Self Image: Completes a Body

This is a very good beginning-of-the-year activity which should help you get a sense of the range of development within your group.

Objectives

Children can learn to complete a complicated figure and add body parts to an incomplete figure. Children ages 2-2 ½ years can name body parts Lang. IA
and they can also associate body parts with their function Lang. IIA

 
 
 

Materials

Sheets of paper with a "body" drawn on each; felt pens or crayons; a couple of dolls from the playhouse; full length mirror if available. SEE ILLUSTRATION

Procedures

1. Gather children around the table and give each a piece of paper with a "body" on it. (ILLUSTRATION) Ask children to pretend that they woke up to find their doll missing—all except the body. In order to get help in looking for the missing parts, the children must draw in all the parts that are gone.

2. As children draw, ask what parts they are drawing and what functions these parts serve. If they omit things, prompt them by asking questions such as "Can your doll hear? What do you hear with? Where do your ears go? etc." Encourage them to add details. Use dolls, other children, and a full length mirror for reference.