Cinnamon Magic

Materials:

Oil
Cinnamon/Soil
Old cloth
Water
Soap

Get your child's "dirty" with cinnamon/soil and oil. Rub a little vegetable oil on your child's hands, then sprinkle with cinnamon "germs" while explaining that real germs are too small to see. Be sure to tell your kids not to touch their noses or eyes while cinnamon is on their hands. Have your child wash his or her hands without soap. Ask them to tell you what they see. Have them touch an old cloth. What happens? The "germs" won't come off and they will stain the cloth. Add soap—and watch those "germs" disappear! Make sure that you wash hands with soap and water for 20 seconds—the time it takes to sing The Happy Birthday Song twice. Remind your child to wash their hands at school too!

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Glitter Germs

Materials:

Glitter
Water
Soap

Add some glitter to a bowl of water, let your child play around with the water, and then tell her/him to imagine the pieces of glitter that are stuck to their hands when they are finished playing are germs. Next, ask them to wash their hands only with water to see if the glitter comes off. When it doesn’t, ask them to wash their hands a second time using soap and ask them to count to 20 while they lather their hands before rinsing and drying off. The difference will be quite remarkable and will help them realize the importance of proper handwashing!