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How To Make A Fun Bones Of The Hand Labeled X-Ray Craft

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How to make a bones of the hand labeled x-ray craft is easy and fun. Also, I have this Human Body Crafts page for more hands-on ideas. And this Beautiful Human Body Lapbook and Fun Unit Study.

I have seen simpler full handprint versions of this for little ones, but I feel like this X-ray craft for the bones of the hand-labeled is appropriate for right up to middle school.

To challenge upper elementary or middle school students you could also have them label the 8 carpal bones individually as well. 

This is a great way to familiarize your student with the bones in the hand without using a worksheet or textbook.

How To Make A Fun Bones Of The Hand Labeled Xray Craft

You know I really enjoy offering hands-on activities over paperwork.

Before you begin here is a little information on bones to share while they work on their hand project.

  • Carpal Bones- The 8 irregular bones that make up the wrist.
  • Metacarpals- The 5 bones that make up the middle of your hand.
  • Phalanges-14 bones that are in each of the fingers on your hand.

While not part of the hand I think it’s good to show how and where they are in relation to and how they connect to the ulna and radius bones of the arm.

How To Make A Fun Bones Of The Hand Labeled Xray Craft
  • Ulna-The thinner longer bone of the forearm.
  • Radius-The other bone that makes up your forearm.

They both help to stabilize the wrist as well as move, flex, and rotate.

5 Facts About The Bones of The Hand

  1. There are 27 bones in each hand, for a total of 54 bones of the hand.
  2. Each hand also has 29 major joints, 48 nerves, 30 arteries, and 123 ligaments that work with the bones for strength, flexibility, and function.
  3. A hand is defined as the end part of a person’s arm beyond the wrist, including the palm, fingers, and thumb.
  4. We are set apart from other animals by our opposable thumbs—this means that our thumbs and fingers can work together.
  5. About 10 to 15% of the world’s population is left-handed. 1 in 100 is ambidextrous, which means they can use both hands equally.

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.

Also, look at these other activities to learn about the human body.

More Human Body Crafts

How To Make A Fun Bones Of The Hand Labeled Xray Craft

Finally, look how to make this bones of the hand craft.

Bones of The Hand Labeled – Xray Craft

Yes, you could just paint the bones of the fingers and palm on the paper but I feel like painting or having your child paint it first on their hand helps them see better where each bone lies.

And then when they fill it in and label it, everything they are learning is being reinforced.

You will need:

  • Black construction paper
  • Bright-colored chalk marker
  • White craft paint
  • Small paintbrush
  • Sharpie marker
How To Make A Fun Bones Of The Hand Labeled Xray Craft

First, start by painting three phalanges on each finger.

And paint on the thumb as well as the metacarpals that go from the lower portion of the finger into the hand.

How To Make A Fun Bones Of The Hand Labeled Xray Craft

Paint a small cluster at the base of the hand that will be for the bones of the wrist which are the carpal bones.

It’s a little hard to imprint the wrist at the same time as the hand so we will just put them at the base of the palm.

Press firmly on the black paper and press the hand down from the top to be sure that it impresses nicely.

How To Make A Fun Bones Of The Hand Labeled Xray Craft

Take a small paintbrush and fill in the bones to make them more solid and easier to identify. 

How To Make A Fun Bones Of The Hand Labeled Xray Craft

Allow the paint to dry completely and then use a bright chalk marker to label each part of the bones.

How To Make A Fun Bones Of The Hand Labeled Xray Craft

For the carpals take a black sharpie and draw each of them within the white blob that you painted.

At this time, you can also draw the upper portion of the ulna and the radius to demonstrate how the bones of the hand connect to the bones of the arm.

How To Make A Fun Bones Of The Hand Labeled Xray Craft

7 Human Skull Facts and Cool Human Skull Anatomy Activity

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

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.

