Teaching preschoolers about their bodies can be tricky, but it’s essential as it teaches them more about their bodies, self-awareness, and capabilities.
If you’re on the lookout for body parts activities for preschoolers, you’ve landed in the right spot. We’ve compiled 30 amazing themed activities to teach preschoolers about their bodies.
Uncover the best body parts activity ideas to teach your kid, through songs, stories, rhymes, arts and crafts, and even digital learning activities.
30 Body Parts Activities for Preschoolers
Learning about body parts is crucial to a child’s development. It helps them with motor skills, confident movement, explaining if something hurts, and awareness of their own body. We’ve compiled a list of 30 body parts activities to teach preschoolers, whether you’re teaching your child or need classroom resources.
Songs, Stories, and Rhymes
Let’s start with songs, stories, and rhymes, which are great for preschoolers, including babies under one. Below are seven fantastic lessons for children.
1. Brush Your Teeth
Teaching kids to brush their teeth is really tricky. My son is 2.5 years old, and he’s only just started to accept that it’s part of his daily routine. Songs about brushing your teeth, like Brush Your Teeth by Super Simple Songs, can help kids understand teeth, mouth, gums, tongues, and the importance of dental hygiene.
2. Shake Your Sillies Out
Shake Your Sillies Out is an excellent — and super fun — song for preschoolers. It helps them learn how to move their bodies and dance. With exciting actions, like wiggling arms and clapping, this song teaches kids about movement and body parts at the same time.
3. Parts of the Body
This earworm of a song teaches kids about the majority of body parts, from head to toe! With the catchy tune and helpful visuals, this is great for teaching kids about each body part and where it is.
4. I’ve Got a Body
Does your little one have a very busy body? This song is an excellent choice in preschool settings. It not only teaches children about various body parts (including the nose and feet) but also shows what each part does.
For example, it shows that we can use our nose for sniffing and our feet for stomping. The visuals are also gentle and cozy, which is great for kids who get overstimulated easily.
5. From Head to Toe by Eric Carle
From Head to Toe by Eric Carle is a great addition to any bookshelf. Perfect for preschoolers aged one and up, this colorful story teaches children all about body parts using animals. You’ll see giraffes bending their necks and monkeys waving their hands, encouraging your little ones to try the same movements.
6. The Foot Book by Dr. Seuss
For fans of rhyming and literature, The Foot Book is an excellent exploration of different kinds of feet. Yes, perhaps a bit random, but learning about feet is important. Learn about big ones, small ones, fast ones, and slow ones, allowing children to learn about opposites, too.
7. This Little Piggy
A classic! Your parents probably played this little game on your own feet growing up. This Little Piggy is a cute rhyme using children’s toes.
Start with the big toe and read out this rhyme, moving along each toe as you go, with each toe representing a piggy: “This little piggy went to market, this little piggy stayed home. This little piggy had roast beef, and this little piggy had none. And this little piggy cried wee, wee, wee, all the way home.” On the final “piggy,” as you say “wee…,” tickle your child from their toe to their tummy in fits of laughter and giggles!
Educational Games and Worksheets
Educational games help older kids learn about body parts. We’ve also included printable worksheets so you can bring this teaching experience into your own home or classroom.
8. Body Parts Bingo
Body Parts Bingo is a great idea for older preschool kids, such as three and four-year-olds. Create a template or download Body Part Bingo cards. One by one, call out various body parts. Matching the word to the picture, whoever gets a consecutive row of body parts is the first winner.
9. Labeling the Body Parts
While many preschoolers can’t read and write, you can still use this worksheet to verbally talk through the various body parts. You can download the printable version here. This activity serves as a great visual for walking through various body parts with little ones and discussing what each body part does as you go.
10. Acting Out Books
After reading books about body parts, like The Skeleton Inside You or My Hands, encourage kids to act out the book. This draws attention to the body parts they have just learned about. Kids can apply what they’ve learned about fictional characters to their own bodies.
11. Puzzles
Puzzles are a fantastic way to teach children about new things. There are many body parts puzzles available for kids, providing them with an interactive and educational way to learn about the body. This works great for solo or collaborative play. Puzzle options include:
- Blue Panda Wood Peg Anatomy Puzzle
- Kidzlane Wooden My Body Puzzle
- TOOYFUL Learning Human Body Puzzle.
12. Blind Taste Test
If you have a group of brave kids, a blind taste test is a great way to learn more about the tongue and taste buds. Blindfold children and put out a range of interesting flavors and foods, such as limes, oranges, marshmallows, pretzels, chips, raisins, and more. They can focus on the flavors and how the food feels in their mouth, against their teeth, and on their tongue.
