To do: Learn about the hand with a 3 Period Lesson
Time: 15 minutes
Materials: Your hands!
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Today we are going to learn about our hands. Use the three period lesson technique with your young child. A three period lesson goes like this:

Naming: “This is your hand”
Recognizing: “Can you show me your hand?”
Remembering: “What is this?”

Repeat the lesson, learning the names of each of your child’s fingers. Which finger is the pinky? Can you use your pointing finger to show me something?

Or, try math! How many fingers do you have? Counting on your fingers is a great way to establish the base of ten, so get counting and subtracting!

Next, trace your hand on a sheet of paper, and number the fingers there as well to practice writing. Your child can trace your hand next to theirs to compare sizes!

For your older child, teach them about the inner workings of the hand. Did you know that there are 27 bones in just one hand? They are grouped like this:

Fingertips are called “Distal Phalanges”
Your second finger joint is called “Intermediate Phalanges”
Your first finger joint is called “Proximal Phalanges”
The area near your knuckles is called “Metacarpals”
The base of your hand is called “Carpals”

These words will be a challenge to remember, but introducing them is a great way to interest your child in anatomy and introduce scientific terminology. Break down the terms into easier pieces. For example, “Distal means far away, and Intermediate means middle, can you guess what Proximal means?” Your child may just surprise you with their skills of deduction.

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