Germs and Staying Healthy

What are germs?

Germs are tiny, tiny living things. They are so small that we cannot see them with our eyes. We would need a special machine called a microscope to see them.

Germs are everywhere. They are on door handles, on toys, on money, and on our hands. Most germs are harmless. But some germs can get inside our bodies and make us feel poorly. They can give us a runny nose, a cough, a sore tummy or a hot feeling called a temperature.

When you feel sick, your body is busy fighting the germs. That is why you might need to rest in bed for a few days.

How do germs travel?

Germs cannot walk or fly by themselves. They need a ride. Here is how they move around:

• On hands. You touch something with germs on it. Now the germs are on your hands. If you touch your mouth or eyes, the germs go inside you.
• In coughs and sneezes. When you cough or sneeze, tiny wet drops fly out into the air. Germs ride on those drops. Achoo!
• On shared things. Cups, spoons and toys can pass germs from one person to another.

Think of germs like glitter. Once glitter is on your hands, it gets on everything you touch! Germs are sticky in the same way. That is why we have clever habits to wash them away.

Washing hands the right way

The best way to beat germs is washing your hands. Soap and water work like magic. They help the germs slide right off your skin and down the drain.

Here is how to do it well:

1. Wet your hands with warm water.
2. Add soap and rub your hands together.
3. Scrub the backs, between your fingers, and your thumbs.
4. Keep scrubbing while you sing Happy Birthday two times.
5. Rinse off all the bubbles.
6. Dry your hands on a clean towel.

Wash your hands before you eat, after you use the toilet, after you play outside, and after you cough or sneeze. You can learn more about keeping your mouth healthy too in teeth and healthy eating.

Other ways to stay healthy

Your body has its own germ-fighting team inside it. You can read all about it in how the immune system works. You can help your body stay strong with these simple habits:

• Cover your cough. Cough or sneeze into your elbow, not your hands. This catches the germs so they do not fly onto other people.
• Eat good food. Fruit and vegetables help your body stay strong.
• Drink water. Water keeps your whole body working well.
• Sleep well. Your body fixes itself and grows while you sleep.
• Move and play. Running and jumping keep your body healthy and happy.

When you do these things, you take good care of yourself and the people around you.

Try it: the glitter germs game

This fun game shows how germs spread from hands.

1. Ask a grown-up to help. Put a little glitter or flour on your hands. Pretend the glitter is germs.
2. Now shake a friend's hand, open a door, and pick up a toy.
3. Look! The glitter went everywhere you touched. That is just how germs travel.
4. Now go and wash your hands with soap and water. Watch the glitter wash away.

Why it works: This shows you why washing hands is so important. The glitter that disappears down the drain is just like the germs that wash away. Clean hands keep the germs from spreading to your food, your face and your friends. Well done for being a germ-fighting helper!