Point to your child’s right hand and ask where the opposite hand is. Initially, help the child to realize the opposite hand is on the other side of the body. Point out that for every paired body part, one is the opposite of the other. This game will also help the child learn the difference between left and right. You can use the same principle for teaching front and back as opposites.
Almost every parent reminds a toddler to use his inside voice, not his outside voice. You can illustrate some opposite states such as high and low, tall and short or small and big. Other opposites make more sense to your child if you demonstrate them. For example, speak with an inside or soft voice and then the opposite, an outside or loud voice. Similarly demonstrate the difference between fast and slow. Say the words and have your child demonstrate the concept.
Collect a group of similar things that differ in size or location. Have the child point or separate the large shoes from the small shoes or the big cars from the tiny cars. You can point out the high books and have her point to the low books. Take the blocks that are outside the toy box and put them in the toy box. Ask her to show you how to open and close the drawer to put up her clothes. This illustrates the opposite concepts of size and location.
Have your child show you his happy face and then his sad face. Give him a color and some paper and have him draw a happy face and a sad face. If the concept seems to difficult for him to draw, you can draw the faces showing different emotions on them and have him find the opposites, such as smiling and crying or angry and laughing or sleepy and alert. You can also use a chart with different expressions or cut faces out of magazines and mount them on cards or paper dolls.