Experiment Details

• Grade Level: 2nd–5th Grade (adaptable K–8)
• Key Topics: Germs, Hygiene, Modeling, Handwashing
• Estimated Time: 20–25 minutes
• Mess Factor: Medium (but worth it!)

Purpose: To model how germs spread from person to person and object to object, and to show why handwashing is important for staying healthy.

Hypothesis: If glitter is used to represent germs, then touching objects and people will spread the glitter everywhere—just like germs do!

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Put about 1 tablespoon of hand lotion on your hands and rub to cover your palms and fingers evenly.
2. Shake a small amount of glitter onto your hands so it sticks to the lotion. The glitter represents germs!
3. Without washing your hands, touch several objects—try toys, books, a doorknob, and other household items.
4. Ask a family member or friend to shake hands with you or give you a high five.
5. Look closely at each object and the other person’s hands. Where has the glitter spread?
6. Use a paper towel to wipe some of the objects—does the glitter transfer to the towel?
7. Now wash your hands well with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Dry your hands. Is any glitter left?
8. Clean up all remaining glitter with paper towels and throw them away.

Results & Scientific Explanation

You’ll notice glitter on almost every object you touched and on other people’s hands. This shows how easily germs can spread in real life—even when we can’t see them! The hand lotion helps glitter stick, just like germs stick to our skin. Washing hands well with soap and water removes the glitter, just as it removes germs. The lesson? Handwashing really works to keep us healthy!

• Germ transfer: Germs (glitter) spread to everything you touch and to people you contact.
• Handwashing: Soap and water remove germs by lifting them from the skin and washing them away.
• Visual model: Glitter helps children “see” the invisible journey of germs—and understand the power of hygiene!

Connecting to Everyday Life

The next time someone sneezes, coughs, or forgets to wash their hands, remember this experiment! Germs move from surfaces to people and back again. Use this lesson to start discussions about when and why to wash hands: before eating, after using the bathroom, after playing outside, and whenever hands look or feel dirty.