Teach Toddlers Parts of the Body with a Sticker

Toddlers are curious and always learning. One milestone they hit is when they are able to label parts of their body. 

We all need to know the parts of our body, and little ones are no exception. Learning simple things helps them learn how they fit into the world. They learn that their nose helps them smell, and their hands are what grab things. It also helps if they get hurt and need to tell someone about an owie on their knee. Knowing parts of their body allows them to follow instructions like shut your eyes or clap your hands.

Yes, they are likely to learn many of these on their own, but it never hurts to practice with them either especially when you can make it a game!

How to Use a Sticker to Teach Body Parts

Normally I would have a supply list, but the only supplies you need are a toddler and a sticker. A plain sticker like this works just fine.

Once you have your toddler corralled just stick the sticker on a body part you are practicing and say, "Where's the sticker?" The toddler will rip it off, and you can tell them, "The sticker was on ___"

Over time, your little one will get better about knowing where it is even if they can't say the words yet. In fact you can also turn it around and say, "Where should we put this sticker?" And if they point or wiggle a toe or just take the sticker and put it somewhere you can say, "Yay, the sticker is on your ___ now!" 

My son always liked to wiggle his toes and have my put the sticker on them.

Once kids get the hang of the basics like nose, ears, feet, you can start adding those tricky ones like cheeks, shoulders, and elbows. This kind of hands-on learning game is always so fun for little ones plus if they are willing to pull the sticker off they get some fine motor practice too!

I would not use this game with eyes for obvious reasons of not wanting to stick a sticker on the eye. I would also not play this game to teach kids about private parts since you really don't want to encourage kids to play games with those areas. 

Playing this game occasionally is sure to rewards your toddler with more body vocabulary while rewarding you with lots of giggles!

As toddlers turn into preschoolers you can introduce them to the inside of their body by making a Body Map! There are also lots of great books for the preschool crowd!