• Renal Nutrition Games For Toddlers Printable
• Renal Nutrition Games For Toddlers Printable
• Renal Nutrition Games For Toddlers Free

Everybody knows that some organs in the human body are necessary for survival:you need your brain, your heart, your lungs, your kidneys.KIDNEYS? Even though you won't find a Valentine's Day card with a kidneyon the cover, the kidneys are every bit as important as the heart. You need at leastone kidney to live! What Are Kidneys?Kidneys normally come in pairs. If you've ever seen a kidney bean, then you havea pretty good idea what the kidneys look like. Each kidney is about 5 inches (about13 centimeters) long and about 3 inches (about 8 centimeters) wide — about thesize of a computer mouse.To locate your kidneys, put your hands on your hips, then slide your hands up untilyou can feel your ribs. Now if you put your thumbs on your back, you will know whereyour kidneys are.

You can't feel them, but they are there. Read on to find out moreabout the cool kidneys. What Do Kidneys Do?One of the main jobs of the kidneys is to filter the waste out of the.How does the waste get in your blood? Well, your blood delivers nutrients to yourbody. Chemical reactions in the cells of your body break down the nutrients.

Renal Nutrition Games For Toddlers Printable

Someof the waste is the result of these chemical reactions. Some is just stuff your bodydoesn't need because it already has enough. The waste has to go somewhere; this iswhere the kidneys come in. First, blood is carried into the kidneys by the renal artery (anythingin the body related to the kidneys is called 'renal'). The average person has 1 to1½ gallons of blood circulating through his or her body. The kidneys filterthat blood about 40 times a day!

More than 1 million tiny filters inside the kidneysremove the waste. These filters, called nephrons (say: NEH-fronz),are so small you can see them only with a high-powered microscope. The Path of PeeThe waste that is collected combines with water (which is also filtered out ofthe kidneys) to make (pee). As each kidneymakes urine, the urine slides down a long tube called the ureter(say: yu-REE-ter) and collects in the bladder, a storage sac that holds the pee.When the bladder is about halfway full, your body tells you to go to the bathroom.When you pee, the urine goes from the bladder down another tube called the urethra(say: yu-REE-thruh) and out of your body.The kidneys, the bladder, and their tubes are called the urinary system. Here'sa list of all of the parts of the urinary system:. the kidneys: filters that take the waste out of the blood and make pee. the ureters: tubes that carry the urine from each kidney to the bladder.

the bladder: a sac that collects the pee. the urethra: a tube that carries the pee from the bladder out of the bodyKeeping a BalanceThe kidneys also balance the volume of fluids and minerals in the body. This balancein the body is called homeostasis (say: hoh-mee-oh-STAY-sus).If you put all of the water that you take in on one side of a scale and all ofthe water your body gets rid of on the other side of a scale, the sides of the scalewould be balanced. Your body gets when youdrink it or other liquids.

You also get water from some foods, like fruits and vegetables.Water leaves your body in several ways. It comes out of your skin when you sweat,out of your mouth when you breathe, and out of your urethra in urine when you go tothe bathroom.

There is also water in your bowel movements (poop).When you feel thirsty, your brain is telling you to get more fluids to keep yourbody as balanced as possible. If you don't have enough fluids in your body, the braincommunicates with the kidneys by sending out athat tells the kidneys to hold on to some fluids. When you drink more, this hormonelevel goes down, and the kidneys will let go of more fluids.You might notice that sometimes your pee is darker in color than other times. Remember,pee is made up of water plus the waste that is filtered out of the blood.

If you don'ttake in a lot of fluids or if you're exercising and sweating a lot, your pee has lesswater in it and it looks darker. If you're drinking lots of fluids, the extra fluidcomes out in your pee, and it will be lighter. What Else Do Kidneys Do?Kidneys are always busy. Besides filtering the blood and balancing fluids everysecond during the day, the kidneys constantly react to hormones that the brain sendsthem. Kidneys even make some of their own hormones.

For example, the kidneys producea hormone that tells the body to make.Now you know what the kidneys do and how important they are. Maybe next Valentine'sDay, instead of the same old heart, you can give your parents a special card featuringthe kidneys!

Whether it's rainy, or even too hot to hit the park or backyard, exercise games are a great way to get everyone in the family giggling and away from the screens for a bit.We've put together a list of 25 easy indoor exercise ideas to do with kids at home. It's a really simple way for a family to integrate movement and exercise into any day. Most of these can be done right in your living room, and will even work in tight city apartments (or hallways). We promise everyone will be tired and laughing after attempting just a handful.Looking for more for kids?

We have lots of ideas, including and for all ages.Keep the focus on the fun and exercising won't be a chore—and maybe these ideas will inspire your family to devise more entertaining ways to get moving.to get posts like this delivered to your inbox.1. Headstands: A great activity for your core muscles and to get blood going to the brain. Kids are often naturals.2. Jump rope: If you have downstairs neighbors who complain, go in the hall or outside your building.

For more fun, pick up a book of.3. Obstacle course: Create a or take chalk and make a course outside.

Add in specific mental or physical challenges to keep them guessing.4. Wheelbarrow, crab, and bear-walk races: Holding one of these tough positions gives you a real workout.5. Animal races: Hop like a bunny or frog; squat and waddle like a duck; and so on.RELATED:Balloon tennis is a simple game that's fast and easy to set-up.

Photo by Ally Noel6. Balloon ball: There are endless ways to play with balloons indoors. Try to keep it off the ground or just play catch.

Mix it up with7. Follow the leader: Add to the workout with energetic movements such as jumping, stomping, and squatting.8.

Dance party: Turn on the music and shake your groove thang.9. Freeze dance: When the music stops, freeze in your pose and hold it until the music begins again.10. Scavenger hunt: Write up clues and hide them around the apartment.

Kids can race to find each clue for a small prize at the end.11. Jumping jacks: Simple but good for coordination and they get your heart going. When my kids can't sleep, I have them do 25 to tire out.12. Parachute: This kiddie gym standby can be re-created at home with sheets. Each kid takes an end of the parachute or sheet and fans it upward while one of you runs underneath.13.

Renal Nutrition Games For Toddlers Printable

Bubble wrap attack: If you get bubble wrap in the mail, jump on it until it's all popped.14. Clean-up race: Set a timer or put on a song to see who can right the room the fastest.15. Tickle tag: Chase your children. When you catch them, it's tickle time.16. Temper tantrum: Have a fit for the fun of it. Flail, stomp, and scream.17. Carnival: Set up carnival games such as 'Knock Down the Milk Cans' (we used Tupperware).18.: Fill up water bottles and use any ball you have.19.

Hopscotch: Use chalk or tape to make a game on your floor or outside your building.20. Pillow fight: No explanation needed.21. Sock skating: If you have hardwood floors, put on socks to skate around.

Try spins or hockey stops, or see who can slide the farthest. Make sure to move the furniture and watch for splinters. My kids also like to up the speed factor with a couple of pieces of wax paper under each foot.22.

Renal Nutrition Games For Toddlers Free

Bubble bashing: Blow bubbles and let your child try to smash them.23. Wrestling: Put down a mat, or play on a rug or bed.

See if your kids can wrestle you to the ground.24. Pushover parents: Plant your feet and see if the kids can budge you. If you move your feet, they win. Stand on one foot to make it easier for little kids.25.

Popcorn pushups: Put a small bowl of popcorn on the floor. Lower yourself down and stick out your tongue to get a piece of popcorn with each thrust.Photo via Shutterstock.This article first published in October 2011, but is regularly updated.