Fun Interactive Ways to Teach Kids About the Pulmonary System

Fun Ways to Teach Kids About Lung Health

The pulmonary system lends itself to so many fun and interactive learning opportunities! Giving kids the chance to actively learn while having fun can be an effective way to encourage lifelong learning. Make it memorable and perhaps they will remember it years down the road!

I provide special fitness education for second graders at a local elementary school and see groups in 30 minute segments. This pulmonary program typically takes about 15 minutes, but it could easily stretch to 30 minutes if you have more time. I like to take the second half of my 30-minute programs to give the kids the opportunity to actively exercise while reinforcing the focus on the pulmonary system.

Supplies:

• Wild and crazy wig
• Three balls
• Paint roller cover
• Bag of balloons
• Umbrella
• Bunch of grapes (real or plastic)
• Construction paper (6 sheets, each a different color)
• Marker(s)
• Mats

Before the program:
Cut out the construction paper into fun shapes. I chose large hearts because I was teaching this class on Valentine's day and hearts are quick and easy to cut. Write one word on each piece of paper. Here are the ones I chose below:

Green	Cilia
Yellow	Trachea
Lavender	Bronchi
Orange	Lungs
Blue	Diaphragm
Red	Alveoli

Next, cut each colored shape into two pieces, sort of like a puzzle, making sure that some of the letters of the word are on each piece. Place one of each color on the floor or some other place where the kids can easily see them. I taught in a gym and placed the pieces on the far side, which worked nicely for this program. Keep the other halfs on hand.

After the kids are seated on the mats:
Ask for volunteers. You might choose six, twelve, fifteen, or more volunteers, depending on the size of the group. If you have twelve or more volunteers, create teams. I paired my volunteers so that two students were on the "green" team, two students were on the "yellow" team, etc. as I handed each team their half of the paper. Once each team had their piece, I had the children on those teams who were not holding the piece of paper to race across the gym, find the matching color, and bring it back to their partner.

Have the pairs to assemble the pieces so that they can read the word. Many kids will find most of these words to be unfamiliar, so it is helpful to let them know how to pronounce the word!

Below are some fun ways to teach about each term:

Photo by fictures from USA at Wikimedia Commons

Cilia:

• Let the team with this word intruduce the word cilia.
• Put on the wig and ask the kids if they have hair.
• Ask if they know that they have hair in their nose and in their breathing tubes (you'll probably have everyone's attention by this point).
• Have one to three additional volunteers stand a short distance away from you.
• Explain that cilia catch dirt and mucous to keep the lungs cleaner.
• Throw the balls one at a time while the child(ren) attempt to catch the balls.
• Have everyone repeat the word cilia and then have that team to sit down.

Trachea:

• Let the team with this word intruduce the word trachea.
• Hold up the paint roller cover. (You could substitute a paper towel roll if you don't have a paint roller cover.)
• Tell the kids that the windpipe is also called the trachea, describing it as a hollow tube.
• I mention that the fuzzy part would really be on the inside rather than the outside like the prop.
• Ask everyone to lift their chins and feel for the location of their own trachea in their neck while you demonstrate.
• Have everyone repeat the word trachea and then have that team to sit down.

Trachea and Bronchi of the Pulmonary System - Photo by Public Domain at Wikimedia Commons

Bronchi:

• Let the team with this word introduce the word bronchi.
• Explain that the trachea splits into two branches sort of like a tree.
• You might also mention that one would be bronchus while two would be bronchi.
• Then have everyone hold up a hand and "karate chop" down like they are splitting a board.
• Practice the chopping a couple of times to build excitement.
• Have everyone repeat the word bronchi and then have that team to sit down.

Lungs:

• Let the team with this word introduce the word lungs.
• See if they know how many lungs they have.
• Ask if they know that one lung is larger than the other.
• Explain that the left lung is typically smaller to leave room for the heart.
• Ask a volunteer to select a balloon out of the bag and hand it to you.
• Begin to blow up the balloon while asking if they know what happens to the lungs when you take a deep breath. (You might also throw in the word "inhale" here.)
• After the balloon is completely filled, begin to slowly let the air out and ask if they know what happens to the lungs when they breath out. (You might also throw in the word "exhale" here.)
• Stop letting the air out when the balloon is about 20% full.
• Mention that we only use about 1/5 or 20% of our lungs when we are breathing normally.
• Ask if they can think of ways that we might use more of our lungs (exercise, yawning, deep breathing) and what to avoid to keep our lungs healthy (avoid smoking, smog, etc.)
• Have everyone repeat the word lungs and then have that team to sit down.

Diaphragm:

• Let the team with this word introduce the word diaphragm.
• Begin to open and close the umbrella. (If you don't have an umbrella, you might simply ask the kids if they can think of something you might carry to keep you dry in the rain.)
• Mention that the diaphragm is a muscle that looks a lot like an umbrella.
• Close the umbrella and place it aside and then use one hand on top to represent the lungs getting bigger and smaller as you open and close your hand.
• Use the bottom hand with the palm down to flatten and then point the fingers down like an umbrella as it represents the diaphragm.
• Have the kids practice making an umbrella hand shape for themselves.
• Have everyone repeat the word diaphragm and then have that team to sit down.

Alveoli Look Like Grapes - Photo by Rita Willaert at Wikimedia Commons

Alveoli:

• Let the team with this word introduce the word alveoli.
• Show the bunch of grapes.
• Ask "Do you know that you have about 6 million alveoli in your body?"
• Explain how alveoli look like tiny grapes at the bottom of the lungs.
• Tell how alveoli help oxygen to move from the lungs into the blood so the body can use it.
• You might also mention that oxygen "hitches" a ride onto the red blood cells and have the kids put thumbs out while mentioning that it would not be safe to really "hitch" a ride in real life.
• Have everyone repeat the word alveoli and then have that team to sit down.

