Buster the Glo Germ Visits to Help with Handwashing
It’s one thing to explain to kids why good handwashing is important for staying healthy. It’s another for them to actually “see” how washing their hands properly kills germs that could make them sick.
Enter Buster the Glo Germ, a special (stuffed) guest who recently visited The Malvern School of Lionville. Thanks to the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Buster brought some special gear to help our teachers bring handwashing lessons to life in a new way.
The coolest part? Using Glo Germs to help our young friends perfect their handwashing technique.
First, each child rubbed lotion-based simulated germs onto their hands, which you can’t see with the naked eye – like real germs – but these “germs” become visible under a black light. After seeing the “germs” on their hands, kids got to washing their hands.
After the first wash, we put their hands back under the black light to check if all the germs were gone. Even though we sang our ABCs two times while washing, they were surprised to see some of the spots where germs were still hiding! By actually seeing where they needed to do a better job of scrubbing, everyone got back to the sink to make sure the germs were gone – for good.
Buster also brought with him new books, such as “Germs Make Me Sick,” “Katie Caught a Cold,” and “The Elephant with the Big Earache,” that our classes read and discussed as part of their ongoing education about health and wellness.
“These integrated activities provided such a fun, different approach as we continue teaching our friends about germs in a safe way that’s not scary for them,” says Nicole Dettinger, Executive Director at The Malvern School of Lionville. “The Glo Germs are always a hit with the kids and, most importantly, we’re helping children take better health precautions with better handwashing techniques.”
For more handwashing learning tools and activities that can be done at home, visit the CDC’s handwashing hub at https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/training-education.html.
