• Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • New? Start Here
    • Learn More About Us

Forgetful Momma

Secular Homeschooling in Canada

  • Homeschool Resource Centre
    • 2021 Ultimate List of Secular Homeschool Curriculum
    • Curriculum and Resources
    • Homeschool Resources – What We’ve Used and Use
    • Homeschool Help
    • Natural Homeschooling
    • Book Recommendations for All Ages
    • Google for Homeschoolers
    • Homeschool Mom Care
  • Kids Activities
    • Science Experiments for Kids
    • Kids in the Kitchen
    • Gardening with Kids
    • DIY Summer Camp at Home
  • Our Box of Recipes
    • Breakfast Recipes to Start the Day Right
    • Snack Recipes
    • Main Course Recipes
    • Slow Cooker Recipes
    • Condiment Recipes
    • Dessert Recipes
      • Mini Donut Maker Recipes
      • Single Serve Desserts & More!
  • Shop
    • My Account
    • Cart
    • Checkout

Heart Pumping Human Body Science Experiment

by Ashley Mullen Leave a Comment

One of my favorite subjects to teach my kids is science, and one of those reasons is that it can be so hands-on. How my do kids learn the best? By involving them, and getting hands on with science! This real-life method- is a great way for them to learn more about the subjects that we are covering through the year. This heart pumping science experiment is easy to set up and have fun with.

HEART PUMPING JAR SCIENCE EXPERIMENT - heart pump science project

Heart Pumping Human Body Science Experiment

*This post may contain affiliate links, and is part my ambassadorship with BookShark. I share a post monthly about our using BookShark curriculum in exchange for receiving it to use with my children this year. You can see just what we received this year here.*

Over the past couple of weeks we have been doing human body-related lessons in science. Human body-related science experiments to go along with those lessons just came naturally.

We’ll be continuing this for the next few weeks, we are learning about the human body in our BookShark Science Level 2 curriculum. Some of the things we have been doing along with our curriculum are running in place and then checking our pulse, seeing just how germs stick to our hands with glitter, and more.

Most everything we have been doing has been included in the science kit that came with our BookShark curriculum.

BookShark Science Curriculum

The book we’re using right now is The Usborne Book of Knowledge. The book goes through the systems of anatomy by showing different machines that can do what our body can do. BUT the kicker for them was that there is no one machine that can do everything our body does.

To illustrate one of these machines, thought it would be fun to make a model that pumps blood.

This simple experiment shows how the heart beats to pump blood out of the heart. You probably have everything you already need at home.

Science Experiment E-Book

Shop now

What you need:

  • a clear jar
  • a balloon
  • 2 plastic bendy straws
  • water
  • food coloring (optional)
  • tape
  • scissors
Resource Library Sign Up
Make sure that you sign up to receive emails from me with new activities, including more science experiments, and more!

How to do this Heart Pumping Experiment

Cut the balloon where the neck starts to widen into the balloon. Add a few drops of food coloring to a cup or so of water. The color helps you see the water movement better.

After filling the jar with colored water, stretch the balloon over the mouth of the jar, you want it to be as flat as possible. Cut two tiny holes in the balloon, slightly smaller than your straw holes, about an inch apart.

HEART PUMPING JAR SCIENCE EXPERIMENT

Take the neck of the balloon and wrap it around the end of one straw. Tape it in place. It doesn’t have to be fancy just enough to prevent water and air from going into or out of that straw.

My straws would not stay uncrossed in the jar, but it does not affect how it works. I would recommend having a pan under your jar or doing this over a sink to contain the water mess.

Now press down lightly onto the balloon you have stretched over the jar mouth. Watch what happens.

Heart Pumping Human Body Science Experiment - heart pump science fair project

My kids were very into what was happening, they were not only asking questions but answering each others question based on what they remembered from our lessons and what we read in The Usborne Book of Knowledge. They were working to together, teaching one another what they had learned.

What just happened with these pumping heart experiment:

We made a simple pump that moved water from the jar through the straws and into the pan. The cut end of the balloon worked as a valve or a gate, to stop the water from going back down the straw.

Your heart pumps blood out into your body through your arteries in a similar way.  Human hearts have four separate chambers inside. This pump shows how one chamber and its valve works.

HEART PUMPING JAR SCIENCE EXPERIMENT

Heart Pumping Science Experiment

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Active Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Estimated Cost: $1

Learn about how a heart pumps blood through the heart and the body.

Materials

  • water
  • food coloring (optional)tape
  • scissors

Tools

  • jar
  • balloon
  • scissors
  • tape
  • 2 plastic bendy straws

Instructions

    1. Cut the balloon where the neck starts to widen into the balloon. Add a few drops of food coloring to a cup or so of water. The color helps you see the water movement better. After filling the jar with colored water, stretch the balloon over the mouth of the jar, you want it to be as flat as possible.
    2. Cut two tiny holes in the balloon, slightly smaller than your straw holes, about an inch apart.Take the neck of the balloon and wrap it around the end of one straw. Tape it in place. It doesn't have to be fancy just enough to prevent water and air from going into or out of that straw. My straws would not stay uncrossed in the jar, but it doesn't affect how it works. I would recommend having a pan under your jar or doing this over a sink to contain the water mess.
    3. Now press down lightly onto the balloon you have stretched over the jar mouth. Watch what happens.
© Ashley Mullen
Category: Experiments

You can check out my Instagram homeschool story highlights to see just how this worked.

Similar posts that you may be interested in:

Arctic Animals – Science Experiment

BookShark Science Level 1 Curriculum

Arctic Animals Science Experiment

Filed Under: Curriculum, Experiments, Homeschool, Kids Activities Tagged With: BookShark curriculum, science experiment

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

A Little About Me

I'm Ashley, a Canadian secular homeschool mom of 3, living in Nova Scotia.

I share our adventures in homeschooling and parenting.

You can usually find us at the library surrounded by books.
Read More…

Looking for Something?

Science Experiment E-Book

Footer

Forgetful Momma – Ashley Mullen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

  • Disclosure Policy
  • Terms of Use and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • You Can Contact Me Here

Copyright © 2021 · ForgetfulMomma.com