Materials
Five pieces of white paper
Crayons or markers
Book or poster that shows the veins and arteries of the human body
Instructions
1. Beforehand, draw a circle on each of the five pieces of paper, and color and number them.
2. Show the children the book or poster picture of the veins and arteries of the body. Explain that the job of the veins and arteries is to carry the blood throughout the body. Have the children look at the inside of one of their wrists. Sometimes we can see some of the veins!3. Explain that right under and very close to the skin are something called blood vessels. They are like veins, but much smaller.
4. Ask the children to stretch out their legs and look for any "colored marks or circles." (This is easiest if it is "shorts" season, but pant legs can be rolled up.)5. Ask if anyone knows the name of these "colored circles" (bruises).
6. Explain that bruises occur when the blood vessels break under the skin. When a blood vessel breaks, it bleeds and the blood goes into the skin. This is how the bruise gets its color.
7. Ask the children if they can think of ways the blood vessels could get broken under our skin (falls, bump into things, etc.).More to doArt: Ask the children to trace their hands on black construction paper and use scissors to cut out the handprints. Provide white straws that have been cut into 1" (2.
5 cm) pieces (older children can cut their own straws). The children can then create "veins" by gluing the straws on to the handprint.Cooking: Bring in "bruised" fruit such as apples, bananas and pears. Use child-safe knives and ask the children to remove the bruised skin area of the fruit. Examine and discuss how they think fruit could get bruised. Help the children peel and cut the fruit to make a fruit salad. Serve for a snack.
