Blood

Human Body | 5-15 minutes

In this activity, students will explore what makes up our blood in a real hands on way!

Materials Needed

Ingredients for one tub of blood: (Make as many as you want)

• Large plastic container

• Red water beads, hydrated in advance per the package instructions (note- they can be hydrated in the large plastic container)

• Ping pong balls

• Red craft foam

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Steps:

1. Cut the red craft foam into small rectangles.  These will be your platelets.

2. Put the red water beads into the plastic container, if they aren’t already there.  Add the craft foam platelets, some ping pong balls, and some water.

3. Explore the “blood” you have created!  Have students feel, squish, and play with all the different parts in the blood and try to guess what they are.

4. Explain that the red water beads represent the red blood cells that carry oxygen through your body.

5. Explain that the ping pong balls represent the white blood cells that fight bacteria, viruses, and other germs or contaminants.

6. Explain that the red craft foam pieces represent the platelets that help heal cuts.

7. Explain that the water represents the plasma that helps the blood move through the body.

Fun Fact:

All blood isn’t red. Crabs have blue blood. Earthworms and leeches have green blood. Many invertebrates, such as starfish, have clear or yellowish blood.

The human body manufactures 17 million red blood cells per second.