Germs are the tiny bacteria, fungi, and viruses that can make you sick. You can’t see germs, but they sit on surfaces that you touch, like doorknobs, light switches, and faucet handles. If germs get on your hands and you don’t wash them off, they could make you sick. Washing hands is one of the most important things you can do to get rid of germs and stay healthy.

The Basics of Germs

Germs are a natural part of the environment. For example, germs can come from people who are sick, and they can come from foods. Sitting on a surface, germs can multiply quickly. Touching a surface with germs on it will transfer the germs to your hands. Once they’re there, if you touch your eyes, nose, or mouth, the germs can enter your body and make you sick.

When to Wash Your Hands

Wash your hands often during the day to keep them free of germs. You should always wash your hands before you help prepare food in the kitchen and before eating. Wash your hands after using the bathroom, too. Head to the sink to wash your hands after touching an animal, coming in from playing outside, blowing your nose, and touching garbage, too.

How to Wash Your Hands

It’s important to wash your hands correctly to make sure that you kill as many germs as possible. Get your hands wet with warm water. Put soap on your hands and rub them together to make lots of bubbles. Make sure you scrub everywhere on your hands, including between your fingers, under fingernails, and on the backs of your hands. While you scrub, trying singing a verse of your favorite song because this might help make sure that you lather your hands for at least 20 seconds. After you finish scrubbing, rinse your hands and dry them with a clean towel.

• What Are Germs? Learn about germs and how they can make you sick on this page.
• Bug Out! The Canadian Red Cross wrote this brochure about germs and how to stay healthy.
• Louis Pasteur Facts: Learn about Louis Pasteur on this Web page. He was a scientist who studied disease and the immune system.
• Can Germs Be Good For You? This website explains how germs enter the body and how to avoid them.
• 7 Facts About Mucus, Phlegm, and Boogers: Seven facts about mucus and phlegm will help you understand bodily functions.
• Watch Germs Spread: Germs are invisible, but learn how they spread with this activity.
• Sid the Science Kid: The Journey of a Germ: Watch a video of Sid the Science Kid to learn about germs.
• Bill Nye Demonstration: How Do Germs Spread? Watch Bill Nye explain how germs spread to make people sick.
• Good Clean Fun Coloring and Activities: Learn how to keep your hands clean and how to wash them in this activity book.
• Be a Germ-Buster: This activity book teaches you how to fight germs to stay healthy.
• Biology for Kids: Bacteria: This page teaches about bacteria and how it can be dangerous.
• Fight Germs: Play a game using soap and water to wash away germs.
• Germs Away: This activity book has games and lessons about germs and how to stay clean for better health.
• Steps to Washing Your Hands: Print this worksheet with the hand-washing steps, then cut out the pictures and put them in the proper order.
• Children’s Pack Animation: Watch a video about fighting germs by keeping your hands clean.