Sesame Street: What are Germs?

Photo by Ana Klipper

Sesame Workshop offers a video for small children talking about germs and how to stop them, with an emphasis on the importance of washing our hands with soap and water.

Explaining that “it can be hard for children to understand what germs are, and what we can do to prevent their spread” given that we can’t see them, the video explores what germs are and how to get rid of the ones that make people sick.

The emphasis is on the value of washing our hands regularly and effectively, helping to build the habits of hand-washing, particularly before eating, using soap and water. The emphasis is on building regular habits to care for ourselves and for others.

Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority developed a detailed teaching package for young children on this topic as part of their response to the Covid pandemic. The pack includes songs (using well-known nursery rhyme tunes), colouring sheets and posters, as well as guidance for adults in framing this learning for young children.