Home » Education » Learning Activities for Kids » Using Puzzles to Learn About the Human Body

Using Puzzles to Learn About the Human Body

Try using puzzles to learn about the human body. It’s a playful, highly interactive way to teach children anatomy.

Click to read also: Teaching Kids About the Human Body

Using puzzles to learn about the human body

Some links on this site are affiliate links and as an associate I may earn a small commission at no cost to you. Click on the images and blue text to be taken to links. Thank you! Learn more.

Besides being fun, puzzles are an often overlooked educational tool. I’ve used puzzles to teach my children about the world. I also love using 4D Cityscape Time puzzles in our history lessons, as they allow children to see how historical events shape cities and countries.

I believe in hands on learning wherever possible, in all school subjects. So when I was offered the chance to review three new Dr. Livingston human body jumbo learning puzzles, I said yes. I knew these puzzles would be fantastic for teaching my children about the human body.

I received review copies of all three puzzles, but received no other compensation. All opinions are my own (and those of my children!)

Using Puzzles to Teach Children About the Human Body

These puzzles are truly jumbo! If you look at the photo at the top of this post, my 10-year-old is wearing this human heart puzzle as a dress.

Giant heart puzzle for kids

My kids enjoyed how quickly the puzzles came together; I think that will encourage them to build them over and over. Repetition helps a lot with subjects like anatomy, where there are a bunch of terms you need to memorize.

Each puzzle includes a fact sheet, naming the different parts. The fact sheet also includes short blurbs about the role of each component of the heart (or brain, or body).

Brain puzzle for kids

The puzzles feel a bit cartoony, particularly the human brain with its bulging eyeballs. I think this helps kids who might feel squeamish while also differentiating the various features. Some people might wish it were more realistic.

Human body puzzle for kids

The human body puzzle was probably our favorite of all three puzzles. At 4 feet tall, it is nearly life size! The proportions are just narrower than they would be for an actual 4 foot tall human. It’s more like a thin six foot human who was shrunk down.

Tips for Puzzles to Help Kids Learn About the Human Body

My top tip for using puzzles for learning is to make sure it stays playful! Complete the puzzles alongside your children, and build them more than once. As you become more familiar with the puzzles, see how quickly you can put them together.

For more formalized learning, quiz each other about the different parts of the body/brain/heart. Can you find each part? Do you remember what each part of the body does? Can you name the parts as someone points to them?

It’s amazing how much you can learn through play.

Learning about the human body with puzzles

Have you tried using these puzzles? What did you think? Would you prefer more realistic human body puzzles, or do you like the illustration style for these?

Share comments and feedback below, on my Facebook page, or by tagging me on InstagramSign up for my newsletter to receive book recommendations, crafts, activities, and parenting tips in your inbox every week.

MaryAnne at Mama Smiles

MaryAnne is a craft loving educator, musician, photographer, and writer who lives in Silicon Valley with her husband Mike and their four children.

2 thoughts on “Using Puzzles to Learn About the Human Body”

  1. Yeah, those bulging eyeballs are a little ick to me.
    But, I do love puzzles like this. I know because of what it’s depicting and how it all goes together you can’t have the pieces be each individual organ or similar item, but I wish it was possible because I love when that happens.

Comments are closed.

Scroll to Top