The CDC offers free downloadable germ posters directly from its website. Posters come in themes such as "Germ Stopper," "Healthy Habits" and "Cover Your Cough," illustrating how children should cover their coughs and sneezes and keep their hands clean. Posters are available only as PDF files, and come in sizes from 7 X 10.75 inches to 8.5 x 11 inches. All images can be printed in either color or black and white. The CDC provides a variety of different language options for non-native English speakers, including Spanish, Portuguese, French, Chinese, Vietnamese, Hmong, Khmer, and Laotian.
Hand washing is key to preventing the spread of germs. Preschool teachers can instruct students on proper hand-washing techniques through a colorful classroom poster that features real life photographs. Use a digital camera to capture images of the children washing their hands. Make sure to include various stages of the process such as using a soap pump, lathering hands, running hands under water and drying hands with a towel. Print the pictures and arrange them on a bright piece of poster board. Add in stenciled letters on top with a slogan that says, "Hand Washing" or "How To Wash Your Hands." If possible, laminate the poster. Display the poster at child level near a sink that the preschoolers use to wash their hands.
Instructing young children on the proper technique for covering their mouths when sneezing or coughing may be simple, but getting them to consistently follow those rules can be difficult. Preschoolers may need constant reminders of what to do when they cough or sneeze. Teachers can use hand-made classroom posters as a visual cue. Start with a blank piece of construction paper or poster board. Add drawings, classroom photos, or magazine clippings that feature children using the crook of their arm (i.e., inside of the elbow) to shield a cough or sneeze. Use markers or a thin paint brush and paints to write basic words to follow. These may include, "Stop the Sneeze," "Cover Your Mouth," or "Stop the Germs." Make several different posters or make mulitiple copies of one. Laminate the posters and display them in different parts of the room, making sure to post them at the child's eye level.