🌀 Your Intestines
Your amazing intestines at work!
Your Intestines help your body by absorbing nutrients from food and moving waste along.
🔬 How Your Intestines Work
After food leaves your stomach, it moves into your small intestine. Its walls are covered in millions of tiny finger-like bumps called villi that soak up nutrients and pass them into your blood. What is left moves into the large intestine, which takes in water and gets the leftover waste ready to leave your body when you go to the toilet.
🌟 Fun Facts about Intestines
- Your intestines are actually one very long, coiled tube inside your belly.
- If you stretched out your small intestine, it would be several times longer than your whole body!
- Intestines soak up vitamins and nutrients from the food you eat.
- Eating fruits and vegetables helps keep your intestines healthy.
💚 Taking Care of Your Intestines
Your intestines are home to trillions of helpful bacteria, called your gut microbiome, that help break down food. You can keep your intestines happy by eating fiber from fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains, drinking plenty of water, and staying active. Always wash your hands before eating to keep harmful germs out.
🧠 Quick Quiz!
What is the main job of your intestines?
🏫 Classroom Activity
Coil a long piece of string or rope on the floor to show how many times longer your small intestine is than your whole body.
🏠 Homeschool Activity
Taste some fruits and vegetables together and talk about how they help keep your intestines healthy as they digest your food.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What shape are your intestines?
One very long, coiled tube.
How long is the small intestine?
Several times longer than your whole body.
What do intestines do with the food you eat?
Soak up vitamins and nutrients.
What foods help keep your intestines healthy?
Fruits and vegetables.
What activities help kids learn about intestines?
Coiling a long string, drawing food's journey through your body, tasting fruits and vegetables, or coloring a printable worksheet.