Cool experiment teaches kids how important it is to wash their hands

To avoid spreading harmful bacteria and germs it's extremely important for us to wash our hands regularly. As kids, we learn to wash up before meals and it becomes part of our regular routine. But not many of us realize how important this simple act really is. It not only removes dirt and germs, but can also prevent the spread of cold and flu viruses when they're at their worst during the colder months of the year.

Courtney Lee Simpson is a Pre-kindergarten teacher, which means she deals with some very dirty little hands on a daily basis. She wanted to find a way to teach her pupils the value of hand washing, something that would make more of an impression than simply telling the children to do it. So in 2014 she came up with a very clever idea that gave her class a much clearer picture of how easily germs and bacteria can be spread to their friends, parents and teachers.

First she cut three slices of white bread from a loaf. Then she put on plastic gloves and put the first slice in a sealable plastic baggie.

For the next step she took off the gloves, washed her hands thoroughly, picked up the second slice and put it in another sealable baggie.

For the final part of the experiment she let everyone in the class touch and hold the third piece of bread before sealing it in another plastic bag.

A few days later the kids were allowed to see what had happened to the bread and some of them were quite disgusted with what they saw:

The first two slices still looked good enough to eat, but the third one was another story. After being touched and handled by the kids, the third slice was covered with a thick coating of mold.

What a clever way to teach her pupils a valuable lesson. And with an image like that in their memory, it's not one they'll soon forget!