You can make a list of organs in the human body and their functions or you can turn it into a fun simple game that your kids will not forget. Also, look at these other pages Beautiful Human Body Lapbook and Fun Unit Study and Fun Human Body Crafts for Kids Who Love Hands-on Learning for more ideas and topics for hands-on learning.
When it comes to teaching science at home, hands-on learning consistently proves to be the most effective approach. Kids learn best when they can see, touch, and interact with real-life examples.
We will use Safari Ltd. Human Organs Toob as a resource to do just that.
This small tube of realistic organ replicas includes the heart, lungs, brain, liver, stomach, kidneys, and intestines, making anatomy accessible for all ages.
We have had them for years and have used them in several ways across different grades.
Just like this game is great for several age groups and can be used by making it more challenging or simpler for younger learners.
HUMAN BODY RESOURCES FOR MIDDLE & HIGH SCHOOL
First, look at these resources for more hands-on ideas for middle and high school.
12 Human Body Games for Middle & High School Students
Middle and high school kids need a break from reading and playing games to learn science is the perfect supplement and break.
This game takes place inside of a human cell, you must race to build enzymes, hormones, and receptors and play with proteins, carbohydrates, lipids and DNA. It also comes with a fact-filled booklet that explains every concept in the game.
If they enjoy doctor/human body games this one is ideal. It’s a fun and silly game that is great for kids to adults where the main objective is to remove your opponent’s organs before they can remove yours
A cooperative board game using your characters' strengths and skills to stop diseases and epidemics before they go global. Everyone starts at the Atlanta Center for disease control and then builds research stations all over the world. What I love about this game is that it is a good source for discussion on pandemics, diseases, symptoms, immune systems, and more.
There are many versions of Fluxx available but this one is perfect for an anatomy unit study. It is a card game for 2-6 players and was designed by an ER doctor. It contains anatomical trivia, and twists, and makes a great way to learn about the different systems of the body.
Fast-paced and solid way to learn about virus structure and viral components like helical, icosahedral, and genomes. In this game, players take on the role of the virus trying to infect a host cell rather than trying to eradicate the virus.
For ages 7+, with 3 levels of play this is another game that I think is still very applicable for younger teens and preteens to play. It incorporates trivia, true or false questions, as well as multiple choice.
This one says 6+ but I truly think that 6th and 7th graders will still enjoy it and be able to learn from it. It is a quick play with real anatomy science facts and images.
A biology game perfect for high school review. It comes with 25 sets of 30 illustrated and self-correcting review cards for use, and 12 different game boards. While it covers all of biology beyond the human body I think, though expensive, it gives you a lot of bang for your buck.
While this one seems a bit young, a teen that needs a refresher in things like what two muscles do we use in our arm when lifting and down will find this a fun review. It has 150 questions and covers a wide variety of human body topics, great for car rides or waiting in lines.
I think this one would be a treat for the teen who plans to go into any direction in the medical field. It is a strategy game where you work to build your own clinic just the way you like it- caring for patients and maintaining staff while you expand.
Next, this one is not medical or anatomy themed but I’m adding it because it is a base game that has an open-ended theme. The object is to pull a card that gives you a theme and then take turns calling out words in that theme that begin with each letter of the alphabet. When you call it you tap that letter down and it's out of play, continue until someone can't think of one. You can play this anatomy themed in general, bones, organs, body systems, etc.… We have played this game as a compliment to multiple unit study themes.
Simply just an anatomy-themed deck of cards but a fantastic way to familiarize your student with the human body using illustrations from Netter’s Atlas of Human Anatomy. You can pick your favorite game like solitaire, garbage, or even 52 card pick up with this.
Before we begin creating our game, here are some great facts about each of the organs contained in the Safari toob to get you started.
FACT LIST OF ORGANS IN THE HUMAN BODY AND THEIR FUNCTIONS
HEART
- The heart is a strong muscle that pumps blood through the entire body.
- It beats about 100,000 times every day.
- The heart has four chambers (two atria and two ventricles) that keep oxygen-rich blood separate from oxygen-poor blood.
- Blood carries oxygen and nutrients to the body and removes carbon dioxide and waste.
LUNGS
- The lungs bring oxygen into the body and release carbon dioxide when we breathe out.
- Each lung is filled with tiny air sacs called alveoli (about 300 million of them) where oxygen is exchanged with blood.
- The right lung has three lobes; the left lung has two lobes (to make room for the heart).
- Oxygen from the air helps cells make energy.
STOMACH
- The stomach helps digest food by mixing it with acid and enzymes.
- Food enters the stomach after being chewed and swallowed.
- Strong stomach acid (hydrochloric acid) breaks food down into smaller pieces.
- The stomach lining has special cells that protect it from the acid.
- After 2–4 hours, food turns into a thick liquid called chyme.
SMALL INTESTINE
- The small intestine absorbs nutrients from food.
- It’s about 20 feet long in adults, but it coils up tightly in the abdomen.
- Tiny finger-like shapes called villi and microvilli line the walls to grab nutrients.
- Nutrients (like vitamins, sugars, proteins, and fats) move into the bloodstream here.
LARGE INTESTINE (COLON)
- The large intestine absorbs water and gets waste ready to leave the body.
- It’s about 5 feet long but much wider than the small intestine.
- Friendly bacteria live here and help break down leftovers.
- It compacts waste into stool before it exits the body.
- About 60% of stool is made of helpful bacteria.
KIDNEYS
- The kidneys clean the blood and remove waste by making urine.
- You have two kidneys, shaped like beans, located in your lower back.
- Each kidney contains about 1 million tiny filters called nephrons.
- They also help balance water, salt, and minerals in the body.
- Every day, your kidneys filter about 50 gallons of blood.
LIVER
- The liver has many roles—cleaning toxins, helping digestion, and storing nutrients.
- It’s the largest internal organ in the human body.
- Produces bile, a greenish liquid that helps digest fats in the small intestine.
- Stores extra glucose (sugar) as glycogen and releases it when the body needs energy.
- Breaks down alcohol, drugs, and other harmful substances.
- The liver can regenerate itself—if part is damaged, it can grow back.
BRAIN
- The brainstem manages automatic functions like breathing and heartbeat.
- The brain is the control center of the body.
- It’s made of billions of nerve cells called neurons that send messages throughout the body.
- The cerebrum controls thinking, memory, speech, and voluntary movement.
- The cerebellum controls balance and coordination.
HOW TO MAKE A FUN GAME TO LIST OF ORGANS IN THE HUMAN BODY AND THEIR FUNCTIONS
You will need:
- Safari Ltd. Human Organs Toob
- Markers or printed body outlines
- Cardstock, notecards
- Tray, optional but it makes it so appealing
Directions:
Start by making a large body outline.
You can either…
- Draw your own simple torso-and-head outline on a poster board or large sheet of cardstock with pencil.
Then trace with a black marker to make it stand out.
- Use felt for a reusable version—cut out a felt silhouette and add Velcro to the organs so kids can stick them on.
This body board will act as the central game board where organs are placed.
Have each child take a turn drawing an organ from the pile.
They must place the organ in the correct spot of the body outline.
If they get it right, they earn a point.
- Beginner– Match the organ by shape and spot only.
- Intermediate– Name the organ while placing it.
To deepen learning, create question cards that pair with each organ. Write one question per index card. Look up facts on them and then form them into a question, just check out the list above.
Flip your cardstock over to the other side that is blank and spread out your toob organs.
Have your child match the cards to the correct organ.
Before a player can place the organ, they must answer a trivia question correctly.
This encourages recall and reinforces facts
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