Tag: body parts

Can You Find Your Knee?

Leave a comment

Can You Find Knee (12)

Veronika can readily touch the obvious features on her face (eyes, and ears, and mouth and nose!) but it can be helpful to talk about less common body parts with toddlers, too. To make the game extra fun, just add bubbles!

We headed out to the patio in gorgeous sunshine and I asked her, “Where do you want your bubbles?” At first, she requested them on her hair!

Can You Find Knee (6)

Then I started naming other parts of her body, and gently blowing the bubbles in that direction. In this way, the bubbles tickled at her ankles and knees…

Can You Find Knee (2)

…wrists…

Can You Find Knee (7)

…and neck!

Can You Find Knee (5)

Take the time to point out other new vocab too. Setting the bubbles aside for a moment we found our fingernails and our nostrils.

Can You Find Knee (8)

And eyelashes! Just don’t blow bubbles at those.

Can You Find Knee (9)

Then, we turned back to more familiar body parts (like hands and feet), but got thinking about how to use them in new ways. I encouraged her to clap in order to pop a bubble, instead of simply poking it.

Can You Find Knee (13)

Or she could stomp them with her feet.

Can You Find Knee (1)

Maybe your toddler can pop them with a nose or a chin!

Can You Find Knee (4)

Note: This is also a fun game to take to the bath, especially because bubbles behave differently if you try to clap them while they’re wet.

Bathtime Bubbles (1)

Plus in the bath all those body parts are easily visible! Have fun with it and see what new words your toddler picks up.

Body Songs

Leave a comment

Body Songs (2)

As soon as I pick her up from the crib each morning, Veronika recites my features to me, almost like she’s checking to make sure everything is still there! “One ear, two ear, nose, eyes…” she says. So today we took special time to recite lots of rhymes about body parts.

First up was a little ditty called Two Little Eyes:

Two little eyes to look around,

Two little ears to hear each sound,

One little nose to smell what’s sweet,

 One little mouth that likes to eat. 

Point to each feature on this one, of course, either on yourself, your child, or a favorite toy.

Body Songs (1)

Next up we sang Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes, a classic that always gets big smiles!

Body Songs (3)

We followed this up with Twinkle Twinkle Little… Toes? Yes! To be silly, I sang:

Twinkle, twinkle little toes,

I can touch them to your nose.

Two are big and eight are small.

Count to ten you’ll count them all.

Twinkle, twinkle little toes,

I can touch them to your nose.

Body Songs (4)

With her toys already up, it was time for a round of This Little Piggy.

We finished with a game not of peek-a-boo, but peek-a-knees! Or peek-a-toes, or peek-a-ears, or any other body part you can cover up with a scarf or bean bag.

Body Songs (5)

From here, I leafed through a few magazines and cut out pictures showing facial features and other body parts like knees and toes. I added in dog and cat faces, too, because she loves to point out our cat’s ears. “Leg!” she exclaimed with delight, as we looked at the finished poster.

Body Songs (7)

We glued everything down, which turned it into a mini art project, and then we could sing our favorite body songs and point along as we sang.

Body Songs (8)

Bonus points: the leftover magazine pages were great for ripping.

Body Songs (6)

Where Is Your Nose?

Leave a comment

Where is Nose (4)

When Veronika was still a baby, I introduced body parts through fun games, sometimes focusing on one body part for a whole day, but not expecting her yet to know what was what!

Here’s an update on that game now that she’s a toddler; today we made it more of a ‘Simon Says’. For each body part, I would first point to the one on my body. “Here are my fingers,” I said, wiggling them. Then I posed the question: “Where are your fingers?”

Where is Nose (1)

Over the course of the game, she proudly wiggled her fingers, pointed out her own toes and knees, touched her shoulders, and tapped her head, following my lead each time.

Where is Nose (2)

Her favorite body part is her belly. “Where is your belly? I asked. She loves to share it, and then she needed to see mine!

Where is Nose (6)

You can reinforce the game with any book that focuses on body parts.

Where is Nose (4)

Although she’s young for it, we read through Head to Toe by Eric Carle, with an action to accompany each body part. She loved seeing Baby act it out!

Where is Nose (9)

It was a delight to see how many of these words she now knows, recognizes, and says.

Nose Day

Leave a comment

Nose Day (4)

As a quick follow-up to other body part days Veronika and I have explored, today we had a nose day.

