Week 1: My body and me — preschool theme plan for parents

Ten words to use this week

head shoulders knees elbow tummy brush wash see hear smell

Use them in your home language first. A word heard twenty times in real moments — at the sink, on the road, at dinner — sticks far better than a word drilled twenty times in a row. You do not need to teach; you only need to talk.

Three things to say

"Where is your elbow? Where is MY elbow?" — point on both of you; children find parts on someone else before themselves.
"What can you hear right now?" Stop for ten seconds and listen together.
"You brushed the back teeth too. That was careful." Praise the doing, not the child.

This week on the site

Golu's Day picks from these automatically, one short session a day. If you would rather choose yourself, here is everything for the week.

Picture books (7)

Songs to sing (5)

Games (7)

Off the screen (5)

The part that matters most. One of these in the week is plenty.

The same theme at different ages

A two-year-old is collecting names: point, say the word, wait, and celebrate any attempt to say it back. A three- to four-year-old is ready to sort and compare — which is bigger, which go together, which one does not belong. A five- to six-year-old wants reasons: ask "why do you think…?" and "what would happen if…?", and let them explain it to a younger child or a grandparent. If you have two children at different ages, the older one teaching the younger is the best lesson either will get this week.

A simple rhythm for the week

You do not need a timetable, but a loose shape helps on tired days. Here is one that fits around school and work; move anything anywhere.

Day 1 — open the theme. Read My two hands together, twice. The second reading is where the words go in.
Day 2 and 3 — play. Let Golu's Day choose, or pick a game from the list above. Fifteen minutes, then stop while it is still fun.
Day 4 — sing and move. Learn Brush, Brush, Brush well enough to sing it without the screen — in the bath, on the stairs, in the car.
Day 5 — hands. Try why we wash with soap. Expect mess; mess is the lesson working.
Weekend — the real world. Try a mirror game at bath time — touch and name every part, then let your child "teach" a doll or a grandparent. This is the day the week's words stop being screen words.
Last day — tell it back. Ask your child to tell someone what they did this week. Retelling is how short-term memory becomes long-term, and it costs nothing.

Missed three days? Nothing is lost. The themes come round again, and a relaxed week with two good conversations beats a full one done through gritted teeth.

What to notice

Can your child point to six or more body parts when you name them? Do they try to wash hands or pull on socks without help, even badly? The trying is the milestone, not the result.

These are things to notice, not things to test. Children develop in bursts and at very different speeds, and a skill that is missing this month often appears overnight the next. If a worry stays with you for a few months, that is reason enough to mention it to your child's doctor or teacher.

If this week is hard

If brushing or washing is a daily battle, sing the song from this week every single time. A routine that always starts with the same song stops being a negotiation.

The other weeks

This is week 1 of twelve in the weekly plan for parents. The weeks run in a loop and each age band meets different games inside the same theme, so the second time round — three months later — your child is doing harder things with familiar words. Next week: My family and home.

Now do it for real

When the screen goes off, do something with your hands. Try 👑 Nature crown — an easy craft for ages 3-6, with every step read aloud in your language. You will need a strip of paper long enough to go round a head, leaves, petals and small twigs, glue or tape; nothing that needs a trip to a shop.

There are 56 more on the things to do at home page, and free printable worksheets if you would rather have something on paper. Ten minutes on a screen and twenty minutes off it is a good shape for a day at this age.

Week 1: My body and me: questions parents ask

What should my child learn about my body and me?