Pack 10 · Inside Your Brain

Inside Your Brain

Who lives inside your brain? Meet some of its cells, from the neurons that send messages to the glia that support and protect them, and discover how they work together.

Made with Christy Kestner, PhD, neuroscientist, neuroimmunologist, and founder of Brain & Beyond.

Free

Start here

Parent's cheat sheet

A 2-page guide to the brain cells and the eight parts of the brain map, so you can name each one with your child.

Preview Download

For the curious

A forest inside your head

What's inside

0–6 months

High-contrast cards

8 black-and-white cards for the earliest months.

Preview Download

18 months+

Matching game

8 pairs of color cards.

Preview Download

Ages 1+

Coloring sheets

8 full-page illustrations to color in.

Preview Download

Ages 2+

Brain map matching game

8 pairs of brain cards that show where each part of the brain is, ending with the whole brain in color.

Preview Download

Ages 2+

Brain map puzzle

Cut out six parts of the brain and fit them back together, first on a color board, then on just the outline.

Preview Download

Print specs

Prints from any home printer at A4 portrait, 100% scale
Card stock or lamination makes them last

License

Free for personal, classroom, and childcare use. Please don't resell, redistribute, or re-host these files, and please keep the Lupe credit on them. To share, link people to lupe.science rather than uploading the PDF elsewhere. Full terms & licensing.

The brain's cells

A forest inside your head.

Your brain is full of neurons, and with their branches and long trunks, they look a lot like trees. Other cells live in the forest too, each with a unique job. Some wrap the trunks, some keep the forest safe, and some keep it growing.

Neuron

A neuron is shaped a bit like a tree. Messages come in through its branches and travel down its long trunk, called the axon, to the next cell.

Purkinje cell

The Purkinje cell lives in the cerebellum, a part at the back of your brain that helps you balance. Its branches spread into a fan as thin as a leaf.

Synapse

A synapse is a tiny space where one neuron can send a message to another cell. The message crosses the gap, like passing a note to a friend.

Astrocyte

Astrocytes are shaped like stars. Their arms reach out to blood vessels and to neurons, and help bring the neurons energy.

Oligodendrocyte

An oligodendrocyte wraps around parts of the neurons' long trunks, called axons, like a scarf. This wrapping helps messages travel much faster.

Microglia

Microglia keep the brain safe. Their thin branches are always moving, feeling around for germs and damaged cells, and when they find some, they swallow them up.

Ependymal cell

Your brain has spaces filled with a clear liquid that helps cushion it. Ependymal cells line these spaces, and their tiny hairs wave back and forth to help move the liquid around.

Neural stem cell

A neural stem cell can make new brain cells, including neurons and glia. These cells are especially busy while a baby's brain is growing.

The brain map

Now zoom out.

Your brain has different parts, and each one is involved in different things, like seeing, moving and remembering. The brain map cards show where each part is, and the last card puts the whole brain together in color.

How to use

A few ideas to get started.

High-contrast cards

Prop a card up during tummy time, about 20–30 cm from your baby's face. Hold the card steady and let your baby focus on the bold shapes. Try placing one at eye level wherever your baby spends time, and rotate cards every few days to keep things fresh.

Matching game

Start with just 3 or 4 pairs, face up. Ask your child to find the two that look the same. As they get the hang of it, add more pairs. Older toddlers can try turning them face down for a memory game.

Inside Your Brain

What's inside

A forest inside your head.

Neuron

Purkinje cell

Synapse

Astrocyte

Oligodendrocyte

Microglia

Ependymal cell

Neural stem cell

Now zoom out.

A few ideas to get started.

High-contrast cards

Matching game

There are books, too.

Pack 4: Organs

Pack 2: Cell Types

Pack 7: Immune System