If your kid is in a phase of not wanting to wash their hands or perhaps not washing them well enough as you try to keep away all the winter germs spreading around right now, this fun and easy science experiment is for you.
With a newborn in the house and sick season in full swing, we have been having our almost 4 year old wash her hands more often to try to keep her and her little brother from getting sick. She has figured out that her little brother doesn't like being picked up or snuggled with cold hands which was her reason (sweet as it may be) that she didn't want to wash her hands since the water made her hands cold. But we needed her to get onboard with more often and thorough handwashing so I started researching tips, tricks, etc.
I thought about getting soap geared toward kids that might be a little more fun, buying an automatic dispenser, or using some sort of timer. But my daughter has been in a big "why" phase asking lots of questions about things so when I found this experiment online, I thought it would engage her and hopefully help her understand why it is so important to wash our hands.
She had a lot of fun with it and did seem to grasp the concept that soap/handwashing would help keep germs away from her and her baby brother. Plus, she had so much fun repelling the pepper "germs" that she kept at it and then poured all the soap in the bowl leading to a long session of water play that kept her entertained well beyond the official experiment which was a nice bonus!
To get started, you'll just need these 4 basic kitchen items:
- pepper
- dish soap
- water
- 2 shallow bowls
To prep the experiment:
- Fill a bowl with water. (NOTE: It's ideal if the bowl is white or use a clear bowl and place it on a white piece of paper or white countertop so you can see the experiment in action better.)
- Fill a smaller bowl with dish soap.
- Have your kid(s) sprinkle pepper on the surface of the water.
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To do the experiment:
- Have your kid(s) dip a finger in the water and see how the pepper (aka "germs") stick to their finger.
- Have your kid(s) rinse off the pepper and then dip their finger in the soap.
- Have your kid(s) put their soapy finger in the water again and see how the soap sends the pepper (aka "germs") away from their fingers, protecting them from the germs.
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If you'd like more context on this experiment as you prepare to try it with your kids, I viewed several examples online and found this video to be the shortest and most straightforward and this blog the most helpful with some good guidance on talking to your kids about germs and why it is so important to wash your hands.
I hope you and your little(s) try this out too and have fun, learn, and keep the sicknesses going around right now away from your home!
Interested in more fun things for your family?
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