Explore food, recipes, measuring and so much more with our many manipulation, role play, and early science activities. This theme will help you create a special restaurant within your daycare!

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Nathalie Thibault's bachelor's degree in Microbiology and master's degree in Immunology make her a germ and immune system specialist. Since the birth of her two daughters, she has been particularly interested in the infections which affect children who attend daycare. She is a teacher, speaker, and author. The specialized documents and courses she conceives help those involved in early childhood outsmart germs. She writes for a magazine called La Culbute and the mamanpourlavie.com website.

Mr. Germ travels in First Class!

Use this short story to introduce a discussion about how germs travel from one child to another.

Instructions :

Sit in a circle and place a small car in the center. The caregiver draws a character on her index finger to represent Mr. Germ. She should have glitter nearby.

Hello everyone, my name is Mr. Germ. I have come from not so far away to tell you a story about my microscopic trip! I was daydreaming in (caregiver's name)'s nose (place your finger in your nose, come on, children will have a good laugh!) when she gave me the chance to go on the most wonderful trip a germ can go on. A-aa-achoo! (caregiver blows on the glitter) All of a sudden, I was blown away like a rocket to the moon and landed on a dust particle which was floating in the air. Did you know that dust is like a supersonic airplane in my daycare? Wow, friends really move here, there is turbulence! Oh, oh, I must descend. Not very long after that, with my parachute, I fall on a wonderful convertible car and take a ride around the daycare with (a child from your group). Vroom, vroom, hiiiiiiiiiii! And then, here comes (another child from your group) who absolutely wants me all to himself so I change my means of transportation and hop onto (child's name)'s hand. It's nice and warm on his hand. I relax a little before going to work. My trip is almost complete.

I travel from one nose to another all year long! That's right! I work really hard for you. I go in your mouth or your nose, I make baby germs and together, we guarantee that you live through all kinds of interesting experiences. With me, your tummy can hurt, you may want to vomit, have a fever, a runny nose, or make music with a cough. (Mr. Germ touches several hands and objects around him making sure to leave glitter behind, everywhere he goes).

(sung to: Row, row, row your boat)

Nice, nice, it is nice
To get in your nose
Fever and runny nose, tummy ache,
spinning head
Once I'm in your nose

Don't you think resting in bed and taking medicine is fun? Oh, I just love children! Okay, back to work now. Just as she was about to deposit me in her nose...the caregiver announced, "It's time to wash our hands everyone!" Oh no, not soap, I hate soap!

(sung to: Brother John)

Water tickles
Water tickles
Soap smells good
Soap smells good
Scrub your hands when cleaning
Scrub your hands when cleaning
Germs are gone
Germs are gone

Bubble, bubble... Now I am on a boat made of soap...we're turning...oh, oh! Mr. Germ is stuck in a whirlpool and disappears down the hole in our sink.

The last I heard, he is still travelling in the underground pipes. Before he left, he left a few of his friends on our hands and within the daycare. (Look at your hands. Children most likely have glitter in a few spots on their hands.)

Look for all the spots where glitter was deposited. Where did the germs go? Where can you find the most? What does this glitter trip mean? Discuss the story with the group.

Activity:

Draw Mr. Germ on each child's index finger and repeat the story and songs together.

I hope you have as much fun with this activity as I had writing it.

This text appeared in the La Culbute magazine, 2007.

Nathalie Thibault

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