7 Human Skull Facts and Cool Human Skull Anatomy Activity

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

  1. 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.
  2. Teeth are not considered bones that make up part of the skull.
  3. 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.
  4. Skulls look different and can be identified as male or female, even heritage by the size and shape of them.
  5. The jawbone (mandible) is the only bone in the human skull that moves, it is also the largest and strongest bone in the skull.
  6. In Latin ‘frons’ stands for forehead which is what gives the frontal bone its name.
  7. 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.
7 Human Skull Facts and Cool Human Skull Anatomy Activity

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.

Also, look at these other activities to learn about the human body.

More Human Body Crafts

7 Human Skull Facts and Cool Human Skull Anatomy Activity

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
7 Human Skull Facts and Cool Human Skull Anatomy Activity

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.

7 Human Skull Facts and Cool Human Skull Anatomy Activity

Use the colors you have decided on to outline each section of the skull.

7 Human Skull Facts and Cool Human Skull Anatomy Activity

Color each of the sections in the coordinating color. You could also have them paint or cover each section in thin layers of playdough.

7 Human Skull Facts and Cool Human Skull Anatomy Activity

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.

7 Human Skull Facts and Cool Human Skull Anatomy Activity

How to Make a Fun Hands-on Playdough Brain Activity

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

This fun hands-on playdough brain activity will bring any anatomy lesson to life. Also, I have this Human Body Crafts page for more hands-on ideas. And this Beautiful Human Body Lapbook and Fun Unit Study.

This homemade playdough brain activity is a great way to teach your child about the different parts of the brain and their functions.

You can let them oversee the experience from start to finish by letting them make a soft safe moldable homemade playdough.

How to Make a Fun Hands-on Playdough Brain Activity

In addition, they can divide and color the dough, pressing it into the mold to build a complete brain, removing it, and labeling.

Learning what the brain is made of and how it works is a very important part of any anatomy studies and this hands-on activity lets them really be involved.

If you store the playdough brain properly you will be able to use it time and again over the course of a week or two before it dries out. 

6 Parts of the Human Brain

You can make small cards to identify the differences between the left and right sides of the brain for your child to put into place as well.

And you will see this simple activity has several applications and can be adapted for all ages and skill levels.

Label each of the 6 parts.

But beyond just labeling the parts you can turn it into a game by asking questions like

  • Which part of the brain is responsible for processing and
  • Which part takes care of automatic behaviors like breathing, heart rate, sleep, and temperature control?

Now, let’s look at what each part of our model is responsible for.

  • Frontal Lobe- manages thinking, emotions, your personality, judgment, self-control, muscle control and movements, and memory storage.
  • Parietal Lobes –Sensory perception and integration, such as taste, hearing, sight, touch, and smell.
  • Occipital Lobe-Visual perception includes color, form, and motion.
  • Temporal Lobe-Processes auditory information and the encoding of memory.
  • Cerebellum- Coordinates your movement and balance. It is also known as the little brain.
  • Brain Stem-The brainstem is the stalk-like part of your brain that connects your brain to your spinal cord.
How to Make a Fun Hands-on Playdough Brain Activity

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.

Also, look at these other activities to learn about the human body.

More Human Body Crafts

How to Make a Fun Hands-on Playdough Brain Activity

Finally, look how to make this fun playdough brain activity using a mold.

Playdough Brain Activity

You will need:

  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ cups of table salt
  • ¼ cup of vegetable oil
  •  2 tablespoons cream of tartar
  •  4 cups of water
  • Food coloring
  • brain mold
  • Toothpicks
  • cardstock/pen
  • rubber gloves
How to Make a Fun Hands-on Playdough Brain Activity

First, place flour, table salt, vegetable oil, cream of tartar, and water in a large saucepan over medium heat.

How to Make a Fun Hands-on Playdough Brain Activity

Stir well and often until the mixture begins to pull away from the sides of the pan into a solid shape.

