Spinal Cord Craft

If you’re studying the nervous system, looking for a hands-on activity to learn about the spinal cord? This spinal cord craft was my way of illustrating the vertebrate and how the nerves are interweaved between them.

>> See more human body activities for kids

In a perfect world, my wagon wheel pasta wheels would be larger so that the nerves (licorice candy) could be pulled through. They were too thick to pull through so we tied them around the wagon wheels.

We did this activity with our homeschool co-op class and all I asked was that they finished their spinal cord before they ate their nerves. The kids were really excited about finishing the activity.

We discussed how the spinal cord is the gateway from the brain to the peripheral nervous system. We did some fun experiments with our senses which I’ll discuss later.

Also, we talked about the different areas of the brain but kept it pretty simple by talking about their main functions. I didn’t want to dumb things down for the class but we did cover a lot so I wanted to take one thing to focus on for our activity to cement what we were learning.

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What makes the nervous system interesting?

What makes the nervous system interesting, you ask? Well, picture it as the ultimate conductor of the symphony that is our body! It’s incredibly complex and fascinatingly efficient, allowing for lightning-fast communications between our brain and the furthest parts of our body in mere milliseconds.

Imagine sending a text message from your toes to your head, and getting a reply in less time than it takes to blink! That’s the kind of speed we’re talking about. Plus, it’s responsible for everything from the basic (like breathing without thinking) to the profoundly complex (like solving a math problem or creating art).

The nervous system is like the hidden wiring that powers our thoughts, movements, emotions, and sensations. Who wouldn’t find that interesting?

What is the function of the spinal cord?

The brain and the spinal cord make up the central nervous system. The spinal cord is responsible for helping the brain communicate with the rest of the body. It is made up of nerves that send messages to the brain and from the brain to the rest of the body.

The spine itself is made of different bones that make up the spinal column.

• 7 cervical vertebrae
• 12 thoracic vertebrae
• 5 lumbar vertebrae
• 31 pairs of nerves

We didn’t have time to really nail down vocabulary in a 45-minute class but the goal was for them to take away that the spinal cord is very important to the nervous system and the entire human body. If that’s all they took away from our class, I would have been very happy.

If your kids enjoyed this activity, your kids will love the Parts of the Brain Coloring Page, too.

Recommended Human Body Books

Find out more about the nervous system and the important role it plays with one of these cool human body books. The body has a lot of parts and systems that allow you to think, run, and play.

Here are some of the best human body books for kids that you may want to consider for your child.

Hear Your Heart (Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Science 2)Human Body, Grades 2 – 3 (Skills for Success)Look Inside Your BodyMy 1st Book of Human Anatomy: Discovering the Human Body Systems, Parts, and Organs, with a Labeling Activity for Different Body SystemsHuman Body Homeschool: Bones: Level 1 Book (Kids Read Daily Level 1)Inside Your Outside: All About the Human Body (Cat in the Hat’s Learning Library)

 

Spinal Cord Craft Supplies

• Cheerios
• Pull apart Twizzlers
• Pasta wheels
• Pipe cleaner

Twizzlers Pull ‘n’ Peel Licorice – Cherry – 4.2 ozCheerios Honey Nut Cheerios Heart Healthy Breakfast Cereal, Gluten Free Cereal With Whole Grain Oats, 10.8ozColavita Pasta – Wagon Wheels, 1 Pound – Pack of 20

 

Recommended Human Body Activity Kits

Want to see how the spinal cord fits into the entire human body? Grab one of these human body kits to see the spinal cord in action.

Recommended Human Body Kits

To complement the books, I highly recommend various human body kits that offer hands-on exploration, making complex biology fun and tangible for young scientists.

Be Amazing! Toys Interactive Human Body Fully Poseable Anatomy Figure – 14” Tall Human Body Model for Kids – Anatomy Kit – Removable Muscles, Organs and Bones STEM Kids Anatomy Toy – Ages 8+Thames & Kosmos Gross Anatomy: Make-Your-Own Squishy Human Body STEM Experiment Kit | Make Colorful Models of Human Organs with Slime & Putty | Fun, Tactile Intro to Human Anatomy | 5 Cool ActivitiesSmartLab Toys Squishy Human Body, Multicolor, StandardLearning Resources Anatomy Models Bundle Set, Brain, Body, Heart, Skeleton, Classroom Demonstration Tools, Teacher Accessories, Grades 8+, Ages 3+The Magic School Bus:A Journey into the Human Body3D Organ Toy Set, Human Body Anatomy Awareness Teaching Tools, Preschool Educational Organ Plush Toys, Science Learning Kits for Kids for Home School Teaching Aids (Organ Toy)

 

Spinal Cord Craft Instructions

After preparing your materials, you can start making your spinal cord craft. The first and most important thing to do is to secure one end of the pipe cleaner by bending or knotting it to prevent any materials from slipping off.

Next, invite the little scientist to thread Cheerios and pasta wheels onto the pipe cleaner, alternating between the two. This fun step mimics the spinal cord’s layered structure, making the learning process delightful and interactive.

Gently separate the strands of the Twizzlers, and choose one strand to loop and tie gently around the pasta wheel. This adds a colorful twist to our model, illustrating the protective membranes surrounding the spinal cord.

Congratulations! You’ve successfully completed your very own spinal cord craft!

The spinal cord plays an important part in our body, it helps the brain send messages from the brain to the rest of the body and back through nerve fibers.

Recommended Human Body Printable Activities

Junior Scientist Science Study: Human Body

The Human Body Book for Early Learning is available now! It is packed with hands-on human body activities that will make teaching your early learner a breeze.

Curious Scientist Science Study: Nervous System

Need to dive into the human body? Learn how our brain acts as the body’s control center and how nerves work in our body. This nervous system pack is perfect for students in grades 4-6.

Fun Human Body Activities To Try

Check out these fun human body activities that are also fun and engaging!

• Books About the Human Body for Elementary Students
• 5 Senses Activities for Kindergarten
• Anatomy Activities for Elementary Students
• Body Parts Activities For Preschool
• Human Body Crafts for Elementary
• Brain Crafts for Kids
• Muscles Worksheet for Kindergarten
• Human Body Organ Printables
• Human Body Systems Worksheets
• Make a Blood Model in a Bottle by My Joy-filled Life
• How do Muscles Work by 123 Homeschool 4 Me

By creating your very own model of the spinal cord using simple household items, you’ve taken a wonderful step into the world of human anatomy! It’s not just about having fun with crafts (although that’s a big part of it); it’s an engaging way to understand how our incredible bodies work.

Remember, each time you look at your crafty spinal cord, think about the amazing work it does every day, sending messages from our brain to all parts of our body. Keep exploring, keep learning, and who knows what other marvels of the human body you’ll uncover next! Happy crafting and discovering!