It’s that time of year to learn “All About Me and My Body” and that includes the bones in our body! Halloween is a great time to introduce bone anatomy to children. Wherever you look, there are ghosts, vampires or boney skeletons trick or treating. We all have a skeleton made up of many bones. These bones give our body structure, let us move in many ways, protect our internal organs, and more. A fun way to learn about our bones is to sing and move to the traditional song, “The Hokey Pokey,” but instead of putting the body part “in” and “out” substitute the body part with the bone name. Of course, with my early learners, I can use the generic words; for example, I could use “finger bones” or “toe bones” instead of phalanges…but, hey, if the kids are interested in learning the “big” words…go for it! A great educational tool and visual aid to use is the Foam Skeleton Floor Puzzle. Not only will the children learn about bone anatomy but it will also de-sensitize them to the scary figures at Halloween, teaching them what a skeleton really is. First sing the song including 2-3 bones and then each day add another bone. You can make it fun and easy by starting with the head and going all the way down to the phalanges of the toe bones. Always make sure to end the song with, “You put your skeleton in, you put your skeleton out; You put your skeleton in, and you shake it all about. You do the Hokey Pokey Bone Dance, and you turn yourself around. That’s what it’s all about.
General List of Bones of the Human Skeleton:
cranium = skull
phalanges = finger and toe bones
sternum and/or ribs = chest
humerus = long bone in arm that runs from shoulder to elbow
ulna and/or radius = large bones of the forearm
pelvic = hip bone
femur = thighbone
patella = knee bone
tibia and/or fibula = leg bones
spine = backbone
skeleton = whole body
The Hokey Pokey Bone Dance
You put your cranium in,
You put your cranium out,
You put your cranium in,
And you shake it all about.
You do the Hokey Pokey Bone Dance,
And you turn yourself around.
That’s what it’s all about!
You put your phalanges in,
You put your phalanges out,
You put your phalanges in,
And you shake it all about.
You do the Hokey Pokey Bone Dance,
And you turn yourself around.
That’s what it’s all about!
You put your sternum in,
You put your sternum out,
You put your sternum in,
And you shake it all about.
You do the Hokey Pokey Bone Dance,
And you turn yourself around.
That’s what it’s all about!
You put your pelvic bone in,
You put your pelvic bone out,
You put your pelvic bone in,
And you shake it all about.
You do the Hokey Pokey Bone Dance,
And you turn yourself around.
That’s what it’s all about!
Discount School Supply® Product Recommendations:
Foam Skeleton Floor Puzzle (LIFESIZE)
Human X-Rays (SKELETON)
Our Bodies Paperback Books (OBBKS)
Sharin' with Sharron 