Why Do Kids Spread Germs So Easily?
When one kid gets sick, others quickly get sick, too. They don’t mean to, of course! But why do kids spread germs super fast like wildfire?
3 ways kids spread germs easily to each other
Through touching
Handshakes and high-fives are friendly ways to greet your friends, but directly touching someone who is sick can easily spread sickness. Even when you are not right next to a sick person, you can still get sick through touch.
If someone has sneezed into their hands or picked their nose, germs from the boogers leave the nose and get on the hands. If the sick person touches a doorknob, the germs get on the doorknob. The next kid who touches that doorknob can pick up those germs and get sick.
Through the bathroom
Other types of germs can spread from the bathroom onto food.
For example, if someone wipes their butt and leaves the bathroom without washing their hands, poop germs can get on their hands.
If they touch their friend’s food, those tiny invisible poop germs join the meal…and their friend can eat the germs.
Ew!
Poop germs can also spread when someone changes a diaper and forgets to wash their hands with soap and water.
Through the air
When you’re breathing, germs can sneak into your nose and mouth.
Coughing, sneezing, talking, and laughing — all of these actions can easily spread germs into the air.
Thankfully, when you breathe through your nose, helpful hairs can filter out some of those pesky germs.
How can kids prevent germs from spreading?
Wash your hands!
Rinsing your hands is not enough to prevent germs from spreading. Soap is the magic ingredient! When you rub your hands with soap and water, the rubbing action scrapes germs off your hands and into the sink drain.
More ways to learn about germs!
Published on October 13, 2025. Updated on October 13, 2025 by Betty Choi, MD
Published on October 13, 2025. Updated on October 13, 2025 by Betty Choi, MD
Betty Choi, MD
Dr. Betty Choi is a Harvard-trained pediatrician who makes learning fun and doable. She created the kids’ anatomy book Human Body Learning Lab, which Science Magazine recommends as a “notable standout in the genre.”