science mom

Today I was "Science Mom" at Bug's preschool. I had no idea what that meant when I signed up for it at the start of school. The teacher had no specific date for me and no curricular topic for me. All I knew is that last month they'd done color mixing, so I needed something different. I read a fun idea somewhere (can't credit it b/c I've no idea where) about teaching children to wash away germs. Seeing as it is Prime Germ Season right now it was a perfect fit.

If you'd like to play along at home, you will need:

• magnifying glass (I borrowed enough for everyone from the elementary school)
• white paper towels
• soap and water
• Crisco
• ground cinnamon

Directions:

• Spread a dab of Crisco on your hands, smearing it all over the fingernails and between the fingers.
  
• Sprinkle cinnamon "germs" on your hands and rub them around also.
• Look at the germs with the magnifying glass
• Try to wipe off the germs with a dry paper towel
• Look for any remaining germs with the magnifying glass
  
• Wash hands with soap and water
• Look for any hidden germs in between fingers and by fingernails (Lather, Rinse and Repeat)

I also read a couple of books: Body Battles by Rita Gelman and The Germ Patrol by Shulman, Stolp and Voss. The kids were all over the discussion of sticking one's fingers in one's nose, sucking thumbs and wiping noses on hands. Calling white blood cells soldiers in battle also drew a lot of interest. Having lots of magnifying glasses was crucial. So, overall, I think I did well. We'll see what Bug remembers when he gets home from school. And if hand washing in my house improves at all.