Spreading Bugs Activities

e-Bug was developed for use in schools pre-COVID-19 and so some activities may require modification based on your school’s distancing guidelines. Please use your judgement and tell us how you have modified the activities, or if you would like to discuss some ideas, contact e-Bug@phe.gov.uk

Respiratory hygiene activity

Suitable for KS1, KS2, KS3, and community groups.

Please watch the video above for a full demonstration of this activity.

This activity has been popular in several different situations including school assemblies, science shows and festivals, even at a flu vaccination launch event for public health professionals! It demonstrates the best way to keep coughs and sneezes from spreading microbes.

A summary of instructions for both school and community groups can be found here. You will also find a link in the downloads section below.

Horrid Hands (10-15 mins)

Suitable for KS1, KS2, and community groups.

This activity involves the use of UV gel and a torch to demonstrate the spread of microbes through our hands. The invisible UV gel represents “pretend microbes”, whilst the torch represents a “microbe detector”, as the gel can only be seen under the UV light.

A summary of instructions for both school and community groups can be found here. You will also find a link in the downloads section below.

Soap, Water, and Pepper experiment (10 mins)

Suitable for KS1, KS2, and community groups.

This activity involves the use of a hand soap dispenser, pepper, and water to demonstrate why we need to use soap to wash our hands and why water alone is not as effective.

A summary of instructions for both school and community groups can be found here. You will also find a link in the downloads section below.

If you are supporting home-learning or working with small groups of children, we have additional activities on microbes and the spread of infection in our newly launched Antibiotic Guardian Youth Badge Leader and Volunteer Activity Pack. Click here to access this resource.

Have you carried out any activities which are similar to these?

Let us know your experiences in the comments below.