Weird Body Parts

Question #1 - Why are ears shaped so funny?

According to Live Science, our outer ears “modify high-frequency sound waves entering the ear before funneling them to the middle ear. The changes in resonance enable us to locate the source of a sound.” Have your child cup her ear with her hand and notice how sounds are louder.

The bigger and more protruding your ears, the better you hear!

Question #2 – Why do we have toes?

Though they’re usually hidden away, toes are very useful body parts. Have your child lift her toes on one foot, then raise the other leg and try to balance. It’s not easy!

Now have her lift her toes on both feet and try to walk, run, and jump.

It takes a lot of effort and she definitely won’t be able to run very fast! We use our toes for balance (especially the big toe), and they work as springboards that help us glide along quickly.

Question #3 – What are eyebrows for?

Eyebrows don’t seem to be useful at all, but they come in handy if your stuck in the rain and running for cover! If you had no eyebrows, sweat and water would drip into your eyes and impair your vision. Have your child sit in front of a mirror. Dip your finger into a cup of water and place a drop on your child’s forehead above her eye. If necessary, add drops until the water gets heavy enough to run down. Observe how the eyebrow stops the drip in it’s tracks!

Question #4 – Why do we have fingernails?

If you’ve ever tried to scratch an itch with gloves on, you know one good reason why we have fingernails. But these handy tools are also very useful in opening and picking up difficult objects. Ask your child to open a package and pick up a dime using only the pads of her fingers. She’ll find that it’s pretty awkward.

It is also thought that fingernails provide protection for those sensitive and essential fingertips.

So, it turns out these strange body parts aren’t so strange after all!

More fun activities, stickers, and worksheets about the human body can be found in our first workbook, About Me!