My Nose Knows

Think back to when your child was still a toddler. I bet you can recall saying, “Where’s Mommy’s nose?”  and then squealing in delight when your little tot did touch your nose! 

These common body parts, including the eyes, ears, and mouth, are all familiar to most three-year-olds. But do they know what these organs are used for? Do they know that their ears are letting them hear the bedtime story you are reading, and that their nose smells the chocolate chip cookies baking in the oven?  And what about all their other body parts, such as their chin, elbow, shoulder, knee, ankle, and neck, just to name a few? 

You can introduce these body parts and their respective uses during playtime. After all, all kids love to play and explore. Take advantage of this by casually mentioning body parts along the way. Start by identifying that part of their body they are currently using, such as, “Wow, your feet are helping you run so fast!” Use gestures when introducing these new parts so your child can easily make associations.

Using gestures would help your child match the word he or she has heard with a visual stimulus (the thing you’re pointing at). This important brain connection is also emphasized through movement. When you say, “I’m bending my knee,” you must do the action at the same time, pointing to your knee as you do so and encouraging your child to do the same.

Simple games like Simon Says can reinforce body part recognition and actions too. For instance, “Simon Says jump super high with your feet!” In this command, your child would be hearing the word feet and seeing her feet leave the ground as she jumps. As he or she gains proficiency, spice up the game by adding a command such as, “Simon Says wiggle what you use to smell with.”  See if your child can figure out that you were referring to his or her nose.

There are also countless books and songs you can engage your children in to help them comprehend the connections better. When my children were young, we enjoyed singing “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes.” We also had fun tracing their body parts, such as their feet, on a sheet of paper and cutting these out. My kids then decorated their cutouts to look exactly the way they do. I’d bring in a full-length mirror so they can compare the cutout with their actual self! Sometimes they would go the extra mile and draw their cutout version wearing exactly the same clothes. Maybe you can start doing these with your kids too!