Neuroscience For Kids

experiment

Modeling the Nervous System
Make a model of the brain, a neuron or the retina. Fun for all. Check out the BRAIN recipes, use beads and playdough and take a peek at the Mammalian Brain Collection. There is also an "egg-citing" brain damage demo.

Brain Games
Can your eyes deceive you? How good is your memory? Do you like to play games or challenge your friends? Then check out the brain teasers, puzzles, games and jokes related to the nervous system. Also, get in on the neuroscience web search treasure hunt and compete for the "Golden Neuron Award".

Outside Games
Anyone ready for a game of "Synaptic Tag"?

Neuroscience Coloring Book
Color any or all of these pictures to make your own coloring book.

Brain Worksheets and Lessons
Games, puzzles, activities and lesson ready to print. Some require access to this site; others are great off-line activities to keep your brain busy.

Creative Writing Projects
Don't settle for a boring report. Try a creative writing project!

Reflexes
Quick! What was that? Jump, kick, and grab it before it hits the floor. How good are your reflexes? Quick and easy experiments are here for you to try.

The Senses: Taste--Smell--Vision--Touch--Hearing
Lots of experiments to explore how we learn about the world around us: smell, taste, touch, see and hear. Great teacher resources and plenty of links. Perhaps a science fair project too.

Sidedness
Most people are right-handed. Are they also right-footed? Right-eyed? Right-eared? Find out here.

Sleep and Dreaming
Do you remember your dreams? How much do animals sleep? Why do we sleep? Go here to find out.

Memory and Learning
Would you be a good detective? Have you noticed what color eyes your best friend has? Can you remember what you had for dinner last night? Techniques and activities to help us remember and understand how our brain "arranges" information.

Biological Rhythms
Keeping track of time with our internal clock. Our sleep patterns, body temperature, and our alertness are controlled by an internal clock. Would this internal clock still work if you were in the dark 24 hours a day? Do other animals have an internal clock? Find out...

Brain Injury
Protect your brain! It's the only one you've got.

Working Students
See photographs of students working on "Neuroscience for Kids" projects.

Gallery of Student's Work
See what projects and artwork some students have created and add your own masterpiece to the collection.

Brain Songs
Sing along with songs about the nervous system.

Successful Science Fair Projects
Advice for a great science fair project.

Brain Explorers 1 | Brain Explorers 2
Collections of hands-on activities for students in grades 3-5. Developed by Dr. Gary E. Duncan at the University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill, NC).

Lesson Plans

Collection of lesson plan examples for students in grades 1-5. Developed by Dr. Bob Jacobs at Colorado College (Colorado Springs, CO).
Neural Engineering lessons from the Center for Neurotechnology.
Complete lesson plans with background information, teacher guides and student guides from Neuroscience for Kids:

[Placebo, control groups and the challenge of inferring causality]