Deep Breathing Exercise:

• Have everyone to lie down on their backs and place both hands on their abdomens.
• Encourage the kids to focus on how their hands move as they take deep breaths.
• Up Goes the Castle is a short, fun breathing song that is kid-friendly.

Having the kids to do a cardio or mind/body exercise component after the educational component is a great time to encourage the children to focus on their own breathing. You might even do moves like pretending to throw and catch a ball while reminding the kids about cilia, etc. or have them to count their own respiratory rate before and after exercising.

I hope you find this inexpensive, interactive educational resource to be helpful to you. The kids I taught seemed to really enjoy it and particularly liked having the opportunity to help teach!

Find more resources, including fun music playlists, fitness articles, and additional educational ideas at Fit Tips 4 Life.

A Healthier Lifestyle One Day at a Time: A Positive Attitude

Moving toward a healthier lifestyle involves daily choices, efforts, and actions. A holistic plan for a helathy lifestyle involves not only a healthy diet and regular exercise, but it also includes a mental component. The body and mind are intricately connected, and maintaining a positive attitude can be key in developing and living a healthier life.

Inner conversations can easily become negative, viral, and even nuclear as negative patterns tend to repeat themselves and spiral out of control. That slight backslide in one's personal plan to become healthier can easily snowball into an about face down the wrong path at full steam ahead.

In addition, one's inner thoughts can easily look at other people and one's circumstances with a negative light while placing blame for one's own misery on these external forces, effectively paralyzing one's ability to move forward.

Here are some specific, practical tips for achieving a positive attitude, including how to:

1. Recognize who is in charge of your attitude
2. Identify your strengths
3. Write and reflect on your strengths
4. Learn from others
5. How to get back on track if problems occur

Recognize Who is in Charge of Your Attitude

The only person responsible for my attitude is me.

The sooner one comes to that realization, the sooner one can move past wasting time criticizing oneself or others and begin to make positive steps toward one's goals. Pick up the pieces and work the puzzle – it may not have the shape of the original piece of art, but the finished product is likely to have more character and wisdom than the previous one.

Learn positive and specific strategies for interpersonal relationships. Recognize unhealthy tendencies, such as being too dependent on others or refusing help from other people, and begin to use positive communication skills when speaking with friends, family members, co-workers, and with others online.

Identify Your Strengths

Everyone has strengths. Some are obvious. Others may be subtle.

The first step in developing a positive attitude is to identify one's strengths. Create a list of positive adjectives that describe you, such as:

• Creative
• Funny
• Thoughtful
• Honest
• Punctual
• Hard-working
• Detail-oriented
• Strong
• Caring
• Persistent

Update this list as needed.

If you are having trouble identifying any good qualities in yourself, ask a trusted friend or family member to identify some of your strengths and use those for the following exercises. You may or may not agree with what that other person thinks, but perhaps that person may be able to identify your strengths better than you can at the moment.
Write and Reflect on Your Strengths

Write a positive statement yourself on small notecard or piece of paper. For example:

• I am an amazing, funny, fun-loving woman.
• I am a strong, dedicated, hard-working man.

Blank Printable Personal Affirmation Cards

Feel free to print the blank affirmation cards here in this article while personalizing them to suit your needs. You might want to add colors, pictures, fun fonts, or anything else that may catch your eye that will help make this affirmation attractive and personal for you.

Take another piece of paper and fold it in half, ensuring that it is now slightly larger than the above piece of paper. Staple the affirmation to the folded piece of paper on the right and left sides, leaving the open end at the top.

Each time you do something that agrees with your positive statement, write it down on a small piece of paper and place it in the pocket. After a week, take out these examples and read them, reflecting on these actions that support your postive traits.

Learn From Others

Many resources are available that are full of positive and uplifting information. A song's lyrics may make you stand a little taller. An inspirational quote might give tough times in your life a more realistic perspective.

Make a list of what inspires you, such as:

• Songs
• Books
• Articles
• Quotes

Search for additional uplifting ideas and items to add to the list through a variety of sources such as:

• Tips from one's own personal heroes
• Online resources
• Print resources
• Radio
• Yoga or other mind/body classes
• Support group

Make a commitment to read, listen to, reflect on, and study the above items each day at a designated time or times. For example:

• If you wake up ten minutes earlier to do this, you may find that you may be able to meet the day's trials with a more positive attitude.
• If you decide to reflect on these items fifteen minutes before going to bed, you may find that you may rest with a more positive attitude.
• If you commit to spending five minutes on your lunch break doing this, you may find that you are more productive and peaceful at work.

How to Get Back on Track if Problems Occur

If you find old, negative thinking creeping back into your lifestyle, assess what happened and determine any trends, such as:

• Time of day
• Place
• Interactions with a certain person or people

If you can identify a pattern, be aware of that so that you can make appropriate plans and determine which options are available, such as avoiding that situation in the future or being extra cautious if these are situations that are necessary in your life and cannot be avoided.

Some people may need the assistance of a healthcare provider, counselor, medication, and/or therapy in order to move toward positive lifestyle habits, including adopting a positive attitude. Anyone who feels that he or she could cause harm to him or herself or others should seek care and follow the advice of her or her healthcare provider.

Having inner peace can be a beautiful, life-transforming day-to-day choice that can leave you feeling more energized, happier, and may lead to a healthier and more productive lifestyle.