“Every single person has a skeleton made up of many bones. These bones give your body structure, let you move in many ways, protect your internal organs, and more” (Your bones. (n.d.). Nemours Kids Health).

Your bones are very important! Can you imagine not being able to walk or stand or even play your favorite game?

Your mommy and daddy have 206 of them! Many big and small bones help to make up your skeleton.

Just like the brain and heart, your bones help you to function and do all the great things you like to do.

Do I have bones as a baby?

Yes! When you were a little baby you were born with bones but they were tiny and softer than they are now. As you grow big and strong, your bones also grow. A baby’s bones are made mostly out of a special thing called cartilage (say it slowly: Kar-tel-ij). You will grow even more as you get older and your bones will grow bigger and taller and stronger with you.

What are the Names of some of the bones in my body?

There are many many bones in your body and they all have special names. Let us look at a few of them you might have noticed:

1.My Spine: Reach around your back and press your hands down, do you feel something hard? That is your spine!

Your spine is the part of your skeleton that helps you to twist and bend and hold you upright. It also has the important job of protecting your spinal cord, which are groups of nerves that work like messengers to the brain. But the spine is not just one big bone in the center of your back, it is many bones, 33 in fact, shaped like rings that work together called vertebrae (say it slowly: Ver-tuh-bray).

2. My Rib Cage

Breathe in slowly, do you notice something pushing up in your chest? Now take your fingers and press down on the sides and front of your body, do you feel something hard? Those are your rib cage!

These bones that are like a cage, protects your heart, lungs and liver. They come in pairs (which means you have two) and each is exactly the same as most people have 12 pairs. (Your bones. (n.d.). Nemours Kids Health).

3. My Skull

If you use your fingers to press on your head you’ll feel something hard, that is your skull. This bone protects your brain! Your skull also gives your face its shape.

Use your fingers and press lightly under your eye, that part of your skull is the eye socket where your eyes rest.

Also, if you open and close your mouth you would be using a part of your skull known as the jaw bone. This is how you chew food and talk to your friends.

4. The bones in my hands and feet

When you pick up your lunch kit, write your notes in class, you are using the bones in your fingers and arms. When you run and play, you are using the bones in your feet. These bones are made up many small and big bones connected by joints. Joints are the places where two bones meet. Some joint do not move at all (Fixed joints) like the ones in your skull, while other move just a little (like your spine) and others let you move a lot (hinge joints) like your knees and elbows. Think about all the fun dances you can do!

How do I take care of my bones?

During childhood, as you are growing, the cartilage grows and is slowly replaced by bone, with help from calcium. So to build strong bones and teeth, you need lots of calcium.

Calcium is a mineral that is found in some foods like milk that helps our bodies to build strong bones and teeth. It is very important for the growth of children.

Another way to strengthen your bones is through exercise like running, jumping, dancing, and playing sports.

Also wearing protective gear when playing sports and being careful when playing.