13. Playing Hospital
Playing hospital is a great addition if you are doing a module about body parts or doctors at home or daycare. Including this on your agenda is a fun way to let children explore caring for each other while also putting their knowledge about body parts to the test. Let them use stethoscopes to listen to heartbeats and thermometers to check temperatures, and get them to ask each other questions about any pain or illness.
14. Simon Says — Body Edition
Simon Says is lots of fun for kids! Typically, it involves body part actions anyway, such as jumping up and down or touching your nose. Check out this free printable with a list of Simon Says actions that you can use to teach your kiddos all about various body parts and movements.
15. Pin the Body Part
A twist on Pin the Tail on the Donkey, instead, print out a human body and cut out various body parts. Children must be blindfolded as they try to pin the body part in the correct place. This makes for endless fun, and it’s a great group activity in kindergarten or preschool.
Arts and Crafts
If your children learn quickly through arts and crafts, check out these eight exciting body parts activity ideas for creatively teaching them about their bodies.
16. Paper Plate Faces
Paper Plate Faces are a basic and affordable craft for teaching kids about faces. All you need are paper plates, crayons or markers, scissors, crafting paper, and yarn. They can draw or glue on shapes for the eyes, nose, mouth, and cheeks. Then, they can use yarn to attach hair. Kids can use this activity to make self-portraits, portraits of each other, or even fictional characters, like aliens.
17. Body Tracing
I loved this activity as a kid! Get huge rolls of paper and get each child to lie down. Trace around their body with a pen. When they stand up, they can fill in the drawing using pens, crayons, or pencils, learning all about where each body part goes.
18. Playdough Mats
Print a human body playdough mat, laminate it, get the playdough out, and voila! You have the perfect body part crafting activity for preschoolers. This is a great activity for ages three and up, when playdough becomes the be-all and end-all for little ones!
19. Handprint Art
There are so many ways to use kid’s handprints in art. The easiest way to do this is to help the child dip their hand in non-toxic paint and plaster it onto a piece of durable paper. After washing their hands, they can decorate the handprint to look like an animal, object, plant, or anything else their imagination craves.
20. Body Collage
This fun project requires scissor skills, so it might be best for older preschoolers. Simply give the kids pages from a magazine and toddler-friendly scissors, and get them to cut out various body parts to make a Picasso-style collage. They can make a face or a full body, and trust me — it will create quite a weird and funny art piece at the end.
21. Cotton Swab Skeleton
Here’s an easy craft idea to teach little ones about skeletons. Simply give each child a bunch of cotton swabs, a pair of scissors, a piece of black paper, glue, and a cut-out skeleton face. They can glue the pieces onto the paper to create a funny skeleton. To make this even more fun, give them some paint to add color to the bones.
22. Human Body Coloring Book
Human body coloring books are great for settling your child down for a quiet time while providing an educational experience. A great option is the Human Body Preschool Activity Book. It includes coloring pages, puzzles, and mazes.
23. Body Pizza
If your little one likes playing with food, this is a great way to get it out of their system before dinner time! Make pizza dough (or use a tortilla wrap) and cut out a person with a cookie cutter. Use various ingredients, like cheese and pepperoni, to add in various body parts like a ribcage or eyes.
Bonus points because kids can eat this afterward, making it a perfect afternoon snack, too!
Digital Learning Activities
It’s important to ensure your child learns new things during screen time. Here are a few digital body parts activities for preschoolers when teaching lessons about body parts.
24. Bimi Boo App
The Bimi Boo app is designed for toddlers to learn new things, develop their creativity, and work on their cognitive development. With over 1700 activities, including lessons about body parts, letters, numbers, and colors, this is a great app for preschoolers.
25. Move! Dance Song
Put this video on the TV and get your kiddos grooving! This is a fun and short song that encourages kids to follow instructions and learn about their movement abilities. The song leads kids through all kinds of fun moves like wiggling fingers and dancing left and right.
26. Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes
This is a classic song for teaching kids eight important body parts. This super cute video uses animals to teach children the body parts, and the catchy tune will definitely get kids dancing.
27. QuiverVision Augmented Reality
Take drawing to a whole new level with QuiverVision. With their printables, you can draw all sorts of pages. Then, use the app to bring the drawings to life and watch your creations move around on the screen!
28. Digital Flashcards
Instead of printing out flashcards (as this can cost a lot in ink and paper), keep digital flashcards on your phone to test your little one’s knowledge on the go. Super Simple Songs has a huge collection of awesome flashcards to teach kids about body parts, animals, and more.
