VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — With the holidays quickly approaching, so is cold and flu season, so it’s important to understand how good hand hygiene is one of the best ways to stop the spread of germs.

A group of pre-K students from the Goddard School in Virginia Beach got a true hands-on lesson when a team from Patient First came to class.

They put a little squirt of a gel called Glo Germ on each child’s hand, then showed them what it looked like under a black light.

The gel left sand-like specks on their hands, which the doctor described as pretend germs. These pretend germs glowed under the blacklight.

Next kids went to the sink to wash it off.

“Specifically, I think kids sometimes have troubles around their thumbs or their fingertips, so it’s a good reminder of making sure that they get those spots by being able to visualize it,” said Patient First physician Dr. Trissana Emdadi.

Patient First medical support director Michelle Kidd showed the students how to scrub and reminded them to use soap and warm water.

“Do it the same way at home that you did today, ’cause you did a great job,” Kidd told them.

The doctor also told the students they could could sing the “Happy Birthday’ song twice through, or the ABC song, to make sure they were washing for a good 20 to 30 seconds.

After each child washed and dried their hands, they put them back under the black light to see how they did at getting rid of the germs. The goal, of course, is to cut down on illnesses and sick days. So kids can stay in school and parents can keep working.

“This time of year, we’re getting colds and flus,” Emdadi said. “And I think as we get closer to the holidays, gathering together, our goal is to just keep everyone healthy so they can enjoy their holidays together.”