Wash face
Water in the eyes, soap that stings and cold cheeks are three things a child would rather skip together. Washing the face is a short moment but an intense one. The steps below make it more predictable.
♂Wash face
A boy washes his face with water.
♂Boy splashing water on his face
Close view of a laughing boy cupping both hands to splash water over his cheeks.
♂Man lathering his cheeks with soap
A man rubs soapy lather across both cheeks, a small bar of soap tucked in one hand.
♂Boy washing his cheeks with suds
In a grey top, a boy presses pale blue suds to both cheeks while droplets scatter around his head.
♀Wash face
A person washing their face with water.
♀Woman washing her face with foam
Eyes closed and smiling, a woman with long hair massages white foam into both cheeks.
♀Girl with a ponytail washing her face
A happy girl in a blue top rubs pale blue suds onto her cheeks, her ponytail hanging behind her.
♀Girl with curly hair washing her face
Beaming with her eyes shut, a girl with big curly hair holds handfuls of pale blue suds against her cheeks.
About this visual support
The face holds the most sensitive skin a child has, and three things happen there at once during the morning wash: cold water on the forehead, the smell of a soap the child didn't pick, and the risk of something landing in the eyes. It's no wonder the movement turns shy — the body is trying to protect itself.
A visual schedule prepares the child for where the water will land, what happens if the eyes squeeze shut, and how long the soap stays on. When the picture shows squeeze eyes tight right before the splash, the body has a chance to ready itself. That's often the difference between a fight and a quick moment.
A concrete tip for face washing specifically: include a card for dry with the towel as a clear end step. Many children keep flinching even when nothing wet is coming, because they have no signal that it's over. The towel picture becomes that signal. You can build your own morning routine with these cards in Routined and let the face wash slip between toothbrush and breakfast without a discussion every time.
This image is part of these ready-made schedules
Use this image in a schedule
Build your own visual schedule with this image and download it as a print-ready PDF. Completely free.
More similar visual supports
Hygiene
A girl washes her hands with lather under a tap with a towel hanging nearby.
Bath
A white bathtub holds blue water and a big mound of foam, with a small yellow du...
Bath or shower
An illustration of a bathtub with a shower head spraying water and a blue shower...
Bathe
A girl with a braid sits in a foamy bathtub holding a sponge and a bar of soap w...
Conditioner
A blue bottle of conditioner stands next to a head of long brown hair with a sin...
Freshen up
Holding a yellow bar of soap, a woman works up a lather in her hands while water...
Get clean
Long hair falling loose, a woman works up a lather on her hands under a modern t...
have a shower
A girl with a blonde bob stands in the shower holding soap and a washcloth, with...