Toddler Learns Importance of Handwashing Thanks to Visual Trick Using Pepper and Soap

A lo-fi science experiment using pepper and soap has garnered a lot of attention because of its ability to illustrate the benefits of handwashing.

Patcha Butr-amka of Abbotsford, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia, saw the experiment and thought she would try it with her own son. She recorded this video of her husband showing her three-year-old son, Tyden, the trick. She told Storyful she and her husband always try to find fun and interactive ways to teach Tyden.

“I thought this would be a perfect time to show this effect to my son to help him understand, visually, the importance of washing the hands with soap,” she said.

According to the Australian Government Department of Health, 94 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Victoria, where Butr-amka’s family lives.

She told Storyful at first Tyden was confused, but then seemed fascinated and wanted to try the experiment a few more times.

“Now, every time we ask him why he should wash the hand with soap, he says, ‘To let virus go away,’” she said. Credit: Patcha Butr-amka via Storyful