How to Make a Fun Hands-on Playdough Brain Activity

Remove from the pan and place on a counter to cool until it’s comfortable to touch.

How to Make a Fun Hands-on Playdough Brain Activity

Divide Play-Doh into six separate piles, you can make one smaller because you will not need as much for the brain stem.

Human Anatomy Playdough Brain Activity

Use Gel or liquid food coloring to color each of the parts a different color of your choosing just be sure to notate which color represents which part.

You may want to wear rubber gloves for this part to protect your hands from staining.

How to Make a Fun Hands-on Playdough Brain Activity

Start with the frontal lobe and press a nice thick layer all around. Be sure that they press it into each groove so that it picks up the shape.

How to Make a Fun Hands-on Playdough Brain Activity

Continue adding on the next part by placing the parietal lobe and the temporal lobe on each side in their respective colors.

Next, you want to add the cerebellum and occipital lobe finishing up with the spinal cord/brainstem.

How to Make a Fun Hands-on Playdough Brain Activity

At this point, you should have plenty of playdough left over as well as a sizable hole in the center of the brain. To be able to flip it over, you can fill it in by pressing in all the leftover dough.

How to Make a Fun Hands-on Playdough Brain Activity

Have your child go around the edges and flatten and smooth it out.

How to Make a Fun Hands-on Playdough Brain Activity

Flip it over and carefully remove it from the mold onto a tray or wherever your child will be doing the activity.

How to Make a Fun Hands-on Playdough Brain Activity

Have them write each of the parts, including the spinal cord, the parietal lobe, the occipital lobe, the frontal lobe, the temporal lobe, and the cerebellum.

How to Make a Fun Hands-on Playdough Brain Activity

Take these small strips to a toothpick.

How to Make a Fun Hands-on Playdough Brain Activity

And now they can stick the tooth again to label each section of the brain.

When not in use between lessons you can put the brain back in the mold and slip it inside of an airtight bag to keep the playdoh fresh a 2-gallon ziploc bag will fit it well.

How to Make a Fun Hands-on Playdough Brain Activity

8 Eye Facts & Human Body Activities Middle School & Fun Eye Model

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Swapping out worksheets and using human body activities middle school instead can make learning anatomy fun and memorable. Also, I have this Human Body Crafts page for more hands-on ideas. And this Beautiful Human Body Lapbook and Fun Unit Study.

With just a few simple craft products your middle schooler can create a human eye model and learn all about this remarkable complex organ.

Creating, putting it together, and labeling will help the lessons about eye anatomy stick.

8 Eye Facts & Human Body Activities Middle School & Fun Eye Model

You can make this a bit more advanced with more detail or simplify it to suit your child.

I was able to pick up all the supplies from Dollar Tree so it is quite inexpensive for this project as well.

Human Body Activities Middle School – 8 Facts About The Eye

  1. You see objects upside down, then your brain turns the image the right way up.
  2. While eyes always stay the same size your nose and ears continue growing throughout your life.
  3. The most common eye color in the world is brown, while green is the most rare with only 2% of the population having them.
  4. The human eye begins to develop just two weeks after conception.
  5. The cornea is the only tissue in the human body that doesn’t contain blood vessels.
  6. The largest eye you will find on earth belongs to the colossal squid and has an 11” diameter.
  7. Having two eyes is what gives us depth perception, when we can see an object from two angles it enables us to tell how far away it is.
  8. Babies’ eyes are not able to produce tears until they reach at least 6 weeks old because their tear ducts haven’t fully developed.
8 Eye Facts & Human Body Activities Middle School & Fun Eye Model

I think we can all agree that the eye is incredibly amazing in its design and performance. We use them all day to take in information and sometimes give information.

