Help your child complete this human skull anatomy activity using a styrofoam skull from Dollar Tree. Also, I have this Human Body Crafts page for more hands-on ideas. And this Beautiful Human Body Lapbook and Fun Unit Study.
Whenever fall rolls around I always grab some of the skeleton parts and pieces to repurpose as models in our anatomy lessons.
And this styrofoam skull caught my eye and I immediately knew what I was doing with it.
I had the idea to turn it into a labeled skull like I have seen available for purchase, but they are expensive,
So, unless your child wants to be a brain surgeon such an extensive one is not necessary.
This activity has several parts that will help your child learn the different bones of the skull.
First, they examine a diagram to learn and mark the various areas.
Secondly, they create the keys to make this activity a game, and finally they play and identify the parts again.
If they oversee making everything from start to finish, by the time they get to the game they are already quite familiar with the different names and sections.
You can read aloud about the facts of the different parts of the skull as your child works on coloring in the human skull anatomy activity.
7 Facts About The Human Skull
- The top of the skull (cranium) is made up of 8 bones that cover the brain to surround and protect. The lower part makes up the bones of the face and is made of 14 bones.
- Teeth are not considered bones that make up part of the skull.
- Besides your eyes, nose, and mouth openings the human skull has many small holes in it known as foramina. They allow nerve and blood vessels to pass through.
- Skulls look different and can be identified as male or female, even heritage by the size and shape of them.
- The jawbone (mandible) is the only bone in the human skull that moves, it is also the largest and strongest bone in the skull.
- In Latin ‘frons’ stands for forehead which is what gives the frontal bone its name.
- The skull is not fully fused at birth, this allows for brain growth. Babies are born with soft spots on the top and back of their head called the fontanelles.
Next, look at some of these resources for learning about the human body.
16 Human Body Books & Hands-on Resources
Add a few of these fun resources whether you do a couple of lesson plans about the human body or a unit study.
One of the resources we used as a reference for this activity was The Way We Work, it covers a lot of interesting topics on the human body.
Vivid Human torso organ structure: 15 Pcs Removable Organs including: Torso, Brain (2-part), Heart, Esophagus and Aorta, Lungs (4-part), Cranial Cap, Stomach, Diaphragm, Liver, pancreas and spleen, small and large intestine. The torso structure showing the relative position, morphological features, anatomy of the head, neck and internal organs, especially the respiratory, digestive, urinary and nervous systems.
[HUMAN ORGANS SILICONE MOLD]: 8 Pcs Human Organs Mold With Different Shapes, Include 1 Human Heart Mold, 1 Brain Silicone Mold, 1 Liver Mold, 1 Intestinal Mold, 1 Lung Mold, 1 Stomach Mold, 1 Brain Stem Mold, 1 Kidney Mold.
This human body with squishable organs is another great way to identify the organs and become familiar with their layout in the body, it has that gross factor that so many kids love.
8PCS Human Organ Figures Set:Human organ anatomy parts display model children learning toy include small intestine, large intestine, lung, brain, stomach, heart, liver, kidney. Suitable for boys and girls over 6 years old,good for brain ability and imagination.
Complete labeled illustrations of over 1,400 anatomical identifications.Loaded with beautifully illustrated diagrams clearly and concisely labeled for easy identification.
Basher Science: Human Body, A Book with Guts! Created & illustrated by Simon Basher, written by Dan Green
From the best-selling team that brought you The Periodic Table, Physics, Biology, and Astronomy comes a topic that's close to our hearts-literally! Meet the characters and processes that that keep the human body chugging along. From the basic building blocks like Cell, DNA, and Protein, to Bones, Muscles, and all of the fun-loving Organs, readers will cozy up with the guys on the inside. Trust us-Liver has never looked better!
High-quality 3 MIL LAMINATION for added durability
Tear Resistant
HUMAN ORGANS LEARNING: Marvel at the rich complexities of the human heart muscle! Every piece has a unique shape designed to outline each major part of the heart organ, making these an exciting challenge to assemble. Each puzzle includes an Anatomy Reference Guide, so you can learn as you build!
