Are you looking for some fresh and fun respiratory system classroom activities? Teaching the respiratory system and all human body systems is one of my favorite science units in the classroom! Kids are naturally curious about how their bodies work, and this is the perfect opportunity to tap into that curiosity. Over the years, I’ve found a few tried-and-true activities that not only engage my students but also help them really understand how the respiratory system works. I’d love to share a few of my favorite ideas with you!

1. Lung Capacity Experiment

First up is a classic activity that my students always love—the Lung Capacity Experiment. It’s simple, fun, and hands-on. I give each student a balloon and have them blow into it to see how much air their lungs can hold. We compare the sizes of the balloons, and students are always amazed at how different everyone’s lung capacity can be! It’s a great way to kick off the respiratory system unit and spark their interest. If you want to try this out, check out this LUNG CAPACITY INVESTIGATION! It is one I love!

2. Respiratory System True/False Sort

Another activity that really gets the kids thinking is a True/False Sort. I prepare a set of statements about the respiratory system—some true and some false—and the students have to sort them. For example, “The diaphragm helps you breathe” (True!) or “Oxygen is stored in the heart” (False!). It’s a fun way to test their knowledge while also reinforcing what we’ve learned so far. Plus, it always leads to some great discussions!

3. Breathing Rate Investigation

Get your kiddos moving with a Breathing Rate Investigation! This is so easy to incorporate and the kids love it! I take my kids out to the playground and ask them to measure their breathing rate over one minute both at rest and after a bit of exercise, like jumping jacks. They love seeing how their breathing changes depending on activity, and it helps them connect the dots between exercise and the way the respiratory system works. We usually chart the results to compare how different students respond to the same exercise.

4. Journey Through the Respiratory System Mini Flip Book

One activity i’ve found helpful is creating a Journey Through the Respiratory System mini flip book. Students create a mini flip book where each page represents a different part of the system—starting with the nose and ending with the alveoli. It’s a fun, visual way for them to understand how air travels through the body. My kids always love personalizing their flip books with drawings and notes! Sometimes it’s nice to have a simple flip book that is already complete. I have included one that is ready to pint-and-go in my Respiratory System Unit.

5. Oxygen Pathway Role-Play

This might seem a little basic for upper elementary kids. But, my 4^th and 5^th graders still enjoy this and talk about it after the unit.   So, if you want to get your students up and moving, try an Oxygen Pathway Role-Play! I assign students different roles, such as the heart, lungs, or blood cells, and they act out how oxygen travels through the body. The student who’s playing oxygen might start at the lungs and move to the heart, “delivering” oxygen to the muscles. This is such a fun, interactive way to help them see how the respiratory system works together with other systems.

6. Respiratory System Interactive Notebook Activity

For a more hands-on approach, I always love using Interactive Notebook Activities. Use foldable diagrams of the respiratory system in student notebooks. On the outside of the flap, they label parts like the trachea and lungs, and on the inside, they write the function of each part. Notebook activities becomes their own personal study tools. I’ve always find them to be incredibly helpful for reinforcing the material in a memorable way.

7. Balloon Lung Simulation Model

When planning fun respiratory system classroom activities for your students, you should also consider a Balloon Lung Simulation. We use a balloon inside a plastic bottle to simulate how lungs inflate and deflate as the diaphragm moves. My students are always amazed seeing the balloon “breathe,” and it’s a simple but powerful visual for how air flows in and out of the lungs. It’s always a hit in my classroom! The Connecticut Science Center has wonderful “Make Your Own Lung Model” step-by-step instructions!

8. Respiratory System Scavenger Hunt

One final thing you might try is organizing a Respiratory System Scavenger Hunt. I hide clues around the classroom, and students have to find and match them with the correct function of each respiratory system part. It’s an active, engaging way to reinforce the vocabulary, and students always have so much fun tracking down the clues.

Teaching the respiratory system doesn’t have to be boring! These are all activities my students and I have enjoyed in our classroom. They keep the kids engaged and help them understand how the respiratory system works. Whether you try a simple experiment or dive into an interactive notebook project, I’m sure your students will love learning about their amazing bodies.

Save These Respiratory System Activities for Upper Elementary

If you’re teaching human body systems, make sure you pop over to my IDEAS FOR TEACHING HUMAN BODY SYSTEMS post. I’ve shared a bunch of great idea I think you’ll find helpful. Make sure to click the PIN IMAGE below to save these respiratory system activities. This way you will be able to find them quickly when you launch into your human body systems unit. Also, before you go, don’t for get to grab your FREE RESPIRATORY SYSTEM SAMPLE PACK! It has several tools out of my respiratory system unit that I hope you find helpful!