Digestive System

Kids are fascinated with the in and out process of the digestive system. Most of them have never considered the connection before. Expect lots more bathroom conversation for a few days. Don’t worry. As the mystery goes, so does the silliness.

Objectives

Children participating will begin to understand the concept of food digestion
recognizing pictures of digestive system
and they will be able to draw a semblance of digestive system on pre-drawn figure
Children ages 2-2 ½ years can associate body parts with their functions such as mouth and eating Lang. IIA

Materials

Diagram and picture of digestive system; model or "Visible Man or Woman" (if available); tray with small cup of ice water; papers with pre-drawn body outlines; felt pens or crayons.

Procedures

1. Gather children around the table and show them pictures or model of the digestive system. Ask them if they know what happens to their food when they eat it. Talk about chewing food with their teeth and swallowing. Then what happens? (Refer to pictures and model.) Describe how food goes down a tube to their stomach where the food gets mixed up and ready for their body to use to live and grow. Show the intestines and describe how the food gets taken into their body through the walls of the intestines. All the extra stuff from the food that can't be used by the body goes to the colon. Since their body can't use it and they can't keep all that stuff piling up inside, what happens? (Right! PooPoo, BM, etc.)

2. Give each child a cup of ice water and have them all drink at the same time, feeling the cold water in their mouths, down their throats, and into their stomachs. Describe how extra liquids go through the kidneys to their bladders. Then what happens? (Right again!)

3. Give children the pre-drawn body outlines and let them draw in their own version of the digestive system. Refer to the pictures and/or model, ask children about their drawings, and review the processes again.