In general - Vulva.

Specifically the thicker folds of skin that cover it - Labia (It's actually labia major, but there's no need to get that technical)

I personally prefer labia, sounds nicer and that is what is immediately visible.

With boys, I don't say testicles, because they're on the inside, I say scrotum because thats what they see.

Yes it is called a Vulva, I saw a segment on Oprah about doing "the sex talk" and this issue came up that Vagina is not the correct term. My daughter still says vagina because thats what she has always been taight but you are right it is not the correct word :)

Your local youth services will have information about sexual anatomy.  I know mine did, and it was pretty graphic to say the least! lol.

We have 5 girls, though thankfully haven't yet been asked questions like this- YET!   But, they are aware that boys and girls have different parts.

Vulva does cover the whole external area, but there are different names for each individual part of that too, so be prepared for expalining that too.  Maybe an age appropriate sexual health book will be of some help there.

Well you don't make up names for her arms, legs, feet & hands, so why make up names for any other part of her body?  Tell her the anatomically correct names, there shouldn't be any stigma about them & if you find them distasteful, perhaps you should come to terms with it by taking the opportunity to address it now.  My son is 3 & has always been well aware of the anatomically correct names for his body parts & female body parts.  We aren't living in the dark ages anymore & having a healthy attitude now will serve him well in the future when his peers are being silly about it. 

It is also important for children to be able to describe parts of their body accurately in case they ever have to report abuse or have been touched inappropriately by someone else.  Helping children have a healthy attitude & sound knowledge of their body can give them the confidence to say NO & to tell you or another responsible adult when they think that someone is doing something wrong toward them. 

If your children become good at sports, they will share showers & change rooms with other children, as well as having to do so at school swimming and camps etc.  How you treat this now, will make a huge difference to their self esteem and their respect for other peoples bodies; male or female.

My twins are 2 and I have actually been teaching them to call their genital area, vagina. You're right though, vagina is not the external part. The correct term for the external parts of the female genitalia is called vulva. But even most grown ups are not familiar with that term.

Personally, I would stick to vagina...or as my daughters call it, "gina".

Well my background is part filipino and i grew up with the filipino term my mum used and taught my kids that. They also know the English term eg, penis or vagina but they prefer the filipino term as i guess they are just use to it as thats what i say to them and in a way its less provocative i suppose and if they say it out in public its not that embarrassing as no one know what they are saying LOL unless your a filipino For a boy we use "tea tea" and a girl "pair pair"... that is not exactly how you spell it but how it sounds, Im not familiar with tagalog (filipino) as i lost it when i was a child but can recognise some words.

Unfortunately, this is a point of conflict in our house, I prefer to use the proper names, where my partner does not, so oour son has taken after his father and calls his penis a willy and a vagina is a wrinkle!

We simply call it what it is.....a vagina.

Although our daughters have been using the English slang term for Vagina........Fanny, lately. It seems more polite and not as dirty in descriptive terms.

Basically you just need to be comfortable and confident using the real word for what it is.

 I feel if you have been up front in telling your boys about their private parts....that you should carry that through in telling your daughter.

Way to go being up-front with your children.

i refuse to make up names for it. but it is still a vagina. the outer bit the see is the labia.

we still call it a vagina in my house.

 i have 3 girls all up and the 2 older ones 7 and 3 just call their pirvet parts jjays