Back in February, when our class was learning about how to be healthy, we tried an experiment with pepper and soap. This science experiment was designed to teach young children about how soap helps to get rid of germs. Germs are so tiny and hard to see, so it is difficult for young kiddos to grasp the concept of them. This project allows them to visualize the germs fleeing from the soap when they wash their hands.
Supplies you will need:
A bowl
Water
Pepper
Dish soap (Dawn works very well for this)
What to do:
Fill the bowl with water.
Pull out the container of pepper. Show the children the small pepper grains and explain that we are pretending these are germs. Show them how the germs stick to our hands and can spread from one person to another when we touch each other. Your hands may need to be slightly damp to do this (glitter works best for this particular demonstration - it sticks to everything!).
Sprinkle the pepper onto the water. Cover the top of the water with a nice layer of pepper.
Place a drop of soap in the center of your pepper and water. The pepper will immediately move away from the soap to the edges of the bowl.
Follow up by having your children wash their own hands with soap and water. Singing the ABC’s while hand-washing is a good way to make sure you have spent enough time washing, as well as good practice for the alphabet.
