Why Do We Have a Skeleton?
Why Do We Have a Skeleton?
Owlo! Owlo! Look what I found in the garden this morning!
My goodness, Koko! You look very excited. What did you find out there?
I found a tiny little feather, and it was so light! It made me think, what is inside me that makes me feel so solid?
That is a wonderful thing to wonder about, Koko. You are much more solid than a feather, that is for sure.
Yeah! Like, I can stand up and run and jump. But a feather just floats away. So what keeps me all together?
Well, the secret is something you carry inside you every single day. It is called your skeleton.
My skeleton? Is that the bony thing? I heard that word before but I never really knew what it meant.
Yes, exactly! Your skeleton is all the bones inside your body. You have lots and lots of them working together.
Wow. But why do I even need bones? Can I just be soft all the way through?
That is such a smart question. Let me show you something. Come with me to the science room, and I will explain.
Here we go. Now, Koko, pick up that small beanbag from the shelf over there.
Okay! Oh, it is so squishy. It just flops around everywhere when I hold it.
Now pick up the wooden block right next to it. Feel the difference?
The wooden block is hard and it keeps its shape! The beanbag just goes all wobbly.
That is exactly what your bones do for you, Koko. Without your skeleton, your body would be floppy, just like that beanbag.
So my bones help me keep my shape? That is so cool. I never thought about that before!
Your skeleton does even more than that. It also protects the soft and important parts inside you.
Like what parts? What is it protecting?
Well, feel the top of your head. That hard part is your skull. It protects your brain, which is very soft and very important.
Oh! So my skull is like a helmet for my brain? My brain has its very own helmet!
That is a perfect way to think about it, Koko. Your ribs do something similar for your heart and lungs.
So I have a helmet for my brain and a cage for my heart. My skeleton is like my own personal armor!
You are absolutely right. And there is one more very important job your skeleton does. It helps you move.
Wait, bones help me move? I thought my legs did that.
Your bones and muscles work together as a team. Your muscles pull on your bones, and that is how you run and jump and dance.
So when I do my big jumps in the garden, my bones and muscles are doing teamwork? That is amazing!
It really is. And here is one more fun thing. Your bones are alive, just like the rest of you.
Bones are ALIVE? I thought they were just hard and still in there.
They grow as you grow! When you eat foods like milk and cheese, your bones get stronger and bigger.
So eating my cheese helps my bones? Mom is going to be so happy when I tell her that.
I think she will be very pleased. Now, we have learned a lot today. Can you tell me what you remember?
Okay! So, my skeleton is all the bones inside me. Bones give my body its shape, so I am not all wobbly like a beanbag.
My skull protects my brain like a helmet, and my ribs protect my heart and lungs. And my bones and muscles work together so I can move!
Wonderful summary, Koko. You remembered everything perfectly.
And bones are alive and they grow when I eat good food! Next time I want to learn how many bones I actually have, because I think it is a LOT.
It is indeed a lot. That will be a very exciting lesson. Well done today, Koko. Your curiosity makes me very proud.
Why Do We Have a Skeleton?
Ages 4–5 · ~4 min
Join Koko and Owlo as they explore the importance of our skeletons and how they help us stay strong and active!
What you'll learn
- Understand what a skeleton is
- Learn why bones are important
- Discover how skeletons help us move
Why Do We Have a Skeleton?
Ages 4–5 · ~4 min
Why Do We Have a Skeleton?
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