Preschool: Dem Bones, Dem Bones, Holdin' My Body Up!

We recently did a short unit on bones in our preschool classroom.  I printed off this PDF from Pinterest of a child-sized skeleton:

Source: thehometeacher.blogspot.com via Frances on Pinterest 

We took turns choosing pieces to put into place, and then a couple of children got to lie down next to the paper skeleton while we decided if it looked like him or her.  The skeleton puzzle is now laminated and in our Games center in the classroom.  Occasionally someone will call me over to show me that they put it together; hands are often switched with feet, which always makes me smile.  For reference in putting together the puzzle, I included this skeleton from an earlier art project in which we drew skin and clothes on, since (as we discussed) we can't see our bones.

I also found this cool idea on Pinterest:

Source: pinkandgreenmama.blogspot.com via Frances on Pinterest

Instead of one glove with flour and popsicle stick bones and one with just flour, we had an empty glove and one with five pencils.  The effect was not quite the same, but it was a quicker set-up and less potentially-messy.  

We discussed what bones do: they hold our body up, they help us walk, and they make new blood in the marrow.  The last concept was a little confusing for some of my friends; this age can be a little blood- and injury-obsessed.  So we discussed new blood and old blood and how nice it is to always have new blood in your body.  The class really enjoyed acting out what it would be like to not have any bones in your body, reducing themselves to a circle of puddle-children.  

We also sang part of the Dem Bones song.  Though we did not watch the video, this is where I found the words.  I did, however, change the last line of the chorus to "Holdin' my body up!"

I'd like to do more body units, and I've already found some other cool links on Pinterest.  We did a very short heart unit in February, and I think we'd enjoy skin, muscles, and the pulmonary system.  I'd love to do the eye, or ear, but I think it might be a little abstract for right now.

Here's a Kid Quote to leave you with:
Three-year-old: "Dave and Mary Frances's boat got on lava and it sank in the Atlanta Ocean.  It sank in the Atlanta Ocean."

Me: Yeah? In the Atlantic Ocean?

Three-year-old: "Yeah it got on lava and it sank in the Atlanted Ocean."