The Great Sneeze Race: Why Your Sneezes Are Faster Than a Cheetah!

Did you know that when you go “ACHOO!” your sneeze zooms out of your nose faster than a race car? It’s true! Your sneezes can travel up to 100 miles per hour. That’s faster than a cheetah can run!

What Makes a Sneeze So Fast?

When your body feels something tickly in your nose (like dust or tiny flower particles called pollen), it wants to get rid of it quickly. So your body takes a big breath in, and then—ACHOO!—blasts air out super fast to push away whatever was bothering your nose.

Think about how a balloon flies around the room when you let the air out. Your sneeze works the same way, but much, much faster!

Why Covering Your Sneeze Is Super Important

Here’s the cool (and kind of yucky) part: When you sneeze, thousands of tiny droplets shoot out of your nose and mouth. These droplets are so small you can’t see most of them, but they can carry germs that might make other people sick.

If you don’t cover your sneeze:

Your sneeze droplets can fly as far as 25 feet (that’s as long as a school bus!)
The droplets can stay floating in the air for several minutes
Other people might breathe in your sneeze germs

That’s why covering your sneeze is one of the most important superpowers you have to keep everyone healthy!

How to Be a Sneeze Superhero

You can be a Sneeze Superhero by following these easy steps:

Sneeze into a tissue if you have one
Throw the tissue away right after
No tissue? Sneeze into your elbow (scientists call this the “vampire sneeze” because it looks like you’re hiding behind a cape!)
Always wash your hands after you sneeze

Remember: Never sneeze into your hands! Your hands touch lots of things that other people touch too.

Try This Fun Sneeze Science Experiment!

Want to see how far and fast a sneeze can travel? Try this experiment with a grown-up!

What You’ll Need:

A spray bottle filled with water
A flashlight
A ruler or measuring tape
A large piece of dark paper or cardboard

What To Do:

In a dark room, have a grown-up hold the flashlight from the side
Hold up the dark paper or cardboard
Give the spray bottle one quick squeeze (this is your “pretend sneeze”)
Watch how the light makes the tiny water droplets visible!
Use your ruler to measure how far the droplets traveled

Extra Challenge: Try covering your “sneeze” with different things like your hand, your elbow, or a tissue. Which one stops the most droplets?

Amazing Sneeze Facts

Your eyes automatically close when you sneeze
Some people sneeze when they look at bright light (like the sun)
You can’t sneeze when you’re asleep
The world record for the longest sneezing fit was 978 days! That’s more than 2 years of sneezing!

Next time you feel a sneeze coming on, remember how powerful it is and be sure to cover up. Your friends and family will thank you for being a Sneeze Superhero!