Fighting Germs Printable Cards

Germs aren’t just “cooties” or gross sticky stuff that gets on us, but they are tiny living creatures that can be quite serious. But that doesn’t mean we can’t have fun learning how to fight germs. These fighting germs printable cards can help make learning about germs a fun game.

Do you love this topic? See the other health worksheets for kids.

Germs are found all over the world, in almost every kind of place you can think of. These microscopic creatures are too small for our eyes to see, but they are everywhere! So we need to show our kids what causes illness and how to prevent infections.

From the sole of your shoe to the inside of your pencil case, germs are lurking in every corner. We’ve even found germs inside volcanos or at the bottom of the icebergs!

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What are germs?

Germs are tiny organisms that live on anything and everything. There are four different kinds of germs: fungi, protozoa, viruses, and bacteria.

Fungi

Fungi are plant-like creatures, but unlike plants, they live off other living things to get their nutrients. Things like mushrooms, molds, and moss are examples of fungi.

Most fungi aren’t harmful to humans, but sometimes, fungi will attach to humans and cause infection – like athlete’s foot fungi can cause rashes and itchiness on your toes. You can’t always see what the fungi look like until a bunch of fungi organisms grow together into something bigger.

Protozoa

Protozoa are special kinds of tiny organisms that love water and damp places. Sometimes, if the water you drink or wash in isn’t clean, it can get inside you and make your stomach hurt.

Viruses

Viruses and bacteriophages aren’t actually cells at all, but pieces of living “code” that require other cells to live and reproduce. When they get inside a “host”, they take over and turn the host into a mini-factory that makes many copies of itself.

They don’t live long outside a host but can spread quickly. When they do infect, they often cause irritating and even serious illnesses, like chicken pox, measles, or influenza.

Bacteria

Bacteria are tiny little organisms made of a single cell, the building block of life. These are the smallest you can get and still be called alive. There are five different kinds of bacteria that we’ve named by their shapes.

And not all bacteria are bad!

Some can be quite useful, like the good bacteria that live inside our intestines and help us break down food to get the most out of it. But some bacteria are very bad for us and can make us quite sick.

Recommended Germ Books

Learn all about germs, where they’re found, and what we can do about them with these great books. And know the difference between those organisms we call “germs” and the kinds of microbes that are actually very useful, even essential.

A great story can help bring topics to life, and good pictures with facts can help long-term learning.

The Bacteria Book: The Big World of Really Tiny MicrobesAnti-germs kids: A funny way to learn about fighting germs / protect yourself from the viruses by a few simple techniquesRhyming Book for KidsGerms, YUK!: Interactive Germ Book for Preschool & Toddler Children Ages 2-5 | Hand Washing Book for KidsGerms Are Not for Sharing (Board Book) (Best Behavior Series)Anna and the Germ that Came to Visit

 

How do germs spread?

Germs spread in many ways, including through water, air, and touch. Usually, an infected person or animal spreads their germs by coughing, sneezing, or touching things with germs on their hands.

Then someone who is uninfected comes by and breathes in the germs in the air or touches the same surface before it gets washed, then touches their nose, mouth, or eyes and gets infected too.

Sometimes, germs can spread through poor hygiene, like not washing your hands enough or cleaning surfaces enough. Sometimes, they’re spread when waste from the sewers spills into clean drinking water. Germs can also spread through insect bites, like mosquito bites.

Because germs are so tiny, we don’t know when we are at risk. But when we get attacked by germs, it can make us feel awful. Germs can infect in multiple ways, but there are some things we can do to make sure we don’t get sick.

Simple things, like washing our hands often, can help prevent illness. Plain soap and water can help prevent hands and surfaces from spreading germs.

We can also treat water with chemicals to keep germs out or use chemical products to get rid of insects that spread germs.

Teaching kids about healthy food and habits? I have fun activities, printables, and more on this list of Health and Hygiene for Kids.

Fighting Germs Printable Cards Supplies

• Printer (I have this one)
• Paper
• Cardstock
• Scissors
• Glue

I have the HP printer 8710, but it’s no longer available. HP Instant Ink-ready printers have programs that send you ink cartridges whenever your printer runs out of ink.

Recommended Health Worksheets

Junior Scientist Science Study: Healthy Habits

Lessen the risk of getting infected with germs that harm your child’s health. Teach your kids healthy habits using these worksheets and let them learn about personal hygiene, healthy eating, dental health, and the importance of a healthy mind.

Junior Scientist Science Study: Dental Health

Aside from ensuring our child’s health, we also want to keep their smiles to be bright and healthy. These worksheets will help them explore the anatomy of teeth, their kinds and functions, and know the importance of proper brushing techniques.

How do germs reproduce?

Germs reproduce in many different ways. It depends on what kind of germ it is.

Bacteria and protozoa are cells, so they reproduce like all cells do, by dividing themselves into copies. If bacteria can divide and reproduce quickly, they can be more dangerous.

Viruses reproduce by taking over the host cell and using it to make more viruses. Once the cell has filled up with multiple copies of the virus, it will burst and release all the viruses to find new hosts and make more copies.

Fungi reproduce by creating tiny, seed-like things called spores. Sometimes, the spores can be more dangerous than the fungi because they can spread faster. If spores get inside humans, they can cause infections, especially in the lungs.

What’s included in fighting germs printable cards?

These include 12 printable cards about germs and how to fight them. You can have cards for where germs are found, bacteriophage, bacteria and their types, good bacteria, viruses, and how bacteria and viruses reproduce. It also has cards for antibiotics, colds, hand washing, and soap.

Extend this activity by cutting each card and pasting it on cardboard to make it last longer. You can quiz them by reading the description and making them guess what it is. You can also do fill in the blanks type. Or whenever they forget to wash their hands, quiz them using these!

This printable is great for practicing memorization skills. It also informs your learners about germs and their kind—it teaches them what medicines are used, what they can get from being infected, and what they can do to prevent it.

Did you enjoy this activity? Try this Glitter Germ Experiment, too.

Fun Health Worksheets to Try

Keep your child clean, healthy, and smiling brightly with these health worksheets. They will surely enjoy doing this while learning healthy habits.

• Cleanliness Worksheets for Kindergarten
• Hygiene Worksheet for Elementary Students
• Personal Hygiene Worksheets for Kids
• Virus Worksheets for Kids
• Dental Health Preschool Color by Letter by Homeschool Preschool
• Tooth Fairy & Dental Pack by 3 Dinosaurs

It is an all-in-one printable that is full of learning and instills the importance of having good personal hygiene and keeping healthy habits. Do not miss these out!

Download the fighting germs printable cards below

Cleanliness starts within us and in our homes. We have to set a good example for our kids to follow our healthy habits. Keep our surroundings clean and always be healthy inside and out!