Kid's guide to the circulatory system

Ahmed Raza

Written by Sarah Gehrke, MSN, RN

The circulatory system is responsible for delivering nutrients to the cells in the body to help them to function properly. This system carries blood, together with oxygen, to the whole human body.

The heart pumps blood and other nutrients throughout the circulatory system. Once the blood moves through the entire body, the circulatory system passes it back to the heart where it starts all over again. This process takes only about 60 seconds.

The following links will provide resources for teaching children all about the circulatory system and the human heart. These include interactive activities and worksheets for children as well as lesson plans and ideas for teachers and peds nurses. Take our PALS online course or PALS recertification to learn more about this topic.

About the circulatory system

• Your circulatory system: Explains what the circulatory system is and how the heart works.

• The circulatory system: Describes how the heart acts as a muscle and what makes it beat.

• Fast facts: Provides 53 different facts about the human body, including the circulatory system.

• How blood gets around: This article and accompanying diagrams show how blood moves throughout the body.

• Overview and quiz: Describes the circulatory system and provides a quiz at the end to test your knowledge.

• How blood works: Provides examples of how the main part of the circulatory system, blood, works.

The heart

• Learn about your heart: This interactive website helps teach kids about his or her heart.

• How the heart works: Provides an easy to understand diagram explaining how the heart works.

• A heart movie: This website not only provides an article explaining about the heart but also an entertaining animated movie for kids to watch.

• The history of the heart: Primarily for older kids or teens. This article explains the history of the human heart and its study

Circulatory system activities

• Heart and circulatory system video: This short video explains how this organ and system work including a transcript for easy lesson planning.

• Bones: Bones and muscles protect the heart—this interactive website describes how the bones in the human body are connected and allow kids to put them together like a puzzle.

• Printables: Offers a multitude of printable worksheets, quizzes and coloring pages on the human heart, body and circulatory system.

Lesson plans & teacher resources

• How to teach: Provides some tips for teaching the circulatory system to kids.

• Power through the human systems: This lab helps teachers to explain the entire human body in a fun and interactive way.

• Make your own worksheet: Allows teachers to make their own match-up worksheets about the circulatory system.

• How does the heart work?: Teaches young children all about the human heart.

• Human body lessons and units: It offers different resources for teachers with a focus on the human body.

• Lesson plan examples: Provides an example of a lesson plan to teach students about the human brain.