Preschool Biology Experiment – Listening to a Heartbeat

When your preschooler goes to the doctor, the doctor listens to their heart with the stethoscope. With this fun and easy preschool biology experiment, your preschooler can  actually listen to a heartbeat without needing a stethoscope. They’ll also learn that our heartbeats speed up or decrease depending on many factors

 

 

Where their heart is (in the middle of their chest)

What a heart sounds like

That exercise or fear speeds up a heartbeat

That taking a few deep breaths will slow it down

Basic counting

 

 

An adult’s heartbeat (probably yours!)

A paper towel tube

A timer

 

 

Step one: Have your preschooler put their hand on their chest so they can feel their heart beating. 

 

Step two: The adult should take some deep breaths and focus on relaxing their body. 

 

Step three: Put one end of the paper towel tube against the adult’s chest, and have your preschooler put the other end against their ear.

 

Step four: Set your timer for a prearranged amount of time, somewhere between fifteen and thirty seconds. Start the timer and have your preschooler count the number of heartbeats until the timer goes off. If your preschooler is having difficulty counting, have your adult find the pulse in their neck or wrist and count with your preschooler. 

 

Step five: After the timer goes off, your adult should stand up, do some jumping jacks or run in place or a minute. You’re trying to get the adult’s heart rate to go up. 

 

Step six: Start your timer and have your preschooler listen to the heartbeat again. Have them count the beats until the timer goes off.

 

Step seven: Have your adult take some deep breaths and calm down. Again start your timer, have your preschooler listen and count the number of heartbeats until the timer goes off.

 

Step eight: Have your preschooler try to scare the adult so the adult’s heartbeat increases again. Once again have your preschooler listen and count the number of beats.