Glitter Germ Experiment

Glitter, giggles, and germs: teaching hygiene through play 🦠

Every September, our clinics fill with sick kids as back-to-school and cold and flu season germs collide in their annual powwow. Now is a great time to reinforce good hygiene habits that can carry children through the school year. Because germs are invisible, they can be a really tricky concept to grasp.

This year, we tried the Glitter Germs Experiment. This hands-on, engaging activity makes invisible “germs” visible helping kids understand their own role in spreading and preventing germs that can make people sick. Our kids absolutely LOVED it so we included this activity in September’s Playbook. Clean-up truly wasn’t as nightmarish as I was anticipating so this one got a thumbs up from both kids + tired mom (I promise — the giggles are WORTH IT but I’d totally get it if you’re not ready for this one 😉).

⭐️ You can find September’s Playbook right here for one more week or upgrade to a paid subscription to receive our Playbooks every month this year — details here.

Glitter Germs Experiment

You’ll Need

• Lotion or baby oil

• Glitter — if you’re hoping for an eco-friendly alternative, consider using bioglitter or pepper (just be careful around the eyes!)

• Common household objects

• Paper towels, soap, and water

Optional: We paired this activity with the book, “Germs Vs. Soap” by Didi Dragon which I thought was perfect. It’s an adorable book that makes us laugh everytime!

Steps

1. Start by spreading 1-2 pumps of lotion or a drizzle of baby oil over your child’s hands.

2. Sprinkle glitter into their hands and have them rub it around to represent “germs.”

   

3. Have kids touch various objects to demonstrate how germs can spread through direct contact. We started with touching common household objects like school supplies, tissue paper, as well as cups and utensils then walked around the house touching the staircase and a couple of door knobs.

   

   

   At one point, Piper’s nose got a bit itchy. She scratched it without hesitation then immediately realized what she did! I set out a mirror so she could see how the glitter germs transferred to her nose highlighting how our own unwashed hands can spread germs to ourselves.

   

   Another highlight was when they shook hands mixing up the different colored glitter each child picked. It was a great visual of how germs spread quickly and easily from person to person through even simple gestures like a handshake.

   

4. Lastly, we tried wiping off the germs using a dry paper towel, washing with water only, then finally, washing with water and soap. The glitter came off much more easily in the last scenario which also reflects how handwashing with soap and water is the most effective way to remove germs.

   

Learning Points

• Germs are invisible — just because we can’t see them with our eyes doesn’t mean they aren't there!

• Germs spread easily through touching surfaces, shaking hands, or sharing objects.

• Covering our mouths when we cough or sneeze, washing our hands, and staying home when we’re sick prevents spreading germs to others.

• Using soap and water to wash our hands well is a simple yet effective way to stop germs from spreading.

Sending happy and healthy thoughts your way this week! I’m so glad you’re here, xo

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