Dishwashing

For ages: 2, 3, 4, 5

Skills: order, concentration, coordination, independent, completion of the work cycle

Materials:

Table, two dishpans, soap, soap dish, sponge, brush, pitcher, bucket, dishes, drainer, draining mat, towel, apron

Presentation:

1. Invite the child to wash dishes.

2. Show the child the location of the materials.

3. Put on an apron. Roll or push up sleeves.

4. Obtain water for dishpan using pitcher. (This can be at a child-sized sink, or another water source that the child can reach.)

5. Obtain water for rinse pan using pitcher.

6. Add soap to the dishpan on the left.

7. Choose dish or dishes to be washed.

8. Holding with two hands, place into dishpan, swish around gently.

9. Hold dish with subdominant hand and grasp brush (or washcloth) with dominant hand. Put brush into water and, using a circular motion, wash dish.

10. Let brush rest in basin. Lift dish with both hands. Turn over dish.

11. Wash underneath side of dish.

12. Lift dish with both hands. Let excess water drip off.

13. Place dish in rinse water, swish gently. Lift with two hands and let drip.

14. Place into drainer.

15. Remove scrub brush from basin, shake gently, rinse in rinsing basin.

16. Place brush onto the table.

17. Use hand towel to dry hands.

18. Dispose of water from both dishpans, one at a time. (If there is a low child-sized sink the child can carry each dishpan to the sink and pour the water into the sink. If not, the child can dump the water into a bucket located near the dishwashing station.)

19. Roll down sleeves, remove and hang apron in the appropriate location.

Points of Interest:

Putting on an apron, carrying water in the pitcher, feeling the weight of the pitcher with and without water, seeing the water pour into the dishpan, feeling soap, smelling soap, feeling the water, squeezing the sponge, seeing and hearing water pour, repeating the activity for as long as needed, choosing dishes to wash, and watching water drip off of the dish.

Control of Error:

• Feeling water on sleeves or clothing, washing one dish at a time, seeing water or soap on the floor, mat, or table, seeing an excess of soap and/or water, feeling that the hand towel is very wet, and seeing a wet or sudsy dish, dishpan, bucket, mat, or floor when finished.

Language:

• dish, soap, dishpan, wash, rinse, drain, wet, dry, water, squeeze, swish, dish drainer, pitcher, bucket, heavy, light

Variations:

Washing glasses, silverware, or fragile dishes, using a sponge, brush or washcloth, or varying the type of soap used.

Extensions:

Drying dishes:

1. Obtain towel in the dominant hand. Hold dish in subdominant hand.

2. Holding onto the dish firmly, wipe the dish in a circular motion with the towel.

3. Turn dish and repeat on the other side.

4. Place dish in desired location.

5. Hang towel.

Comments:

• In my classroom, children wash dishes after they eat snack. The dishpans are already filled with water and the children do not need to fill or empty the dishpans after each use.

• If your child is learning to use the toilet, please encourage them to go before putting their hands in the water.