29. Virtual Anatomy Tour
There are a bunch of virtual anatomy tours available for free on YouTube. While targeted at older kids, some preschoolers will be intelligent and passionate enough to absorb even the most complex anatomy knowledge.
30. Online Read Alouds
There are so many amazing read-aloud videos on YouTube. If you can’t make it to the library, or you need some educational screen time for your kiddo while you put away the groceries, read-aloud of your favorite body part stories are an excellent addition to your routine.
Tips for Teaching Body Parts to Toddlers
Teaching new information to toddlers is amazing. They’re like sponges — they absorb anything! But it’s important to teach them new information properly and in a setting that is proven to work. With that in mind, here are 10 tips for teaching toddlers about body parts:
- Use simple language: Use simple terms, such as eyes instead of iris or retina and head instead of brain or cranium.
- Use playful songs: Use fun songs to make learning fun. “Head, shoulders, knees, and toes,” is an excellent example.
- Start with their own body: Children typically learn about body parts by identifying their own body parts first. For example, ask your child to show you their nose. Once they’ve perfected that, you can ask them to show where mummy’s nose is.
- Start young: It’s recommended to start teaching children about body parts around their first birthday. Even if they don’t understand right away, it sets the foundation. You may even want to start to get into the habit as soon as your baby is born.
- Read about it: Read lots of different books about body parts to teach your child and show them visuals. Head to the library and see their options so you don’t break your bank account trying out various books. Books are a great way to learn about different bodies, such as those with disabilities. Try introducing your child to a diverse selection of books from a young age.
- Use animals: Using your kiddo’s stuffed animals or toy figurines is a superb way to show that different body parts look different on various creatures.
- Turn it into a game: Playing fun games, like Simon Says, is a great motivator for keeping kids interested in learning.
- Mirror play: Stand in front of a mirror to teach your child about different body parts and where they are.
- Play with a doll: Using a doll is a terrific way to learn about body parts. Prompt your child to feed the doll, give the doll a high five, or help put on shoes. This allows your child to explore various body parts, such as the mouth, hand, and feet.
- Get crafty: Crafts are excellent for teaching your child about body parts. Why not draw the outline of a person and get your child to fill in various body parts like a nose, hair, and fingers?
FAQs
Why Is It Important to Teach Body Parts to Preschoolers?
One of the main reasons you should teach your child about body parts is so they understand the name of each body part. These body parts activities for preschoolers allow them to properly communicate how they feel and where they might be feeling pain or discomfort, and it sets the foundation so they will better care for themselves in the future.
Teaching your child about body parts also opens up the conversation about boundaries. It’s important to teach young kids about body autonomy. Teach them that it’s their body, their choice, and there are some body parts that only they are allowed to touch. Note that this doesn’t include medical examinations or diaper changes.
Another reason to teach toddlers about body parts is to give them a sense of body awareness. They learn to understand the space their body takes up, helping them become less clumsy and more coordinated. This sets the foundation for fine motor and gross motor body activities.
Finally, teaching kids about body parts also sets the foundation for learning to follow instructions. Playing games, like Simon Says, and using body movements are great ways to exercise listening skills.
What Is Body Awareness for Preschoolers?
Body awareness is learning how bodies move and take up space. Body awareness allows kids to understand spatial awareness and how they can use their bodies to interact with objects, people, and places. It also sets the foundation for movement and coordination skills. Children with solid body awareness will be less clumsy and uncoordinated, understand personal boundaries, pick up the concept of going right or left, and become better listeners when following instructions.
Body awareness also refers to having an internal understanding of one’s body. Children can sense where they feel pain, discomfort, or an unsettled feeling. They can differentiate between a stomachache and nervous butterflies, for example. They will also learn how to do movements quickly and without thinking, such as scratching an itch or rolling up their sleeves when it’s time to engage in messy play.
How Do You Talk to Little Kids About Their Body?
Try not to be nervous when talking to your little kids about their bodies. They are super interested and don’t feel uncomfortable, as it’s all new and exciting to them.
It’s important to talk to them using simple but accurate language. Don’t nickname body parts. Use the real names to help them understand where various body parts are.
Allow your child to ask you questions — any question — and ensure you’re equipped to answer. If you don’t know the correct answer, let your child know you aren’t sure, but you will look into it before responding.
Other tips include:
- Encouraging your child to be curious.
- Discussing privacy and boundaries.
- Linking body parts to emotions (for example, happiness might lead to a dancing feeling in the heart).
- Reading books and telling stories.
- Making playful comparisons (for example, hungry bellies are like angry monsters).
- Modeling respect and body positivity.
