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How do hands work for kids?

Published in Hand Anatomy 2 mins read

Our hands are amazing tools that let us do so much, from holding a crayon to building a tower! Here’s a simple explanation of how they work:

The Basic Parts of Your Hand

Imagine your hand as a team with different players all working together:

  • Bones: These are like the strong frame of your hand. You have many bones in your wrist, palm, and fingers.
  • Muscles: These are what help you move. They are located in your arm and forearm.
  • Tendons: According to the video How Do Our Hands Work? | Operation Ouch | Nugget, these are like strong ropes that connect your muscles to your bones.
  • Nerves: These are like little messengers that send signals from your brain to your hand, telling it what to do.

How the Parts Work Together

Here’s how your hand makes different movements:

  1. Brain's Command: When you want to pick something up, your brain sends a message through your nerves.
  2. Muscle Movement: The message from the nerves reaches muscles in your arm and forearm and tells them to squeeze or contract.
  3. Tendons Pull: As the muscles contract, they pull on the tendons, which are connected to the finger bones.
  4. Finger Movement: When the tendons are pulled, your fingers move, and you can grab things, wave, or do anything else you want. The video from Operation Ouch describes this action as pulling on the tendon makes the fingers curl into claws.

Examples of Hand Movements

  • Grabbing a toy: Your brain sends signals to your muscles, which pull on the tendons connected to your fingers. This allows you to close your hand and hold the toy.
  • Waving hello: Different sets of muscles and tendons help you move your fingers and hand back and forth.
  • Drawing a picture: Small muscles and tendons allow for the precise and controlled movements required for drawing and writing.

Your hands are complex and can do many things thanks to the amazing teamwork between the bones, muscles, tendons, and nerves!