Microbes are everywhere. Do your children know this?
Maybe your children already know microbes are everywhere, but do they know how awesome microbes are? Are you interested in getting your kids excited about microbes? Well, here are some fun and interesting ways for you to share the microbial world with your children.
Why Teach Kids About Microbes? They’re Everywhere and Essential!
Microbes, those tiny organisms we can’t see with the naked eye, are everywhere! They’re on our skin, in our gut, floating in the air, and teeming in the soil. But don’t be scared! Most microbes are actually beneficial, playing vital roles in our lives:
- Gut Health: The trillions of microbes in our gut help us digest food, absorb nutrients, and even produce essential vitamins. A healthy gut microbiome is linked to a strong immune system and overall well-being.
- Decomposers: Microbes break down dead plants and animals, returning nutrients back to the soil and keeping our environment healthy. They’re nature’s recyclers!
- Medicine Makers: Some microbes even produce antibiotics and other medicines that help fight disease.
Teaching kids about microbes from a young age fosters curiosity about the unseen world around them. It helps them understand:
- The importance of good hygiene: By learning about how germs spread, kids can develop healthy habits like handwashing and preventing the spread of illness.
- The wonders of science: Microbiology offers a fascinating glimpse into the microscopic world (especially with a home microscope!), sparking a love for science and discovery.
- Appreciation for nature: Understanding the role of microbes in the environment helps kids appreciate the delicate balance of our planet’s ecosystems.
Safety First When Exploring the Microbial World!
While most activities in this post are safe for children, here are a few reminders:
- Adult supervision: Whenever conducting experiments or growing microbes, adult supervision is crucial.
- Cleanliness: Wash hands thoroughly before and after handling any materials or equipment.
- Proper disposal: Follow instructions for disposing of used growth media or cultures.
- Not for consumption: Never ingest anything grown in these experiments.
By keeping these safety tips in mind, you can ensure a fun and educational experience for your little microbiologists!
This post contains affiliate links — see my disclosure policy.
1. Read them the best children’s book ever
Do Not Lick This Book written by Idan Ben-Barak and illustrated by Julian Frost.
This book is not only precious — it’s a story about a microbe named Min — but it also has real microscopic pictures of various everyday things like fabric, teeth, and paper. So, it’s both delightful and educational!
Discover 2 other great children’s books about microbes in this post.
2. Give them some plush microbes
The company GIANTmicrobes sells plush bacteria, viruses, and fungi. To give you an idea, here are some of the microbes they have turned into stuffed “animalcules“: Staphylococcus aureus (Staph), the common cold (Rhinovirus), and even packs of microbes like “Gut Check” (see above photo) that has Escherichia coli (E. coli), Diarrhea (Campylobacter jejuni), Food Poisoning (Bacillus cereus), Salmonella, and Ulcer (Helicobacter pylori).
3. Grow some microbes at home
Idea 1: If you want to show your kids the microbes that live on them, around the house, or outside, you can make microbial growth media. All it requires is water, agar, a bouillon cube, and some sugar. Follow this link for a tutorial.
Idea 2: If you want to avoid the trouble of making your own growth media, you can actually buy some online! This kit provides everything you need to culture microbes at home: Petri dishes with growth media, sterile cotton swabs, and sterile saline. The saline helps you collect the microbes when you are sampling items with the cotton swab.
Looking for more microbiology activities to do with your kids? Check out my ebook ‘Joyful Microbiology Activities‘!
4. Get a microscope
If you want to show your children microbes up close, you can buy a microscope. Microscopes can be expensive but don’t worry, I’m also giving you cheaper alternatives.
You can find many different microscopes on Amazon. I bought a compound microscope I love from Amazon and wrote a post all about it. Check it out because the post includes a fun microscopy activity. If you want to look at a few different compound microscope options, check out this post where I review the best compound microscopes for looking at bacteria.
If you would like to spend less than $50, you can try out a portable microscope such as a pocket microscope or a paper microscope called a Foldscope (find out more about Foldscope in this post). However, you’ll need a compound microscope if you’d like to be able to see bacteria.
5. Play a game
Maybe your family likes to play board games and the kids are a little older (8+). Look no further. You can teach them about germs with the game Pandemic: The Cure. With 2-5 players, you have to work together to prevent outbreaks from becoming pandemics.
Okay, that’s it! Now you have 5 different ways you can share the microbial world with your kids. I hope they get excited and maybe even want to study microbes one day!
Want to take your kids on a hands-on exploration of the microscopic world? Be sure to grab my ebook, ‘Joyful Microbiology Activities,’ which has 10 fun and simple microbiology activities you can do at home or in the classroom!
How long should I wash my hands?