First, we sang about noses. Need ideas? Don’t forget ‘Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes’ features it near the end!

Then we walked around the house to find family photos with noses.

And of course, talk about what your nose does best – smell! I lined up spice jars and held each in front of Veronika’s nose.

Nose Day (3).JPG

Some earned a smile and some received a very confused look.

Nose Day (2)

The point is, you can have a day like this for just about any given body part. What will you choose next? Knees? Belly buttons? Please share in the comments!

Nose Day (1)

Ears Day

Leave a comment

Ears Day (6)

In the past, Veronika and I have focused on a single body part for the day, like hands and feet. Today was all about ears!

Rather than just pointing out ears, we focused a lot on what ears can do – hear! That meant pulling out all her toys that prominently feature sounds. We listened to doorbells and animal sounds:

Ears Day (9)

Squeaky suns:

Ears Day (1)

And musical instruments:

Ears Day (4)

Find things around the house with a strong sound (like running shower water), and for each one, say “I hear with my little ear…”

Ears Day (2)

I also read a book from the library called I Hear, and made sounds alongside the pages.

Ears Day (5)

“I hear with my little ear… rain!”

Ears Day (7)

“I hear with my little ear… the telephone!”

Ears Day (8)

We also walked around the house looking for ears in family photos and paintings.

Ears Day (10)

What body part should we explore next? Stay tuned!

Ears Day (3)

Mirror Play

Leave a comment

Mirror Magic (2)

There are so many ways to play with babies and mirrors, and they just keep getting more fun as your little one gets older! Today – on Veronika’s six month birthday! – we tried out a few new variations.

First, I sat her down in front of a mirror to do some body part and language learning. To the tune of “Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush,” I sang:

This is what I call my head,

Call my head, call my head.

This is what I call my head,

Listen, look, and see.

Repeat for other body parts, making sure to touch each one as you sing about it.

Mirror Magic (3)

For the final verse, I sang:

Now I know the parts of me,

Parts of me, parts of me.

Now I know the parts of me.

Listen, look, and see.

Mirror Magic (1)

From there, we played around with some of those parts! Once we’d identified the tongue, for example we could wiggle it around.

Mirror Magic (5)

Once we’d identified the cheeks, we could puff them up with air.

Mirror Magic (7)

Once we’d identified the mouth, we could blow a big kiss. Big brother Travis loved helping with these demonstrations!

Mirror Magic (6)

If your baby happens to make a silly expressions, copy that back to him or her!

Mirror Magic (4)

We finished off the day’s mirror play by bringing in a stuffed animal friend. Use any favorite toy or stuffed animal for this part, and have it talk into the mirror or interact with baby.

Mirror Magic (9)

Veronika got a big kick out of this!

Mirror Magic (10)

Where, Oh Where…

Leave a comment

Where o Where (7)

I’ve been saying the same little rhyme to Veronika each night at bedtime since she was about three months old. Here’s a cute corollary we now say in the morning while she’s getting dressed.

Where, oh where, are your little fingers?

Where, oh where, are your tiny toes?

Where, oh where, is your belly button?

Round and round it goes!

Where, oh where, are you two small ears?

And where, oh where, is your nose?

Where, oh where, is your belly button?

Round and round it goes!

Touch each part as you recite of course. It’s so fun to identify those little fingers…

Where o Where (1)

And tiny toes.

Where o Where (3)

And when you get to the belly button, make little circles around on the tummy!

Where o Where (4)

This one always gets giggles and smiles!

Where o Where (2)

Who’s That Baby?

Leave a comment

Who's Baby (4).JPG

With babies, it’s sometimes fun to return an activity at one month intervals or so. So much change occurs in their brain and their development in that short time!

To wit, today it was back to mirror play for Veronika. Although we’ve played mirror games before, to point out her name or facial features or emotions, today was the first time she really seemed excited by the baby in the mirror.

She’s also sitting up now, which makes a big difference. To make things novel, I sat her in front of the bathroom mirror. Hello baby!

Who's Baby (1)

She was really intrigued to see the “other” baby’s hand reach out when hers did.

Who's Baby (2)

Then we used a child-safe mirror at tummy time to point out features again. The other baby had a mouth and eyes…

Who's Baby (3)

…and a great big smile!

Who's Baby (5)

Your child will love getting to play with “another” baby while you do this activity.