Once upon a time, in a land made of sparkly sugar and bouncy clouds, lived a tiny, curious explorer named Pip. Pip loved to play! He loved splashing in puddles of rainbow juice, digging for hidden treasures in mountains of fluffy cotton candy, and building magnificent castles out of gingerbread. He explored every corner of this sweet land, touching everything he found – the smooth, sugary rocks, the wobbly jelly beans, and even the sticky, gooey gumdrops that clung to everything.

One day, Pip discovered a magnificent garden overflowing with the juiciest, most delicious-looking fruits he’d ever seen. Giant, plump berries glowed with an inner light, and glistening grapes hung like sparkling jewels. Pip, overcome with excitement, reached out to grab a handful of the biggest, reddest berries. He popped one in his mouth… yum! It was the most wonderful berry he’d ever tasted.

He ate another, and another, until his little tummy was full of sugary goodness. He then decided to explore the garden further. He found a patch of soft, velvety flowers, each petal a different vibrant color. He carefully touched each one, feeling their softness. Then, he spotted a sparkling stream, its water as clear as crystal. He scooped some up in his tiny hands and brought it to his lips for a refreshing drink.

As he played, Pip continued to touch everything – the shiny leaves, the smooth bark of the candy trees, and even the playful little squirmy things that lived under the giant lollipops. He was having so much fun, he completely forgot about something very important.

Later that evening, Pip's tummy started to feel a little funny. It rumbled and grumbled, and then… oh dear! Pip wasn't feeling very well at all. He felt tired, and his tummy hurt. He even started to feel a little bit shivery.

Just then, his wise and kind friend, Sunny, appeared. Sunny was a teacher in the land of sparkly sugar and bouncy clouds, just like Pip’s mom’s colleague back on Earth. Sunny had seen many explorers come and go, and she knew exactly what was wrong.

“Pip,” Sunny said gently, “I see you’ve been exploring all day! That’s wonderful, but you haven’t done something very important.”

Pip looked up at Sunny with his big, questioning eyes. “What is it, Sunny?”

“You haven’t washed your hands!” Sunny explained patiently. “When you explore, you touch lots of things, and some of those things might have tiny little travelers – invisible friends that can make you feel poorly.”

Pip frowned. “Invisible friends? But I can’t see them!”

“That’s right,” Sunny said, smiling. “They’re too small to see, but they can be on your hands after you touch things. Some of these invisible friends can make your tummy hurt, make you feel sleepy, or even give you a cough or a runny nose.”

Sunny then took Pip to a sparkling stream, but this one was special. It was filled with magical, bubbly soap. “This soap is very special,” Sunny explained. “It helps to wash away those invisible friends.”

Sunny showed Pip how to properly wash his hands. She showed him how to wet his hands, add soap, rub them together for at least twenty seconds – that’s as long as it takes to sing “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” twice – and then rinse them thoroughly under the running water.

As Pip washed, he imagined all the invisible friends being washed away, swirling down the drain. He felt so much better already!

Sunny then explained that even when exploring in the most wonderful places, it’s important to wash your hands before eating, after playing outside, after going to the toilet, and even after touching animals. These are all times when invisible friends might get on our hands, and we need to wash them away to stay healthy and strong.

“Think of your hands as magical explorers’ tools,” Sunny said. “They help you to discover and explore, but they need to be clean to keep you safe and healthy.”

Pip felt much better after his handwashing adventure. His tummy stopped rumbling, and the shivers disappeared. He learned that day that washing his hands wasn’t just a chore; it was an important part of his adventures. It was a way to keep himself safe and healthy so he could continue exploring the sugary, bouncy wonders of his land.

From that day on, Pip always remembered to wash his hands. He knew that even though he couldn’t see those invisible friends, washing his hands kept him happy, healthy, and ready for even more amazing adventures in the land of sparkly sugar and bouncy clouds. And he always shared this important lesson with all the other little explorers he met. After all, clean hands are happy hands! And happy hands make happy adventures.