Home kitchen hygiene
You’ll need
- Access to a kitchen
- Counters (for example coins)
Before you begin
- This activity works best if you combine it with a cooking activity. Why not make Perfect pizzas or give Ready, steady, cook-off a go?
- Don’t worry if you don’t have a kitchen – you could set up a mock space using some of the items you may find in a kitchen, or even objects to represent them.
- You’ll need between 30 and 50 counters to represent bacteria, which shouldn’t be any bigger than a 50 pence piece. You could use scrap paper, coins, buttons, or bits of sticky tack. Remember to leave time to clean the kitchen area – coins in particular carry loads of germs.
- Hide the counters in the kitchen area. Put them in places that germs thrive, for example, under counter top appliances, near drains, around bins, or on towels, handles, sponges, and brushes. If you think you’ll struggle to remember where they are, you could jot down the locations. Keep one or two counters so you can show everyone what they’re hunting for.
- Check that the counters aren’t hidden anywhere it’s unsafe to rummage (for example, the knife drawer or chemical cupboard). Note down these dangerous areas so you can tell everyone not to search there. You may want to put up signs to remind people not to open certain drawers or cupboard.
- Think about any other safety rules you’ll need. For example, be careful not to brush against or turn on any dials or switches, be mindful of any appliances that may still be hot from being used, watch out for open cupboards, and be aware of breakable things like glassware and crockery. Adapt the safety rules to meet your kitchen area.
Clock’s ticking
- Everyone should split into small groups.
The size of the groups should depend on the size of your kitchen area. Each group should be able to fit comfortably in the area with plenty of space to move around.
- The person leading the activity should tell everyone which areas are dangerous and out-of-action for this activity. They should also run through the safety rules they noted down before they began.
The person leading the activity shouldn’t tell anyone that the counters represent germs.
- The first group should spend one minute in the kitchen area hunting for counters. They should try to remember where they found each one – the person leading the activity should keep track too.
- After one minute, the person leading the game should count the counters. Everyone should put them back where they found them.
- Each group should take it in turns to spend a minute collecting counters. The winning group is the one that collected the most counters.
- Everyone should gather back together and chat about how they worked together. Perhaps some groups split up to tackle different zones of the kitchen, or used a process of elimination.
- Everyone should chat about what the counters may represent. If no one gets it, the person leading the activity should reveal that the counters represented bacteria and were hidden in places bacteria are found.
- Everyone should chat about how bacteria might end up multiplying in the areas they found the counters, and how they can prevent it from happening.
For more information to support the discussion, check out our guidance on food safety.
- Everyone should work together to collect all the counters and make sure the kitchen area’s clean again. It might not work for everyone to be in the space at the same time.
- Now everyone’s discussed how to prevent and eliminate bacteria, they should apply their knowledge to show how to keep their food and kitchen area safe.
- Everyone should show their understanding of food safety by putting food away. How will they make sure it’s done properly and hygienically in a way that prevents food poisoning? For example, how will they separate certain food types? What containers work for their needs?
- Everyone should show their understanding of storing food practically. For example, how would they store items that are squishable, breakable, or likely to spill? Some items may not stack neatly.
- Everyone should think about their storage units and fridges. Are they fit for purpose? How often are they deep cleaned?
- Everyone should check their utensils. Are they fit for purpose? Everyone should think about how bacteria are more likely to linger on some materials. Do they need to replace any of their utensils?
- Now everyone’s discussed how to prevent and eliminate bacteria, they should apply their knowledge to show how to keep their food and kitchen area safe.
- Everyone should show their understanding of food safety by putting food away. How will they make sure it’s done properly and hygienically in a way that prevents food poisoning? For example, how will they separate certain food types? What containers work for their needs?
- Everyone should show their understanding of storing food practically. For example, how would they store items that are squishable, breakable, or likely to spill? Some items may not stack neatly.
- Everyone should think about whether their containers are fit for purpose.
- Everyone should check their utensils. Are they fit for purpose? Everyone should think about how bacteria are more likely to linger on some materials. Do they need to replace any of their utensils?
Reflection
This activity was all about living healthily. Why is it important to keep surfaces and utensils clean? Did anyone know that kitchens harbour more germs than any other room in the home (including bathrooms)? What good habits can people adopt to make sure they stay healthy?
This activity was also about problem-solving. How did people work to make sure they found as many tokens as possible? What common problems lead to germs in kitchens? How can people make sure everyone remembers to keep things clean and hygienic?
Safety
All activities must be safely managed. You must complete a thorough risk assessment and take appropriate steps to reduce risk. Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. Always get approval for the activity, and have suitable supervision and an InTouch process.
It’s up to you how long teams spend collecting counters – you could give them more or less time depending on the size of the kitchen area and the number of counters you’ve hidden.
Make sure your kitchen area’s accessible for everyone. If you don’t have the lowered counters or wide doorways someone needs, you should set up a space they can access in the main space (for example, using tables, utensils, items like microwaves, or boxes to represent gadgets).
All Scout activities should be inclusive and accessible.
In the future, everyone will know how to think about the cleanliness of cooking equipment. Before they next go away (or cook), the group should add an inventory check to their to-do list. They should check that each item is durable and fit for purpose before giving it a deep clean. It’s especially important to target areas such as handles, which are prime spots for harbouring germs.
Young people shape this activity as they demonstrate their learning.