GLITTER AND GERMS!
~A fun activity to teach how germs are spread~
This is a fun activity that I have done with my kiddos for many, many years! It is a great way to get across the message that germs are spread from mouth/nose, to hands, to people and objects.
MATERIALS:
-Glitter (the finer the better)
-Kiddos!
1. Without the kiddos seeing, sprinkle glitter into your hands. This works best if you then clench your fist.
2. Then pretend to have a coughing/sneezing fit, making sure that the kiddos see you coughing and coughing into your hand.
3. After that, start shaking their hands, pat them on the arm, hand someone a book - whatever you can think of to 'spread the germs' that are on your hands.
4. By now they should start to notice what is happening! This is the time to talk about germs and how they are spread in the classroom. Ask someone whose hand YOU shook, to shake a classmate's hand. Point out how your 'germs' have now spread to two people.
5. Ask the children how this could be prevented - directing the conversation to proper hand washing and coughing/sneezing into their sleeve, not the palm of their hand.
6. This is also when I go over the proper hand washing techniques (even though I've done it a million times since day 1!). I demonstrate how to properly wash my hands then choose a student or two to do it also. We sing Twinkle, Twinkle while scrubbing with the soap - tops and bottoms, and I encourage turning off the water with the paper towel.
7. I then follow up with this FREEBIE worksheet on proper hand washing techniques. There are 2 different levels to choose from - one for students to write their response and the other for students to draw their response.
