It's not always easy to teach our children about the germs, that live all around us. After all, we can't see them. It's like the old saying goes "Out of sight, out of mind" and kids are usually the major culprit behind this saying. I thought this would be a great time to discuss the importance of proper hand washing since this is the prime time for flu season. So, how can we teach our children about the germs on their hands and every single thing they touch? The answer is more simple than you probably think!

In order to get your child to understand how easily germs are spread to objects and others, being able to actually see the germs on objects and others needs to be possible.

GLITTER BUG LOTION

There's an awesome product called Glitter Bug Lotion that will help you with the visuals.

How Glitter Bug Lotion Works

Glitter Bug Lotion is exactly as the name implies (minus the bug part lol). The lotion is pumped into the hands and rubbed in the same as you would with regular hand lotion. Once the lotion has been applied, anything that you touch will leave behind a residue. You won't be able to see the residue, that is—until you turn on a black light.

When I was going through training for a nursing job at a doctor's office, as part of our training they actually had us perform the experiments below. Let me tell you, I was extremely surprised by the results...REALLY!

FUN EXPERIMENTS TO TRY

These activities will help simulate how easily germs are spread and the importance of hand washing.

EXPERIMENT 1:

At the start of your day, pump one or two pumps of the Glitter Bug Lotion on your child's hands as well as your.

Make sure to rub the lotion completely into your hands (the palms, fingernails,  and the backs of your hands.)

Go about your day as usual. At the end of the day, turn off all  the lights and turn on your black light. Not only will your child be amazed at how much of the residue was spread around your home, but you will too!

EXPERIMENT 2:

Once again, pump one to two pumps of Glitter Bug Lotion into your child's hands making sure to completely rub it in.

Turn your black light on and have your child place their hands under the black light to see exactly how germs cling to their hands.

Next, have your child was their hands as they normally do (this is the fun part!).

Now, have them place their hands back under the black light.

What do you see? Most likely, there's still a fair amount of Glitter Bug Lotion residue left on their hands. What this tells you is that your little one isn't washing their hands as well as they actually should be.

The nice thing about Glitter Bug Lotion is that it's a great way to teach children not only the importance of hand washing, but better hand washing!

These experiments are a real eye opener not only for your child, but you as well.

If you are interested in trying these fun experiments out with your children or students, here's a link to where you can purchaseGlitter Bug Lotion. Please note that this link is an affiliate link, which means that if you decide to click on the link and make a purchase—I will receive a small commission. If you'd like to learn more about affiliate links, please read ourAffiliate Link Disclosure Policy. Thanks!

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