What kind of microbes live in daycare? Research opens the world of microbes to children
Microbes are not simply germs; they are foundational to life on Earth and we humans can only exist with them.
“That is why we must recognise microbes as communities entangled in all life processes, including human health. Staying healthy is not as easy as just killing ‘bad germs’,” says Professor of Early Childhood Education Zsuzsa Millei.
The Tampere University research project led by Millei “Microbial Childhood: Restor(y)ing Daycare Ecologies” aims to understand the complex relationships between microbes and people in the daycare environment – and ultimately develop new pedagogy based on their experiments.
The team of researchers and artists give humans and microbes an equal footing, recognising the ways microbes are present and act in the world.
“I cannot speak for microbes, but I imagine they are not really concerned with us, they just want a safe place and food to live. By using imagination and science, we make the world of microbes more relatable to children and their families,” says Millei.
New insights into ways children approach invisible others
Where do microbes live in daycare? Project researcher Jan Varpanen spent two days a week at a daycare centre in the autumn of 2024, gathering data about the everyday lives of microbes and children for the project.
“From the microbial perspective, everyday life in daycare is a fascinating mix of snot, snow lunches and hand washing routines. What goes into children’s bodies is not only what we would expect, such as healthy food. We are seeing that educators balance between allowing children to engage with the snow, where microbes live, and enforcing restrictions to keep children safe from dirt and pathogenic microbes,” Varpanen says.
Postdoctoral researcher and ecologist Mira Grönroos took samples at different places of the daycare facility where the children had said microbes were living to find out who the microbes are. A laboratory will analyse the samples using metagenomics, and Grönroos will discuss the findings with children.
Exploring the microbial communities that inhabit the daycare centre promises to offer new insights into how children relate with invisible others.
Making microworlds visible through art
Artist Erika Aalto makes microworlds visible using puppetry and describes her experiences with the children so far.
“Children had wonderful encounters with Biffe who is a puppet inspired by a sneezing bifidus bacterium. There is a mutual interest in the children and Biffe to get to know each other. They enjoy wondering together about the unfamiliar and invisible bacterial world their bodies are composed of and about how the two coexist.”
“With puppetry, we create new relations, such as empathy for microbes,” Millei continues.
In spring 2025, in co-operation with daycare teachers, Erika Aalto will take the children on an imaginary journey inside the gut.
As the project seeks to communicate the microbial world to broader audiences, Aalto is joined by Hungarian community artist and activist Eva Bubla to create a workshop for engaging families during summer festivals.
The Microbial Childhood project will continue until August 2025. The project will produce pedagogical stories, festival performances and artwork as well as scientific articles. The project is advised by a larger interdisciplinary research group, Microbial Childhood Collaboratory, which combines biology and social science perspectives. The project is funded by the Maj and Tor Nessling Foundation.
