- Your bones stop growing around the time you're 30
- The longest bone in your body is the thighbone
- Some bones join together as you grow
- One of your arm bones is called 'Humorous!'
- You have a bone that used to be a tail!
- Bones are hard outside but soft inside
- Your bones are alive and growing inside you
- Jumping is good for your bones
- Two bones in your feet carry most of your weight
- The smallest bone in your body is in your ear
- Your spine is made up of 33 bones
- Joints connect bones and absorb shocks
- There are 206 bones in your body
- There are 14 bones in your face
- There are 8 bones in each wrist
- Your bones consist of 50% water
- Bones are living tissue
- The smallest bone is in the ear
- The strongest bone is the jawbone
- Strong bones need calcium
- Strong bones need vitamin D
- Giraffes have the same no. of neck bones as us
Outdoors
Fly a kite
A simple pleasure, but oh-so-satisfying, kite-flying will get your child out into the fresh air, give him a basic lesson in aerodynamics, and is a good bonding activity, too. Buy a kite designed for children, as two-handled stunt kites can be difficult to control.
Set up camp
You might not want him/her sleeping out there, but your child will get a kick from pitching a tent in the garden. Let his/her imagination run wild - is it a base camp halfway up Everest, a lunar module or a jungle explorer’s den? No tent? Improvise with the garden furniture and some blankets.
Have a picnic
IIf your child likes having tea parties for his/her toys, he/she will love treating them to a picnic, so get the plastic crockery out and serve up a feast. You don’t have to go far; the garden will do nicely.
Make a splash
Kids love getting wet on hot days. Give him/her an al fresco science lesson by adding bubbles and food colouring to a large bowl of water and dropping in everyday objects such as lolly sticks, empty margarine tubs and sponges, so he/she can see how they perform. If cooling off is the main goal, then fill the paddling pool or let him/her play under the sprinkler (hosepipe ban permitting!).
Outdoor games
While there’s always fun to be had from a game of football or soft tennis, don’t forget about those old favourite outdoor games. Hide and seek, tag, hopscotch, skipping and spinning a hula hoop will all help him/her to burn off steam and get fit without noticing.
Park life
Okay, you might need a bigger, more challenging play area now he/she is past the toddler stage, but don’t assume your child is too old to enjoy a trip to the park. If he/she is bored of the swings, challenge him/her to a treasure hunt, see who can make the longest daisy chain, referee races between him/her and his/her friends, or go for a bike ride around the park’s perimeter.
Gone fishing
Whether you’re armed with a rod, a net or a jam jar, fishing is a wonderful way to while away an afternoon. Depending on your child’s age and attention span, you could buy a day permit for a fishing reserve, go rock pooling at the beach or just dangle a net in the nearest stream. Bonus points if you catch anything!