Germs

Hi there. You can’t see me, but I am everywhere. I am super, super tiny, smaller than a little sprinkle on your yummy birthday cake. I love to travel all around. I ride on your hands when you play, I fly through the air in a big sneeze, and I love to hang out on your favorite toys. Sometimes, when too many of my naughty cousins come to visit, I can make you feel a little bit yucky. You might get the sniffles or a tummy ache. Do you know who I am? I'm a Germ. I'm part of a huge, giant family, and we are all around you, even if you can't see us.

For a long, long, long time, nobody knew my family and I were here. People would feel sick and they didn't know why. Then, one day in the 1670s, a very curious man named Antony van Leeuwenhoek made a special looking glass. It was called a microscope. It made tiny things look big. When he peeked through it at a drop of water, he shouted with surprise. He saw a secret world full of little things wiggling and swimming around. It was us. He was the very first person to see my family, and he thought we looked like little animals playing tag.

Later, other smart people like Louis Pasteur learned that my troublemaker cousins were the ones making people feel sick. Another man named Joseph Lister found out that keeping things super clean could stop us from spreading. Knowing about me isn't scary at all, it gives you a superpower. When you wash your hands with soap and warm, bubbly water, you become a health superhero. You wash my tricky cousins right down the drain. This helps you stay strong and healthy so you can run, play, and give the biggest, warmest hugs. You have the power to keep yourself safe and sound.