Learning about the human body is fun for a lot of people and can be even more fun when you combine it with some visual learning tool. Learning about the skeletal system can be very exciting and is even more fun when coupled with different shapes of pasta, including macaroni. Here is some more information about making macaroni skeletons.
A very basic skeleton shape can be made out of macaroni and several other type of pasta commonly found in the house. This model of a human skeleton can be used to study the different bones in the body or can be a fun craft for Halloween to hang up at home. You’ll need some simple supplies before you begin your project and will want to make sure they are all gathered together before you begin. You will, of course, need macaroni pasta that has never been cooked (the instant packages of pasta are not recommended for this craft as they may be more brittle and can break easier). You’ll also need a few other types of pasta, to make the longer, straight bones in the body and the skull, although macaroni can be used for all the different parts if needed. Be creative with the different types of pasta you choose to use and where you put them in the body. You will need some black construction paper and glue to keep the macaroni bones in place on the skeleton.
If you are working with an older child, you can include them in the research you do about the skeletal system and all of the bones that are found in the body. You can learn about the number of bones we have, which ones are the largest or strongest and even which bones are the most commonly broken. Younger children may not get as much out of this kind of research but will still enjoy making the skeleton. When you are satisfied that you have done enough research on the human skeletal system, draw a stick figure on the piece of construction paper with a pencil. This will serve as the frame you will glue all of the macaroni bones to. Using the different types of pasta you acquired, glue them to the paper and make the shapes of the various bones in the body. Perhaps the most obvious bones that could be made with macaroni are the ribs, and it can also be use to make other body parts. Use spaghetti broken up in small pieces to make fingers and toes, and use larger straight pasta to make the bones in the arms and legs. You can use small shell shaped pasta for the knees, elbows and other joints in the body. Be creative with the way you use the pasta and arrange it on the paper.
If your children are younger and may not understand the concept of bones and specially shaped ones needing to be in specific places on the body, you may make a sample skeleton and have your kids use it as a model and copy it. For more advanced children, you can have a white colored pencil or crayon on hand and have them label the different bones or draw other pictures on the paper. You can also teach your children that everyone has bones and they are what help us do different activities every day and that without them, we wouldn’t even be able to stand up. You can have your children find the same places on their bodies that you are gluing onto the paper and feel for the hard parts that are bones. This will help them to understand better and recognize that they have all of the same bones that you were just learning about.
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