Injuries

Have your child place one arm on a piece of card stock, and the other arm on a paper towel. Trace around each. Cut out the card stock arm.

 Project #1: Bruises

With some grape juice (blood) and a straw (blood vessel), you can introduce your child to the circulatory system.  Have her drink some juice with the straw.

Place a paper towel on a table. Cut your straw in half (hopefully, there will be some residual drops inside) and place it on the paper towel.  Lay the paper towel with the arm tracing on top.

You can explain to your child that bruises happen when her skin gets hit or bumped, and the blood vessels underneath break and leak out blood. Have your child hit the arm tracing. This should cause some juice drops to fly out of the straw and create a “bruise.”

Why we like it: This project is easy and action packed! And, like with a lot of our activities, it shows children what’s going on underneath their skin.

Project #2: Stitches

This activity is especially captivating for the aspiring surgeon-

Have your child draw a cut on the card stock arm.

Assist your child in punching out an equal number of holes on either side of the cut.

Cut a 2 inch piece of drinking straw for the needle. Cut one end at an angle, so it is pointed. Now snip out two small opposite holes on the other end (for the eye).

Wrap a small piece of tape tightly around one end of a piece of yarn. Thread the yarn through the eye of your needle. 

Tape the other end of the yarn to the back side of the arm. Show your child how to “sew” the stitches.

Why we like it: Children love an opportunity to “sew.” While you are making the craft, you can explain how cuts heal and why bigger cuts need a little extra help. Your child can also draw smaller cuts on the arm and put band-aids on them.