Learning about the Human Eye Vocabulary

  • Optic Nerve-Transmits electrical impulses from your eyes to your brain.
  • Sclera-(whites) Helps to maintain your eyeball’s shape and protects it from injury.
  • Iris- Controls the diameter and size of the pupil determining how much light reaches the retina.
  • Pupil- While the muscles of your iris change shape it lets light into your eyes.
  • Lacrimal Gland-Releases fluid that cleans and protects the eye’s surface as it lubricates and moistens it.
  • Rectus Muscle- Moves your eyes up, down, left, and right.

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.

Also, look at these other activities to learn about the human body.

More Human Body Crafts

8 Eye Facts & Human Body Activities Middle School & Fun Eye Model

Finally, look at how to make this fun human eye model.

Human Body Activities Middle School Make An Eye Model

You will need:

  • 3”-4” Styrofoam ball
  • Markers or paint pens
  • Pink craft foam
  • White craft foam
  • Hot glue gun/sticks
  • White cardstock
  • toothpicks
8 Eye Facts & Human Body Activities Middle School & Fun Eye Model

First, use paint pens or markers to draw whatever color iris you want on the center of the styrofoam ball.

8 Eye Facts & Human Body Activities Middle School & Fun Eye Model

Once it is dry, add a black pupil and the little lines or striations known as the limbic rings in the iris.

8 Eye Facts & Human Body Activities Middle School & Fun Eye Model

Cut a piece of white craft foam about 4” long and roll it into a tight tube, secure it with hot glue, a good diameter is about ¾”. (Optic Nerve)

8 Eye Facts & Human Body Activities Middle School & Fun Eye Model

Next, you want to cut 4 rectangles that taper at one end out of the pink craft foam.

These should also be about 4” in length and a little less than 1” at the widest point. (Rectus Muscle)

8 Eye Facts & Human Body Activities Middle School & Fun Eye Model

Now make a small irregular circle around 1” in diameter. (Lacrimal Gland)

8 Eye Facts & Human Body Activities Middle School & Fun Eye Model

At this point you are ready to begin building your eye model. First, you want to hot glue to one end of the white rolled craft foam and hot glue it to the back directly opposite of the iris.

Hold in place until it has cooled.

8 Eye Facts & Human Body Activities Middle School & Fun Eye Model

Take the pink foam and glue them in place evenly around all 4 sides a little more than halfway back on the eye. 

Secure the opposite end by gluing it to the optic nerve (white foam roll).

8 Eye Facts & Human Body Activities Middle School & Fun Eye Model

Add some red lines on the white part of the eye (sclera) toward the back to the center for small blood vessels.

Glue the lacrimal gland in place towards the back/side.

8 Eye Facts & Human Body Activities Middle School & Fun Eye Model

This is the point when it is ready for labeling.

Have your child write down the following eye parts on small strips of paper- iris, optic nerve, lacrimal gland, sclera, pupil, rectus muscle.

Attach to toothpicks with glue.

8 Eye Facts & Human Body Activities Middle School & Fun Eye Model

Now they can be inserted into the craft foam as well as the styrofoam ball in the correct place.

While it will leave holes in the foam, it is still reusable to practice on later or even used by another child.

8 Eye Facts & Human Body Activities Middle School & Fun Eye Model

12 Human Body Games For Middle School & High School

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I’ve rounded up 12 human body games for middle school and high school that your teens will love to play.Also, I have this Human Body Crafts page for more hands-on ideas. And this Beautiful Human Body Lapbook and Fun Unit Study.

What I love about educational board games is that there is much value in them from critical thinking skills to problem solving and building memory skills.

12 Human Body Games For Middle School & High School

Playing games is something that a child never outgrows, you just adjust the game or level.

From cooperative games to strategy games, there are plenty of choices for middle and high schoolers to learn about the human body from head to toe.

Though some of these are fun for the whole family and some younger children can be included in play, these are mostly to challenge your preteens and teens while studying the human body.

Also, look at these other human body crafts and resources below.

More Human Body Crafts

12 Human Body Games For Middle School & High School
12 Human Body Games For Middle School & High School

Human Body Games for Middle 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.