Preschool Valentine's Day Activity - How the Heart Really Works

Preschool Valentine's Day Activity - How the Heart Really Works

Young preschoolers often think their hearts are valentine-shaped decorations filled with love. Here is a fun and easy activity to help your child understand the importance of her heart and how it really works.

What Does My Heart Look Like?

Most young children will be surprised to learn that their hearts look nothing like the ones they give to their friends on Valentine's Day. The heart is actually a ball-shaped muscle about the size of a fist.

Have your child make his hand into a fist to get an idea of the heart's size and shape.

What Does My Heart Do?

Explain that the heart is a pump that moves blood to every part of the body. If you have a small pump in your home, you may want to demonstrate what a pump does.

How Does My Heart Work?

Now that your child knows what her heart looks like and what its job is, you can show your child how the heart works.

Fill a sink or basin with water and follow these steps with your child. It may take some time to get it right, but this demonstration will give your child an accurate picture of what the heart does. This is also a fun game to play in the bathtub or swimming pool.

1. Put your hands together, with one hand over top the other.

2. Shape your hands into a hollow ball with no open edges.

3. Squeeze your palms together. Keep the edges and the thumb-hole tightly closed.

4. Lower both hands into the water until the wrists are underwater.

5. Spread your palms open wide.

6. Water should fill the ball through the hole in between your wrists.

7. Close the wrist-hole and open the thumb-hole slightly.

8. Squeeze your palms together again.

9. Water should squirt out of your hands.

10. Have fun practicing together until both of you get it right!

How This Activity is Like Your Heart

Explain to your child that this is how her heart works. She made her hands suck in and squeeze out water. TIn the same way, the heart sucks in and squeezes out blood.

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