he rinsed the bubbles away and dried his hands on a clean towel.

"Where did the germ army go?" he asked. "Down the drain with the bubbles," laughed Mama. And the sandwich tasted even better.

Talk about it: When do we wash our hands? Why did Youssef hum a song while he washed?

2. Salma and the Blue Toothbrush

Salma loved her blue toothbrush, but she didn't love brushing. "My teeth are clean already," she said.

That night, Baba showed her a picture in a book: a smiling tooth, bright and white, and next to it a tooth with little bits of food stuck to it. "Food likes to hide between teeth," said Baba. "We brush it away in the morning after breakfast and at night before bed."

Salma put a pea-sized bit of toothpaste on her brush. She brushed the front teeth, the back teeth and the tops of the teeth, round and round in little circles, and then spat the toothpaste out. Baba checked, and found one hiding crumb. "Got it!" said Salma.

In the mirror, her teeth smiled back at her, just like the tooth in the picture.

Talk about it: How many times a day do we brush our teeth? What did Baba do after Salma brushed?

3. Karim's Warm Bath

After a long day of football, Karim was tired, sweaty and very dusty. "I'll have a bath tomorrow," he yawned.

His little sister sniffed the air. "You smell like the football pitch!" Everyone laughed, even Karim.

In the warm bath, the water turned the colour of sand. Karim washed his hair and his body with soap, scrubbed his knees, and cleaned behind his ears, where dust likes to hide. Then he put on clean pyjamas that smelled of fresh washing.

That night he slept better than ever. "Being clean feels like a hug," he said.

Talk about it: Why did Karim need a bath? How did he feel afterwards?

4. Mariam and the Big Sneeze

Mariam felt a tickle in her nose. "Ah... ah... ah..." She remembered what her teacher had said, took a tissue from her pocket and caught the sneeze: "Atchoo!"

She threw the tissue in the bin, and then went to wash her hands. "Why wash your hands after a sneeze?" asked her friend Nour. "So the germs from my nose don't go on the toys we share," said Mariam.

That week, lots of children in class had colds. But Mariam and Nour, who both remembered their tissues and handwashing, stayed well enough to play every day.

Talk about it: What do we do when we sneeze? Why did Mariam wash her hands afterwards?

The habits behind the stories

• Handwashing: wet your hands, lather with soap, scrub for at least 20 seconds (humming the birthday song twice is a good timer), rinse well and dry on a clean towel. Wash before eating, after using the toilet, after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing, and after touching animals (CDC).
• Brushing teeth: at least twice a day, best after breakfast and before bed. Use a smear of fluoride toothpaste the size of a grain of rice under three, and a pea-sized amount from three. Help or check children's brushing until they manage it well, usually at around ten (AAP).

Books about cleanliness and good habits

• I Am Muslim: Orderliness & Clean Clothes (ages 2–5).
• I Am Muslim: School & Dental Care (ages 2–5): waking up early and brushing teeth with Ahmed and Sara.

More stories: 10 short moral stories and bedtime stories in Egyptian Arabic.

Questions parents ask

How do I teach my child personal hygiene?

Make each habit a daily routine at the same times, do it together at first, and use stories like these to explain why. Praise the effort, and check teeth and hands without scolding.

How long should a child wash their hands?

At least 20 seconds of scrubbing with soap, about as long as humming the birthday song twice, then rinsing and drying on a clean towel (CDC).

How often should children brush their teeth?

At least twice a day, ideally after breakfast and before bed (AAP).

How much toothpaste should a child use?

A smear the size of a grain of rice under three, and a pea-sized amount from three (AAP).

When can a child brush their teeth alone?

Children need help or supervision until they master brushing, usually at around ten (AAP).

Read next: Short animal stories for kids; Short English stories with Arabic translation.