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Body Talk
Teaching Your Toddler Body Parts Through Play
By Carma Haley Shoemaker
As adults, we have jobs that we are required to do each day. Whether our job is to take care of our family or report to an outside working environment, this is our "job." Well, in the same aspect, a child's job is to play. So what better way to incorporate an important lesson such as body parts than to do it with play?
"Children play; that's what they do," says Wendy Masi, dean of the Mailman Segal Institute for Early Childhood Studies at Nova Southeastern University in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. "So, therefore, instead of making them learn by our methods, we should teach by theirs."
There are a number of ways parents can integrate teaching body parts into their child's playtime and daily routines. Just have fun! "Some effective methods include songs and games that your child may already know," says Masi. "Use these: songs, rhymes, movement games such as 'The Wheels on the Bus' and incorporate lyrics or verses to include, 'You take your little hands and go clap, clap, clap,' or 'You take your little feet and go tap, tap, tap,' etc. Being silly, having fun, even making 'mistakes' works. I'm going to gettcha games ('I'm going to tickle your tummy – I'm going to find your belly button, don't let me catch your feet'); hiding games and peek-a-boo games; mirror games; imitation, follow the leader games, etc., all work very well."
Masi also shares that using play to teach can also be done during daily routines by talking and labeling body parts as part of natural conversation while you bathe, diaper, dress, feed your child or by using doll play. "Children love to wash baby dolls," says Masi. "This is a great way to introduce talking about body parts. 'The doll's face is dirty; oh, let's wash her feet; I think she has something in her ear, let's get it clean.' Easy to do, and most of all, fun to do, too."