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Body Talk
Teaching Your Toddler Body Parts Through Play
By Carma Haley Shoemaker
Jen Singer, founder of MommaSaid.com, says that one great advantage to using playing games is that it replaces trying to get an active child to sit still long enough to learn something. "The hardest part about teaching toddlers about their body parts is getting them to sit long enough to learn," says Singer. "So I turned the teaching into games that even preverbal toddlers can play."
Singer's games include the following:
Silly Feet
– Tell your toddler, "OK, let's put your shoes on your feet," then try to put them on his hands. He'll giggle with delight as he shows you where his feet are. You can do the same with all of his clothes. They just love when you try to put a diaper on their heads. Body Race
– Tell your toddler to race as fast as she can toward you. When she gets to you, say, "Touch my knee!" She has to touch the right body part to get a sticker, then run back to home base. Continue the race until she's correctly named all the body parts or she's so tired, she needs a rest. Head and Shoulders