Today my son fell at the playground and broke his arm. How long will the bone take to heal? – Debra Broken bones have an amazing ability to heal, especially in children. New bone forms within a few weeks of the injury, although full healing can take longer. Your son's arm was probably put in a cast or splint. Casts and splints hold broken bones in place as they heal. Be sure to take care of the cast or splint so that it stays in good condition and doesn't cause skin irritation. A broken bone is a common, treatable childhood injury. Most breaks heal well. Within a few months, kids usually are back to all the activities they enjoyed before the broken bone. Back to Articles Related Articles Broken Bones Many kids will have a broken bone at some point. Here's what to expect. Read More How Broken Bones Heal Broken bones have an amazing ability to heal, especially in kids. Full healing can take time, but new bone usually forms a few weeks after an injury. Read More Casts Casts keep bones and other tissues in place while they heal. Here's what to expect, and how to care for casts. Read More Splints A splint is a support device that keeps an injured area from moving. Doctors often use splints to hold bones and joints in place so they can heal after a fracture. Read More First Aid: Broken Bones A broken bone needs emergency medical care. Here's what to do if you think your child just broke a bone. Read More Getting an X-ray (Video) You'll get an X-ray if your doctor thinks you might have a broken bone. Find out how X-rays are done in this video for kids. Read More Broken Bones What happens when you break a bone? Read More Your Bones Where would you be without your bones? Learn more about the skeletal system in this article for kids. Read More Broken Bones Bones are tough stuff - but even tough stuff can break. Find out what happens when a bone fractures. Read More Casts Some injuries will heal best if a cast is used. Find out how they work and how to take care of them in this article for kids. Read More Note: All information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor. © 1995-2021 KidsHealth®. All rights reserved. Images provided by The Nemours Foundation, iStock, Getty Images, Veer, Shutterstock, and Clipart.com.