Today we have a science experiment to teach kids how germs spread. Kids of all ages will love this how germs spread activity. Whether they’re younger kids or bigger kids, it’s important to know how to keep germs from spreading. It’s a simple activity that makes learning fun. Do this how germs spread experiment at home or in the classroom.
How Germs Spread
You know when you’re at school and there is one kid that gets sick. Let’s say they have a cold. And then another kid gets sick, and then another kid gets sick, and then sometimes you get sick! Why is that? How come when on person gets sick other people get sick?
Well, that is because most illnesses are caused by germs. Germs are teeny tiny and can only be seen with a microscope. But when germs spread from person to person, they can make people sick. But how are germs spread? Let’s find out!
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Related: This Youtube video shows how easily germs are spread.
Supplies Needed For This How Germs Spread Experiment
How To Do This How Germs Spread Science Experiment
Craft Note Before You begin:
Wear clothes that you don’t mind glitter or lotion on!
Step 1
Put a little bit of lotion on your hands and rub them together, you want them to be a little slick. Not dry, but not slimy either.
Step 2
Have someone with dry hands sprinkle glitter on the person with lotion on their hands. What happens?
Step 3
Rub your hands together again. Did the germs spread?
Step 4
Now touch different things. We did things like:
- Shake the dry persons hand.
- Touched our noses.
- Wiped our hands on our pants.
Did the glitter stay on your hands or did some of it spread to other places too?
Step 5
Afterwards, we went to the bathroom and washed our hands with soap and water and then wiped them on the towel. Did all the glitter germs go away?
More About Germs and How Germs Spread
Once you put the lotion on your hands you found that the glitter stuck well to them. Then, when you rubbed your hands, touched your nose, or touched someone else the glitter moved around! When you wiped the glitter onto your pants, some may have came off, but it mostly stuck to your hands, right? Once you washed your hands with soap and water, did you notice a lot of the glitter went away? And when you wiped your hands the rest of it did or at least almost all of it?
Now instead of glitter, picture germs. Because germs work the same way! That’s why it is so important to wash your hands, because that gets rid of the most germs. You want to wash your hands after:
- You use the bathroom
- Play outside
- Sneeze or cough into your hands
If you don’t, then the germs on your hands can spread and not only make you sick, but other people sick too.
But What Exactly Are Germs?
Germs are tiny living things. Yes, they’re alive. There are many different types of germs. There are 4 different types known as:
- Bacteria
- Viruses
- Fungi
- Protozoa
A bacteria is a one celled creature that feeds from it’s environment. It reproduces, or makes more bacteria, in the body and that’s how you get sick. But fun fact, not all bacteria is bad. There is also good bacteria in the body that will help keep you healthy.
A virus is a germ that needs to be inside cells to grow and make more. They don’t live very long, but they can spread easily and make people sick.
What is a fungi? A fungi is a plant-like organism. Fungi cannot make it’s own food, but has to get food from plants, animals, and people and will live in wet and warm places. There are many fungi that aren’t bad to people, but there are some that are.
A protozoa is the last germ. It is a one celled creature that loves wet places and will spread illness through water!
How Come Germs Make Us Sick Sometimes?
Germs will eat nutrients and take energy from the person they are in. And they release toxins. Those toxins are what make us sick. And the more germs you have the more toxins they make. So, that is why it is important to wash our hands and cover our faces when we cough or sneeze.
Materials
- Lotion
- Glitter
- Soap
- Paper Towels
Instructions
- Put a little bit of lotion on your hands and rub them together, you want them to be a little slick. Not dry, but not slimy either.
- Have someone with dry hands sprinkle glitter on the person with lotion on their hands. What happens?
- Rub your hands together again. Did the germs spread?
- Now touch different things. We did things like: Shake the dry persons hand. Touched our noses. Wiped our hands on our pants. Did the glitter stay on your hands or did some of it spread to other places too?
- Afterwards, we went to the bathroom and washed our hands with soap and water and then wiped them on the towel. Did all the glitter germs go away?
Notes
Wear clothes that you don’t mind glitter or lotion on!
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Do you understand how germs spread now?
