Our daughter was able to recognise herself at 14 months. With me always in the mirror, dancing, singing and doing our wash routine. Gene began to realise who she was earlier than most toddlers her age. Studies show that typically, between 18 and 24 months, toddlers may start to recognise themselves in a mirror and in photos. It’s a big deal when they discover that they are looking at their own body and self—this is a critical step in developing self-awareness. 

By the time she was two (she’s currently 2.5), she was able to sing the “head, shoulder, knees and toes song in both English and Haitian Creole and fully point out all visible parts of her body, including her “no-show” areas. It is typical at this age for children to start to recognise and identify more and more facial features, as well as the emotions they can express. More specific words, like eyebrow, cheek, wrist, and chin, may begin to enter their receptive vocabulary, and mirrors are an excellent opportunity to introduce a broader range of emotion words. That’s what helped us!

Here are 4 ways we used mirrors to build new vocabulary and social-emotional learning:

Identify body parts

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, by age 2, many children can identify a wide range of common body parts (whether or not they can say them). Between 24 and 28 months, they’re starting to understand—and sometimes name—more minor or less commonly-named parts. It’s very crucial to remember to be scientific with the terms of body parts for safety and developmental reasons. 

Ask your child to (“touch your nose” and “show me your chin”), and give them a moment to find it on their own before showing them. They may point to the mirror, where you can say, “Show it to me on your own body.” If you started this while your child was still a newborn, you might realise that your child can already point out their body parts. Naming or speaking through daily activities helps your child learn these terms in calm environments. 

Point to some parts of your body without speaking, and see if your child can name them or point to the same parts on their own. 

Try two-step directions 

Our daughter is slowly getting used to two-part instruction, but typically, by age 2, children are increasingly able to handle two-part instructions. The mirror and home are great places to practice this—especially when you follow along with them. Try to keep the instructions simple by focusing only on one change at a time: “First touch your ear, then touch your head” or “first put your hand on your shoulder, then put your other hand on the same shoulder.” 

Between 24 and 27 months, many children can understand compound sentences, which are sentences with two distinct clauses. Try making the directions more complex (but know that they might not understand, and that’s okay): “first touch your nose, then look up to the ceiling.” As you give directions, use sequential words like first, then, next, finally, and last. 

Play “match that feeling” 

If you have an emotional egg, potato, or any other emotional activity/toy, feelings are a crucial part of empathy development. Your child is only beginning to see that their feelings are distinct from others. Mirrors are a great way to practice what these feelings look and sound like in their faces, bodies, and voices. This activity can also be an opportunity to practice emotional vocabulary.

You might start by saying, “Okay, everyone in the mirror looks surprised.” Put an exaggerated expression on your face and invite your child to do the same. Then, describe the emotion in physical terms: “Oh! I look surprised! My eyebrows are up, and my mouth is open!” 

The “everyone in the mirror” framework works excellent for many emotions, feelings, and directions—say “everyone in the mirror…

• … look happy! Our eyes are crinkled, and we have smiles on our faces!
• … look angry! Our hands are clenched into fists, the corners of our mouths are turned down, and we’re growling!
• … go to sleep! Our eyes are closed, and we’re snoring” (make exaggerated snoring noises)
• … wake up and stretch!”
• … turn all the way around! Turn the other way.”

Make funny faces 

Not only is this really fun, but you can also challenge your child to work on matching your reflection. For example, raise your eyebrows with your fingers while sticking out your tongue, and without describing it, ask your child to check your expression. 

Have your child close their eyes and make a face while you do the same. Then open your eyes to reveal the grimaces and smirks.