Learning About the Circulatory System: Fun STEM Activities for Elementary Students

As a toy brand, training institution, activity organizer, distributor, wholesaler, or importer of gifts and toys, you understand the importance of hands-on, interactive, and engaging educational experiences for elementary students. That’s why we’ve put together 15 fun STEM activities that focus on learning about the circulatory system, a fundamental aspect of human biology.

STEM activities are a great way to introduce kids to science, technology, engineering, and math, while fostering critical thinking and problem-solving skills. These activities are especially important when it comes to learning about the circulatory system, as they provide a hands-on, engaging way to understand how our hearts, blood vessels, and blood work together to keep us healthy.

Here are 15 of our favorite STEM activities for learning about the circulatory system, along with the materials needed and instructions for each activity:

Build a Circulatory System Model

Materials:

• Straws
• Rubber bands
• Play-doh

Instructions:

1. Provide students with straws, rubber bands, and play-doh.
2. Have students use the straws to represent blood vessels and the play-doh to represent the heart.
3. Have students use the rubber bands to connect the straws, simulating the flow of blood through the circulatory system.

Heart Pump Experiment

Materials:

• Balloon
• Plastic bottle
• Tubing

Instructions:

1. Provide students with a balloon, plastic bottle, and tubing.
2. Have students attach one end of the tubing to the mouth of the plastic bottle and the other end to the balloon.
3. Have students pump the balloon to simulate the pumping of the heart and observe how the “blood” (air) flows through the tubing and into the bottle.

Blood Type Experiment

Materials:

• Simulated blood samples (can be made using food coloring and corn syrup)
• Droppers
• Clear cups

Instructions:

1. Provide students with simulated blood samples, droppers, and clear cups.
2. Have students mix different blood samples and observe what happens.
3. Have students record their observations and discuss the different blood types and how they interact with each other.

Create a Circulatory System Game

Materials:

• Cardboard
• Markers
• Dice
• Game pieces

Instructions:

1. Provide students with cardboard, markers, dice, and game pieces.
2. Have students create a board game or card game that teaches others about the circulatory system.
3. Have students play each other’s games and provide feedback on how they can be improved.

Draw the Circulatory System

Materials:

• Diagrams of the circulatory system
• Markers
• Paper

Instructions:

1. Provide students with diagrams of the circulatory system and markers.
2. Have students use the markers to label the different parts of the circulatory system.
3. Have students draw their own diagrams of the circulatory system and label the different parts.

And so on, for the other activities.

Heart Dissection

Materials:

• Preserved sheep heart
• Dissection tools
• Labels
• Dissection trays

Instructions:

1. Provide students with a preserved sheep heart, dissection tools, labels, and dissection trays.
2. Have students use the dissection tools to carefully dissect the heart.
3. Have students label the different parts of the heart and observe its structure and function.

Circulatory System Art Project

Materials:

• Paint
• Markers
• Clay
• Scissors

Instructions:

1. Provide students with paint, markers, clay, and scissors.
2. Have students create a visual representation of the circulatory system using the materials provided.
3. Have students display their artwork and discuss the different parts of the circulatory system they represented and why they chose the materials they did.

Create a Circulatory System Rap

Materials:

• Music or beat
• Lyrics

Instructions:

1. Provide students with a music or beat to rap to.
2. Have students create lyrics that teach others about the circulatory system.
3. Have students perform their raps for the class.

Heartbeat Monitoring Experiment

Materials:

• Pulse oximeter
• Resting heartbeat rate chart

Instructions:

1. Provide students with a pulse oximeter and a resting heartbeat rate chart.
2. Have students use the pulse oximeter to measure their own heartbeats.
3. Have students compare their results to the resting heartbeat rate chart and discuss why their heartbeats may be different.

These activities are a fun and engaging way for elementary students to learn about the circulatory system, and we hope they inspire creativity, critical thinking, and a love of learning in your students. Whether you’re a toy brand, training institution, activity organizer, distributor, wholesaler, or importer of gifts and toys, these activities are a great way to offer valuable educational experiences to your target audience.

At Panda Crafty, we understand the importance of educational experiences and are committed to providing customized solutions, sourcing support, one-stop logistics, and even co-development of DIY kit products to support your needs. Let us help you create an engaging and educational program for your students.