Working hand models, edible spinal columns, and more!
Help kids explore how the human body works with these fun and free anatomy activities. They’re terrific for hands-on learning at home or in the classroom, and can be differentiated for a wide variety of grades and skill levels. It’s time to learn about heads, shoulders, knees, and toes … and everything in between!
1. Lay out a life-sized anatomy model
Make an outline of each child’s body from paper (or felt, for a reusable version). Then add the various bones, muscles, organs, and more as you learn about them. Kids love these anatomy activities!
Learn more: Fun at Home With Kids
2. Sculpt Play-Doh bodies
Grab the free printable mats at the link, then have kids make bones, muscle groups, organs, and other body parts using Play-Doh.
Learn more: 123 Homeschool 4 Me
3. Assemble a pasta skeleton
How cool is this! Gather up a variety of pasta from macaroni to orzo and use them to create a pasta skeleton. It’s amazing how real it looks!
Learn more: Ms. Palmer’s Classroom
4. Learn the names of the bones
This free printable game challenges kids to name and point out the major bones of the body. This is one of the great anatomy activities for active learners.
Learn more: Kids Activities Blog
5. String an edible spinal column
This anatomy project gives kids a model spinal cord and a sweet treat all in one! Use hard and gummy Life Savers to represent vertebrae and discs … so clever!
Learn more: Adventures in Mommydom
6. Move model muscles
With cardboard tubes for bones and balloons for muscles, this DIY model shows kids how the two work together to allow your body to move.
Learn more: Kids Activities Blog
7. Play the Circulation Game
Source: St. Mark’s Church of England Primary School
The circulatory system moves blood around the body, supplying oxygen and other nutrients to each body part. Play this life-sized free printable game to learn how it works.
Learn more: Ellen McHenry’s Basement Workshop
8. Discover cell osmosis with eggs
This demo uses the classic “naked egg” experiment to demonstrate how blood cells use osmosis to absorb oxygen and nutrients. It never fails to impress!
Learn more: STEAMsational
9. Listen to your heart with a DIY stethoscope
Make your own stethoscope from a cardboard tube and plastic cups. This version is surprisingly similar to the early tools used by doctors in the 19th century.
Learn more: Team Cartwright
10. Pump a working heart model
Learn how the heart pumps blood to understand why this organ is the most vital one of all. This project takes only a few simple supplies and is fascinating in action.
Learn more: STEAM Powered Family
11. Wear a digestive system shirt
Make it easy for kids to imagine what’s going on inside with a fun DIY T-shirt! Create an iron-on, or have kids trace or draw the organs with puffy fabric paint.
Learn more: Molly Cribbin/Pinterest
12. Use lemon juice to simulate stomach acid
Our stomach breaks down the food we eat, but how? The acids in lemon juice or vinegar demonstrate the digestive process in action.
Learn more: Classroom Confetti
13. See how bile breaks down fat
The liver produces bile, which helps to break down the fats we consume. This quick experiment uses dish soap and milk to show how the process works.
Learn more: Simple Southern
14. Find out how long small intestines really are
Did you know the small intestine is about 22 feet long? Really! Measure out that length using a garden hose to see just what that distance actually looks like.
Learn more: Edventures With Kids
15. Protect egg “brains” with fluid
It’s a strange thought, but our brains move around inside the skull. What protects them from banging up against the skull and being damaged? That’s where the cerebrospinal fluid comes in. Try this quick anatomy demo to see why it helps.
Learn more: Life With My Giggly Girls
16. Explore the anatomy of the ear
This may not look exactly like an ear, but it’s a great way to understand how the eardrum gathers sounds and sends them on to the brain.
Learn more: 123 Homeschool 4 Me
17. Put together candy DNA models
DNA is the building block of life, and it’s found in every part of our anatomy. Make a model from licorice and gumdrops to learn more about this crucial material.
Learn more: Little Bins for Little Hands
18. Make a Play-Doh heart model
Using blue and red Play-Doh, have your students construct an accurate model of the heart. Having a physical model in front of your students, along with a sheet explaining each part and function, will help your visual learners more fully comprehend the intricacies of the heart.
Interactive Ways To Teach Kids the Anatomy of the Human Body