Blood Center Field Trip

This week the kids and I went on a Field trip to the Blood Center. At first my son was very nervous about going. I guess he thought someone was going to poke him with a needle.

Once we got there, he calmed down quite a bit. There were many things to keep his attention.

Here is a rack of blood ready to be taken to the lab

Here is a lab technician sorting blood and getting it ready for the hospital.
We learned about plasma (on the right) and how the blood is prepared. The kids learned how blood is made in the marrow of the bones, and how blood cannot be manufactured by any outside source. The machines behind the rack that look like washing machines are centrifuges. The kids learn how the centrifuges are used to separate the blood.This picture was taken inside the refrigerator. There was a freezer next to it. We learned that the blood is never frozen (only the plasma is frozen) and cannot be stored for very long before it is no longer usable.
We ended our tour by checking out some of the cars outside. All of them have lots of colorful designs on them.



The kids had a great time and now we excited to do more follow up on blood and how it works in the body!