Human growth and development classes are essential to future childcare workers. With about 153,100 job openings for childcare workers projected each year, it’s important that students are exposed to this career pathway and consider pursuing a job within it. Future childcare workers must understand the topics taught in human growth and development classes, making them necessary classes for successful childcare career pathway programs.
Hands-on learning is key to making human growth and development classes meaningful to students. On top of making lessons more fun for students, hands-on learning can help enhance retention. It may be difficult to find experiential learning opportunities for topics like fetal development and infant health. However, hands-on resources, like models and kits, can help engage students in the vital information taught in these classes.
The following hands-on learning aids can enhance human growth and development classes with rich visuals and activities that help immerse students in their lessons. We’re also offering an activity from our Fetal Development Kit’s curriculum for FREE. You can use this to help your students understand monthly fetal development today.
Engaging Tools for Human Growth and Development Classes
1. Fetal Development Kit
With the Fetal Development Kit, students get an in-depth look at embryo and fetal development. This kit includes eight plastic models that illustrate a healthy uterus and a fetus in each month of pregnancy. Students can touch, feel, and examine a detailed, life-size model of each fetal development stage. Additionally, incorporate the included curriculum into your human growth and development classes for a complete experience.
2. Infant Health and Safety Pack
Prepare your students for childcare careers with the Infant Health and Safety Pack. This interactive package brings together the Choking Baby and Infant CPR Manikin, as well as student workbooks, posters, and interactive scenario cards. Use these tools to teach students 50 infant safety and first aid procedures in your human growth and development classes.
3. Food Science and Nutrition Lab Kit
Introduce students to food science and nutrition concepts with our unique Food Science and Nutrition Lab Kit. This supplemental kit includes student workbooks, scenario cards, and posters. Students can participate in a variety of lab activities focused on food technology. The standards-based curriculum even features content focused on career exploration.
4. Birth Defects and Disorder Model Set
Give students an in-depth look at six different birth defects and disorders with our one-of-a-kind Birth Defects and Disorder Model Set. Conveniently bundled, this set includes Down Syndrome Baby, Birth Defects Baby, Tetralogy of Fallot Heart Model, curriculum, and more. Students will get hands-on experience exploring the physical effects of Down syndrome, spina bifida, cleft lip, anencephaly, clubfoot, and tetralogy of Fallot.
5. Drug-Affected Baby
By emitting the cries and demonstrating the withdrawal tremors of a drug-affected infant, the Drug-Affected Baby shows the potential impacts of drug use while pregnant. This model is an anatomically correct female that’s available in two skin tones. Use this realistic model as a powerful demonstration in human growth and development, substance abuse prevention, and more.
6. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Baby
The Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Baby shows the potential physical effects of prenatal alcohol use. The brain models and animations that comes with this infant model bring the concepts surrounding the cause of fetal alcohol syndrome and its impact on infants to life. Use these hands-on resources to demonstrate human growth and development, alcohol abuse prevention programs, and more.
7. Preemie Baby
The Preemie Baby is a non-electronic manikin simulating a preterm infant born at 30 weeks. The manikin is an anatomically correct female that comes with a cloth diaper and blanket. Use this manikin to help students understand the unique challenges and, sometimes complicated, medical problems often associated with preterm birth.
Additional Resources
Looking for more resources and activities for your human growth and development classes or childcare pathway program?
- Explore our childcare program implementation page to see how you can work these resources into your program
- Watch our recently recorded webinar on creating an ideal childcare pathway
- Make sure you get your FREE fetal development activity
- Read our blog on teaching tools for career exploration and training classes
