Body parts are essential parts of human – and everyone needs to know how to identify them correctly at young ages.
Basic knowledge about body parts should be taught at a young age. There is no specific age for teaching about body parts, but it should be as soon as possible.
Toddlers and preschoolers already have the ability to learn and remember, so parents should teach them basic information about the human body.
Teaching children about their body parts is an essential task of child education, but do you know the most effective ways to do so?
1. Go straight for the names
The first way to teach kids about their body parts is to go straight for it. There is no need to make up names or beat around the bush.
Some parents think that making up names for body parts is fun and an easy way for kids to remember. However, the kids can get it wrong, and call these body parts by those nicknames instead of the real ones.
Parents need to tell your children the proper names of body parts. For example: “Look, this is a hand!” or “This is your nose!”.
Do not point at your kid’s nose and say: “Look, this is an elephant’s trunk!” or “This is Mr. Small!”.
They will get used to those nicknames and confused when other people call those body parts differently.
2. Using songs to teach children about body parts
Music and rhymes are good ways to help the kids learn about body parts faster. Parents can search online to find suitable and funny songs to educate their sons and daughters.
You can check the songs listed below:
– Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes is an upbeat and easy to follow song for preschoolers. Apart from helping with body parts identifying, this song can be used as background music for child exercise.
– If You’re Happy and, You Know It is a rhyme familiar with all the children of all ages around the world. This cheerful song is suitable for classroom activities.
– Chubby Cheeks, Dimple Chin is another great song about body parts. Children will also learn about adjectives describing the body parts from this song.
– One Little Finger is a cute and catchy song, helping your kids to learn about the general parts of the body. Short and funny, this is all-age suitable.
These are cheerful songs with simple and clear lyrics. Parents can let kids watch the video and point at the body parts at the same time.
With these songs, kids can even dance to it while touching body parts. It will be a good way to let children exercise more and learn about body parts at the same time.
3. Tell kids stories about body parts
Stories about body parts are also useful in educating children. It is a good way to let children be entertained and learn new things at the same time.
Parents can find storybooks with colorful illustrations about body parts at every bookstore. Or you can go and search for online versions and audio versions.
Parents should choose stories with simple and clear storylines so the kids can follow them easily. Reading stories before bedtime is a common thing for any household and is proved to be effective.
Parents can either read the stories for your kids or let them read and tell you back. Parents should encourage children to read the story first and tell them to their family.
While telling, children can touch the body parts mentioned in the story to illustrate. Don’t forget to give them applause when the storytelling show ends.
Some of the recommendations for stories about body parts are:
- My Hands by Aliki is a short and funny story about the importance of our hands, and the many ways of using them.
- From Head to Toe by Eric Carle is a story that will make your children feel energetic. This is an interactive book that will help kids learn about body parts and movement.
- Barney Plays Nose To Toes by Margie Larsen and Mary Ann Dudko is a book associated with a famous TV show character: Barney. Barney has always been loved by the kids, so let’s learn about body parts and directions with Barney.
- Hear Your Heart by Paul Showers. In this book, children will learn about the heart, one of the most important parts of the body. Kids will learn why and how the heart works to keep us healthy.
4. Follow the schoolwork of your kids
At school, children will learn a lot of things, including the human body. Parts of the body will be taught in the science and health curriculum.
Parents should keep an eye on the schoolwork about body parts. So, you can arrange the activities at home that is in accordance with.
For example, when the teachers teach your kids about hands, you can read them bed-time stories about the hands. Or, play with them a small game to help them calling the name of fingers correctly.
When the child grows older, the school will teach them a lot more complicated parts of the body. Like the internal organs and systems. Parents can help by explaining the thing that they don’t understand.
5. Use visual models to educate children
Teaching your child body parts through visual models is a super fast method. This method is interesting and easy to apply.
All you need to do is use the man-made model of human body parts to explain for the children.
Or parents can show them the models of human body parts and systems. There are human body exhibits, where all of the human part is on display.
Besides, parents can let children watch shows and video that explains how the body works. The Dr. Binocs Show: How Do Your Body Parts Work? Is a great series for young children to learn about the function of the human body.
For teenagers, documentary shows like Human Body 101 of National Geographic are good choices. These shows have the necessary information about the body that people need to know.
6. Teaching children through games and fun activities
Don’t force your kids into lengthy and boring lectures – they will not remember anything. Parents have to create joy and excitement in the process of teaching.
One of the most popular ways to do so is playing games. Also, parents can get your children engaged in other similar activities to enhance their effectiveness.
Simon Says can be the most popular childhood game in the world. But it is not merely a game, parents can use it as a tool of education.
Parents can gather your children and their friends to play together. Tell them about the body parts with simple but funny commands.
Such as: “Simon says, put your left hand on your friend’s shoulder” or “Make a pig nose!”. Be creative and humorous and let’s have a great time together.
Body balancing is a small game but really helpful in teaching children about body parts. Parents can also join in the game.
Parents can ask kids to put things on various body parts and try to balance it. For example, put a pencil on the finger, or a light book on the head.
If you or your kid let things fall, it will be hilarious and memorable. And if your kids can balance well, they will take pride in doing so and also memorize that body part better.
Describing Race is a fast and competitive game, suitable for households with more than one child.
This game is a take-turn game, in which parents will describe a body part (no direct mention) and the kids need to guess as fast as possible.
For instance: “What do you use to see?”, “This is the body part that beats every day” or “You can hear thanks to this”.
7. Using lesson plans
If parents are still confused about planning the teaching session, you can use lesson plans.
These lesson plans can be found online easily. They provide good and suitable structure to teach children about body parts.
Lesson plans often include a lot of different activities and games, so the child will not get bored. Some are even colorful and have great visual materials attached.
The practice parts of lesson plans help children to remember longer. So don’t forget to revise the lesson for them.
8. Be open and constructive
Everything will get easier if the parents are open and constructive. Especially in teaching about private body parts.
The private body parts of boys and girls are clearly different. Parents have to make sure your kids understand that.
Besides, parents have to educate children about what body parts can be touched by other people, and what is not. This will help your kids avoid abuse.
Parents should be willing to talk and answer the questions of your children, even though they can be silly and obvious.
If parents reject or neglect questions about body parts, the kids will be reluctant to ask again and that information will stay unknown to them.
Educating your kids about their body can take a lot of time and effort, but it is essential. So good parents should find the most suitable (and full of laughter too) methods to get their child to understand this basic knowledge.