- Authentic x-ray images
- Works with any light source or light table)
- Matching facture card
- Detailed teaching guide
- Set of 4 Posters Made in the USA
- Posters are 18" x 24” in size
- High-quality 3 MIL lamination for added durability
- Tear Resistant
Discover the workings of the body's most complex organ! How does the brain control the rest of the body? How does it enable the senses to function, regulate speech, affect balance, and influence sleep and dreams? These 25 illustrations to color explain every aspect of the brain's important jobs, from communicating with the central nervous system to retaining memories. Suitable for ages 8–12.
Enjoy This Coloring Book with 34 Beautiful Human Skull Anatomy Coloring Pages.
The Human Skull Anatomy Coloring Book Provides A Means Of Learning About The Structure And Function Of The Human Skull Anatomy Through A Process Of Coloring-By-Directions.
Coloring The Human Skull Anatomy And Its Nerves Is The Most Effective Way To Study The Structure And Functions Of Human Skull Anatomy. You Assimilate Information And Make Visual Associations With Key Terminology When Coloring In The Human Skull Anatomy Coloring Book, All While Having Fun.
Fall is a grea time to grab a set of hands at Dollar Tree but also here is a pair if you're doing a unit study and need one now.
This poster makes a great reference and can be used with older children to help them add more detail to their project.
Our bodies contain a super highway of blood vessels that carry nutrients, waste, and much more from our heads to our toes. This network is the circulatory system! Beginning with a deep breath in, this fact-filled title uses easy-to-follow text and diagrams to allow readers to dive inside the bodys circulatory system!
The human body is a complex being made up of systems that keep us alive and moving! In this series, readers will dive into the bodys systems though engaging, leveled text and related diagrams that follow the parts and functions of each system. Get a microscopic view inside the body with A Closer Look, and put new knowledge into action with a hands-on activity. Check out what is happening inside the body with each title!
Also, look at these other activities to learn about the human body.
More Human Body Crafts
- Simple and Easy Circulatory System Hands-on Activity for Kids
- How to Turn a Pizza Into a Fun Edible Human Cell Model
- How To Make A Fun Bones Of The Hand Labeled X-Ray Craft
- 7 Human Skull Facts and Cool Human Skull Anatomy Activity
- How to Make a Fun Hands-on Playdough Brain Activity
- Major Organs of The Human Body Labeled Fun Felt Anatomy Activity
- Fun Resources and Books About The Human Body For Preschoolers
- 8 Eye Facts & Human Body Activities Middle School & Fun Eye Model
- 12 Human Body Games For Middle School & High School
- Craft a Fun Hand Straw Model to Explore Human Anatomy Muscles & Tendons
- How to Make a Human DIY Heart Model Easy Craft for Kids
- 8 Facts About the Respiratory System & Fun Lung Craft for Kids
- 7 Human Body Facts and Kids Human Body T-Shirt Project
- Fun Edible Spine
- Making Blood + What Are the Components of Blood
- DIY Heart Pump
- Kids Stethoscope Activity
- Build An Edible DNA Model
- Edible Skin
- Rigid versus Flexible Bone Activity.
- Pregnancy Belly Female Study of Human Anatomy Kids Fun Craft
- Look at my Beautiful Human Body Lapbook and Fun Unit Study
Human Skull Anatomy Activity
One of the best things about this activity is that it is self-correcting.
Once your child makes a guess, he can check the color-coded key to see if he is right.
You will need:
- Foam skull
- 8 different marker colors
- Skull diagram
To create a game with your skull you will also need:
- 2 dice
- Parts of the skull key-typed or handwritten
- Craft stick or pencil for a pointer
First, you are going to want a good diagram either in a book or online for your child to follow.
Here is a simple diagram to follow on Neuroscience for Kids.
Next, decide on a color for each part of the skull that they are marking.
Here are the parts:
- occipital,
- frontal,
- parietal,
- temporal,
- nasal,
- maxilla,
- mandible,
- and zygomatic bones.
The next step is to have them type or handwrite a key for the colors that each will be and another one with each one numbered.
Use the colors you have decided on to outline each section of the skull.
Color each of the sections in the coordinating color. You could also have them paint or cover each section in thin layers of playdough.
Now you can turn learning the parts of the skull into a game simply by adding a pair of dice and the numbered key.
To play:
Use the numbered key your child made and roll both dice (anything above an 8 is a reroll).
The colored key should remain covered until ready to check their answer.
Whatever number rolled corresponds with one on the key, your child must identify.
Have your child use a skewer, pencil, or craft stick as a pointer to point to the answer.
Play can be as long or as short a time as you like.
