Germs Run Away When You Use This Technique

“Stay home,” “keep your distance,” and “WASH YOUR HANDS!” These are probably three of the most heard phrases in the last few weeks, and for good reason! With the COVID-19 pandemic taking place, my wife and I have seen so many opportunities for teaching moments with our kids! Here’s a fun and easy experiment that you can do to help grasp the concept of germs and proper handwashing!

My wife saw this done in the early stages of the Coronavirus outbreak and wanted to try with our five-year-old. Originally, she saw it done with black pepper, but because we were fresh out (and the store’s shelves were empty) she used dill. Any spice or seasoning that you have on hand would probably work!

1. Fill a plate with a little bit of water and sprinkle some of the seasoning (germs) on top.

2. Have your child dip his/her finger into the water and germs.

3. Next, have them dip that finger into a small amount of soap (we used dish soap). This is where the teaching moment about good hand washing comes into play.

4. When they dip their finger with soap back into the water/germ dish they’ll be able to see the germs scatter right before their eyes!

MAGIC! AND a good visual lesson. Especially right now. So, I know you’ve heard it plenty, but I’ll say it again. WASH YOUR HANDS!