Why Schools Are Germ Pools and How to Keep Kids Healthy

The transition into fall and winter brings the inevitable sniffles and sneezes from your family. If you feel like your child’s classroom is basically a giant petri dish, you’re not wrong. 

Schools are naturally full of germs – kids share everything, including germs (the crayon that was in one kid’s mouth will inevitably be lent to another!). For parents of young kids (from preschool through middle school), this “school sickness” cycle of runny noses and tummy bugs can seem endless.

The good news? While school germs are unavoidable (after all, kids are kids), there are plenty of ways to keep your kids healthy during school months. 

Let’s dive into why schools are such germ magnets and how to keep kids healthy during school with some practical strategies.

Why Are Schools Germ Pools?

It’s often joked that schools are germ factories, and there’s truth behind the humor. Infections spread easily in schools because of how kids interact and the environment: children touch shared objects and surfaces, play closely together, and (let’s be honest) their hygiene habits are still a work in progress. Young kids, especially, are still building their immune systems. All it takes is one child coming to class with a virus for the chain of sniffles to begin.

The average young child can get several colds in a year (more than adults do), thanks to all this germ swapping. Cold and flu viruses love an environment where kids are in close contact with each other, and that describes every school lunch table and circle time rug. And it’s not just colds – “back-to-school” season often brings waves of stomach bugs, pinkeye, and other fun surprises. The preschool and elementary years are basically training camp for the immune system.

Even objects your kids bring to and from school can carry germs. Lunchboxes, water bottles, and backpacks get dropped on floors and handle all sorts of mess. One study found 73% of school lunchboxes had high levels of bacteria that could even pose some health risks. 

If you just went “eww!”, you’re not alone. No wonder wiping down these items becomes important, which brings us to our next section: practical germ-fighting tips.

How to Keep Kids Healthy at School: Germ Prevention Tips for Kids

You can’t put your child in a bubble, but you can teach them habits and make choices that reduce the chances of them (and the rest of the family) getting sick. Here are some germ prevention tips for kids that mix common sense with guidance from pediatric health experts.

Encourage Frequent Handwashing

Handwashing is like the superhero of germ-fighting. The CDC and pediatricians agree that frequent hand-washing is the simplest, most effective way to stay healthy. Teach your kids to wash their hands with soap for at least 20 seconds (singing the "Happy Birthday" song twice is a good timer) – especially before eating, after using the bathroom, and after coughing or sneezing (we’ll dive into that etiquette in a moment). If soap and water aren’t available, give them an alcohol-based hand sanitizer for their backpack as a backup.

Stay Up-to-Date on Vaccinations

Make sure your child is current on all recommended vaccines, including the yearly flu shot and COVID-19 vaccine if eligible. Staying up to date on vaccinations is essential to prevent illness (and especially to prevent severe illness). Schools require many vaccines for attendance for good reason – high vaccination rates keep vaccine-preventable diseases out of classrooms. Check with your pediatrician or local health department about flu shots each fall and any updated COVID boosters or other immunizations your child might need. Vaccines are one of the best shields we have against the nastier germs out there.

Teach Proper Coughing and Sneezing Etiquette

Kids don’t automatically know how to cough or sneeze in a “germ-safe” way – it’s our job to show them. Remind your child to cover their mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing, then toss the tissue immediately. No tissue available? Have them sneeze or cough into the elbow of their sleeve rather than their hands. (You might call it the "vampire sneeze" for fun, because they’ll look like Dracula hiding his face with a cape!) And of course, they should wash their hands right after blowing their nose or coughing to keep those germs from spreading. Making “cover your cough” a habit can greatly cut down on how many germs go flying around the classroom air.

Keep Sick Kids Home

We know, deciding when to keep your child home can be tough – you don’t want them to miss too much school, but you also don’t want to start a plague in the classroom. The rule of thumb from pediatric experts: if your child has a high fever, is vomiting, or has a severe cough, they should stay home and recover. A good practice is to wait at least 24 hours after a fever has gone down (without medicine) and after other symptoms improve before sending them back to school. Keeping sick kids home not only helps them heal faster, it also prevents the germ from making the rounds to every other child (and teacher) in class (and possibly circling back around to start the whole cycle over). So if you’re on the fence, err on the side of caution – a day of rest can prevent a week of sniffles for many.

Disinfect Lunchboxes, Backpacks, and Water Bottles Regularly

Remember that gross fact about the germy lunchboxes? Cleaning these items is an easy win in the war on germs. Wash and disinfect your child’s lunchbox and water bottle daily, if possible – a quick soapy rinse or wipe-down will do wonders to nix bacteria. Many lunch bags can even go in the washing machine or dishwasher for a deeper clean each week. Backpacks don’t need to be cleaned as often, but do aim to wash backpacks every so often (like at the end of each term or during school breaks) to remove the collection of germs and gunk they accumulate. By keeping the gear that travels to school and back clean, you cut down on the germs hitchhiking into your home. Plus, it’s a great life lesson for kids to take care of their belongings – win-win!

*And one more bonus tip: Encourage healthy habits like a good night’s sleep and a balanced diet. A well-rested, well-nourished child’s immune system is better at fighting off those school germs.

Conclusion

While you can’t prevent every case of the sniffles or entirely eliminate the germ-pool nature of schools, these strategies will stack the odds in your favor. Schools may be germ pools by design, but with a lot of hand soap and some consistent routines, you can significantly reduce the frequency of “preschool sickness” in your household. 

Remember, germs are everywhere, but so is your ability to fight back with common-sense precautions. By teaching your kids these healthy habits and following current pediatric guidance, you’ll keep your little ones as healthy as possible – and in school learning (instead of home sick on the couch). Here’s to a school year filled with more learning and laughter than coughs and colds! Stay healthy out there, parents and kids alike.