What connects the head to the body? Simple explanations and 3 rephrased questions for a 7-year-old

Three kid-friendly ways to ask 'what connects our head to the body' plus a clear, step-by-step answer a 7-year-old can understand about the neck, spine, and spinal cord.

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Here are three different ways to ask the same question:

  • What joins my head to my body?
  • Which part of my body holds up my head and links it to the rest of me?
  • How does my brain connect to the rest of my body?

Short answer for a 7-year-old:

  1. The neck connects your head to your body on the outside.
  2. Inside your neck is the spine, made of small bones called vertebrae, and inside the spine is the spinal cord. The spinal cord is like a thick telephone wire.
  3. Your brain sends messages through the spinal cord and many tiny nerves to tell your arms, legs and other parts what to do.

So, the neck on the outside and the spine plus the spinal cord on the inside all work together to connect your head to your body.

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