Bathroom Breaks in Kindergarten

There are so many procedures to teach at the beginning of the year. Having a classroom that runs smoothly means teaching those procedures early and often! Bathroom breaks are one of many routines you have to teach in kindergarten. Students may have never taken bathroom breaks at a school before. The expectation for using a bathroom that many others will be using with you are different from using a restroom at home. You will want to approach this part of your day with the same intention as anything else!

Visual Directions 

I have shared about the importance of using visual directions. Posters or other visuals that show students exactly how to complete a routine or procedure is such a helpful tool for a little learners. They can see what is expected of them, and they do not need to rely on you to know how to do something. Bathroom breaks are no different! I highly recommend using visuals to remind students of your expectations during their time in the bathroom.

Expectations for Bathroom Breaks

Obviously, when it comes to bathroom breaks, we want students to be safe and healthy. Safety can come from feeling like they have the privacy they need, and they can go to the bathroom when they need to. Health comes from maintaining good hygiene. Kindergartners need explicit expectations around both of these items. When you are introducing bathroom breaks in your classroom this year, mention the following:

-Students should keep their hands and body to themselves while they are in the bathroom.

-Students should quickly go into the bathroom for what they need to do, and come right back out

-If there are stalls in the bathroom, each student should only enter their stall

-Before returning to the classroom, students should wash their hands with soap and warm water.

-Everything used in the bathroom should make it into a toilet or a trashcan

You can’t overstate the obvious when it comes to teaching a routine or procedure to kindergarten students! The things that may seem obvious to you will not be obvious to them. 

Discuss the Why

I shared in this blog post about the importance of discussing the why behind a new routine or procedure. When you introduce bathroom breaks to your students, discuss why it is unhealthy to leave your trash on the floor for someone else to pick up. Talk about the importance of handwashing and how it kills germs. Talk about safety and privacy and why they are important. These discussions will reinforce your expectations, and help students understand why you are giving them the rules that you are.

Visuals for Bathroom Breaks

You can get started with visual directions for bathroom breaks by grabbing my poster set here! These posters reinforce the lessons that you teach by giving students a picture a reminder of how to responsibly use the bathroom in your classroom this year. If you want other visual directions, check out the bundle. You can get poster sets and direction cards for dozens of routines and procedures that you teach in your classroom!