McFly's Tom Fletcher demonstrates a clever way to teach kids about washing their hands effectively
'Spreading knowledge, not germs'
Last updated 16th Mar 2020
In a time when it is super important to wash our hands and try to stop us touching our faces, McFly's Tom Fletcher has shared a video of him teaching his kids the effect soap has on a 'virus'.
Copying a video he'd seen online, Tom told his fans, 'Here’s an awesome way to help your kids understand why we need to wash our hands.
'I saw a video online of a teacher doing this with her class and thought I’d try it. Spreading knowledge, not germs! #covid_19 #corona #washyourhands'.
In the video, Tom can be seen grinding pepper over a bowl of water and seeing what happens when they put their unwashed fingers in it. Then, he repeats the experiment after putting soap on their fingers, and the reaction is instant, with the pepper moving away from the soap.
Tom's video has now had more than 10 million views, with 16,000 comments. One fan wrote, 'I worked in early years and always taught the children to wash their hands after using the loo. It's good to make it into a game singing a song is great for young children. You can make sure it's 20 seconds long. This is a fabulous post xx'.
With another fan saying, 'I’ve just done this with my 7 year old and she loved it ! She now fully understands why mummy keeps saying wash your hands'.
The original video of a teacher doing this experiment, has now had more than 62,000 views on Instagram and received praise from people around the world saying how important it is to teach kids the importance of washing their hands.
Meanwhile, comedian Jason Manford has also shared a photo saying, 'Little idea. Draw something on your children’s hands to encourage them to keep washing. ‘By the end of the day, I want that heart to have disappeared!'.
Here are 13 ways to keep your kids entertained at home:
Treasure hunt
If you're stuck at home for a while, then make it fun for your kids by hiding things around the house, and garden.
Whether it's eggs in the run up to Easter, or a total surprise, you can find plenty of ideas for clues on the Internet and we're sure you'll find some tricky places to hide the prizes.
Why not try out this Treasure Hunt Game from Amazon for £25.95?
I Spy
Normally saved for travelling in the car, why not try I Spy at home? Don't feel restricted to items in the house, if the weather is good get outside and choose something there. "I spy with my little eye…"
Science experiment
We're not recommending you turn your kitchen into a chemistry lab, but there are plenty of child-friendly science experiments available online or in the shops.
Whether you want to grow crystals, or make slime there will be something to occupy your kids. Just beware, it could get a bit messy!
Why not try out this Science Kit for Kids from Amazon for £15.99?
Painting
Painting, whether it's finger painting, or something more refined, it's a great way to spend a few hours (or even longer). If think your artistic skills are a limited then why not try painting by numbers instead?
Why not try out this Crayola Washable Kids Paint from Amazon for £4.99?
Learn a new language or improve one you already know
Always wanted to get your family learning a new language, or had to cancel a holiday recently? It doesn't matter that you aren't in the country that speaks the language. There are plenty of online language classes from free videos on YouTube to full courses that you pay for.
Why not try out this French Audio Course from Amazon for £14.72?
Computer games
There are so many computer games available, the list is endless, but there are plenty of party games suitable for kids and families to play, for the older kids, there are many games that will occupy them for hours or even days!
Pizza making
Make cooking a fun part of the day by getting your kids to make their own pizzas. If you're feeling adventurous you can make the dough yourself, otherwise just get the pizza bases and cover them with toppings of your choice.
Baking
If savoury cooking isn't your thing, try baking. Making a cake or cupcakes can be a great way to have fun in the kitchen with your little ones, for the younger ones they can help you decorate the cake. Meanwhile, older ones can help you make the mixture from scratch.
Den-making
It's time to take all of the cushions off the sofa and get the spare sheets out of the cupboard. There's nothing better than making a den for big and little kids, it might even take you back to your childhood.
In the garden
Even if the weather isn't great you can get your kids' green fingers started inside. Now is a great time to pick up some seedlings and sort out your greenhouse.
If the weather is good, get out and explore the garden. Grab a magnifying glass and have a look at the insects and plants a bit closer!
Board games
Don't discredit the good old board games. Although you might be tempted to bring out some of the family favourites like Monopoly or Scrabble, why not push the boat out and try something a bit different. It can be fun to learn a new board game as a family, some games that are easy to pick up include Carcassonne or Port Royal.
Why not try out Carcassonne from Amazon for £25.95?
Puzzles
Whatever their age, you'll be able to find a suitable puzzle, from the simple 10-piece ones for the younger kids, to the 1000 piece puzzles for the old kids, puzzles are a great way to occupy kids for a few hours over the week.
If you can set aside some space for it, then even better so they can go back to it when they have a moment. Finishing a puzzle can be a great sense of achievement and you can even buy some puzzles suitable for framing.
Why not try out this Impossible Puzzle from Amazon for £7.50?
Have a go at Origami
You don't have to visit Japan, to have a go at Origami and you don't even have to have fancy paper to do it, you can start off with some plain square paper (just fold an A4 piece into a diagonal).
Step-by-step directions on how to create everything from the crane to dinosaur can be found online for free, so if you have plenty of time on your hands this is a great skill to hone.
Why not try out this Origami Kit from Amazon for £13.99?
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