Stand up where you are and stretch your hands out in front of you. Close your hands into fists and place them behind your back, on either side of your spine, just below your rib cage and right above your waist line.

This is just about the size and location of where your kidneys are.

So what do your kidneys do?

Most grown ups can tell you that your kidneys act like a washing machine for your blood, staying busy all day and night, removing extra fluids and toxins from your blood stream.

Some things your kidneys do that most people don't know about are work with your bone marrow to create red blood cells, which help digest iron rich foods and prevent anemia, as well as make important hormones that regulate your blood pressure and the amounts of certain nutrients in your body, such as potassium and calcium.

Keeping your kidneys healthy is pretty easy as long as you can remember to eat a well balanced diet, drink lots of water, exercise on a regular basis and don't use drugs. Check out our recipes section to find out about healthy snacks.

To find out more about your kidneys, read our online book Kyla's Kidney Adventure and then print out the games below to play at home.

Draw
Maze
Crossword
Answers to Maze and Crossword