We all have one, and it’s working all the time, even when we’re asleep! Our digestive system is an amazing thing. It uses lots of different parts of your body, all working together to make sure that you get the nutrients you need from your food. This experiment will show you how all the different parts of your body work together, in a fun and messy way!  

You will need:

• Baked beans
• 2 biscuits
• A bowl or tub
• Potato masher
• Pair of tights
• Scissors (ask a grown up)
• Sandwich bag
• Vinegar or lemon juice
• Water

Method:

• FOOD – empty your baked beans into your bowl and crumble in your biscuits (yum!).
• SALIVA  – your spit helps to break down your food! Pour a little bit of water into your bowl.

• TEETH – Mash your food up using your potato masher. Or, if you don’t have one, use something like a fork or even your hands!
• STOMACH – Your food travels down your oesophagus (throat) into your stomach! Pour your “food” into the sandwich bag. Your stomach has acid in it, so pour in a bit of vinegar or lemon juice to be your stomach acid.
• Your stomach is always squeezing and releasing (that’s why your stomach rumbles) so give the bag a squeeze to keep breaking down that food!
• *MESSY BIT* INTESTINES – You have two intestines – small and large. The small intestine absorbs nutrients – the good stuff that your body needs. The large intestine absorbs moisture – it gets the liquid out! Open one leg of your tights and pour your stomach contents into the tights (you may need someone to help).
• Carefully squeeze the contents slowly down your intestine. You should see (and feel!) lots of moisture coming out through the tiny holes in the tights, this is like your intestines.
• POO – The intestines is where it turn into poo! If you move the food too slowly through the intestines, too much moisture will be absorbed and your poo will be too hard and dry (constipation), bit if you move it too quickly, it will be too wet (diarrhoea).
• RECTUM – Otherwise known as your bottom! This is where the waste (poo) leaves the body. Cut a small hole in the end of your tights and squeeze the ‘poo’ through it.

This messy experiment shows just how many different parts of your body are involved in your digestive system. Have you seen our Human Body Home Kit on our shop yet? It’s ust £5 and covers everything from teeth to mucus and even DNA!