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Heart Science for Kids

Kids (grades K-5), please join us to learn about the human heart! We’ll make a simple stethoscope and create a heart thaumatrope – a spinning optical illusion.

Sign up for our After-School Program on Tuesday, February 8 at 4pm, or for our Homeschool Program on Friday, February 11 at 10:30am. Registration is required for these private Zoom events.

February is American Heart Month! It’s a good time to learn about the heart, how it works, and how kids can keep their hearts healthy. With our simple stethoscope, we’ll be able to hear each other’s hearts and we’ll see what effect a little exercise has on them!

Starting Monday, January 31st, you can pick up a kit containing supplies at any open Spokane Public Library (except The Hive). Ask for the kit at the information desk. Supplies are limited. Follow the instructions here if you want to complete the experiment on your own.

In addition to the kit, you’ll need these:

  • A cardboard tube such as a paper towel tube or the tube from a box of foil or cling wrap
  • A plastic funnel – average kitchen size, without a handle

If you aren’t able to get a kit from the library, you’ll also need these:

  • A balloon (not blown up)
  • Some tape – duct tape, electrical tape, or masking tape will work best
  • A piece of cardstock (any lighter color is fine, but white if you have it)
  • Two medium to large-size rubber bands (the same size, if possible)
  • Coloring supplies and scissors

Learn more about the heart using these resources, available using your Spokane Public Library card:

hoopla eBook: Parts of a Heart by Kristy Holmes. Take a close look at the four-chambered pump that keeps the blood circulating in their bodies. From a series called How to Build a Human Body.

hoopla eBook: All About Your Heart by Janet Slike. For younger readers. Learn about the appearance and function of this body part.

hoopla eBook: The Heart in 3D by Anna Kingston. For older readers. Detailed 3D anatomical images of the cardiovascular system and the heart make it easy to visualize the workings of this important biological system.

Book: Squirt!: The Most Interesting Book You’ll Ever Read About Blood by Trudee Romanek. Topics include what blood’s made from, how it moves around our body, the role of the heart, and how our organs clean our blood.

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