How2Day: Ideas for Activities Using the Body Parts for Kids

There are many ideas for kids that use the body parts Nancy Honey/Digital Vision/Getty Images
Adults play games with babies and toddlers to help them learn different parts of the body. Games, songs and other activities dealing with different parts of the body encourage older kids to stay active by making learning fun as well as interactive. Numerous activities for kids use and name body parts.

An activity using body parts for babies and toddlers is the "Where is it?" game. A parent, other adult, an older child or sibling points to a body part on themselves like a nose or ear and asks, "Where is it?" They may ask instead, "Where is yours?" A mirror can also be used. At first a baby may have no idea, but eventually, with continued play over time, the little one begins to understand the concept of self and that the baby "self" also has a nose or ear or other body parts.

This game can become one of "What is it?" as the baby or toddler begins to talk. You can ask, "What is it?" as you point to either your or the baby's different body part features like mouth, arms, fingers and toes.

An activities using body parts for toddlers on up is the action song, "Heads and Shoulders, Knees and Toes." The song has the children singing the song "Heads and Shoulders, Knees and Toes" while touching the body parts named. They touch their heads, shoulders, knees and toes, then do some of them twice before clapping. The song goes on to have the children point to other body parts: eyes, ears, mouth and then the nose. Of course, you can use this as an activity even without the song by having the kids chant the body parts in rhythm several times before clapping.

The old-time traditional spiritual "Dry Bones" is a kid's activity song using body parts. The song, written by African-American author James Weldon Johnson, has long been used to teach kids the parts of the body. It is a fun song that can be sung faster and faster each verse. There is also a version that eliminates spiritual references to Ezekiel and God. The basic premise is that one bone is connected to another bone all the way up the body. The National Institutes of Health, Department of Health & Human Services shares both versions with the original version going like this, "The foot bone con-nected to the (pause) leg-bone, The leg bone connected to the knee bone, The knee bone connected to the thigh bone,..." and on up the body.

Simon Says is a good activity for using the body parts for kids. The game rules are simple. One person calls out directions such as "Touch your nose," or "bend your knees." If the person calling does not say "Simon says touch your nose," or Simon says bend your knees," the players are not supposed to follow the directions. Only when "Simon says" is invoked are directions to be followed. The faster directions are called, the easier it is to get mixed up. This is a fast, fun activity for kids using body parts.

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