Listen Up, Kids N

Wash hands with soap and water for 20-30 seconds (sing a song if counting is boring!), especially before it’s time to eat snacks or lunch. If they can’t get to a sink, rub hand sanitizer all over and in between fingers for 30 seconds until dry (more singing here, of course).

Avoid touching the face with unwashed hands throughout the day.

If they know a classmate is sick, try to avoid touching their desk and belongings.

Avoid close contact like kissing, hugging, close proximity games and sharing food with other children.

Time for Germs 101. Teach children not to touch their mouths to water fountains while drinking and not to eat food that has dropped from their plate onto their cafeteria tray or table. In 2005, a study of germs in schools discovered plastic cafeteria trays and water fountain spigots are the most germridden parts of any school with 2,700,000 bacteria per square inch on the spigot and 33,800 on the tray. If your kids don’t take this lesson seriously, tell them there are 3,200 bacteria per square inch on a toilet seat for comparison.