Prehistory For Kids: They Will Love It

Children are sponges that need to learn new things every day. Have you ever considered teaching them prehistory? Here are the definitive reasons to introduce you to the wonderful world of prehistory.

When we are little we are prepared to learn everything that is put ahead of us . The brain of a child is in training, and therefore has a greater number of neural connections than adults. This means that they can, should and want to learn.

Prehistory is the period from the appearance of hominids to the first samples of written documentation. It is true that this temporal delimitation is somewhat diffuse, since there are no exact dates and the changes were not produced equally throughout the planet.

It is the story of how we have been formed as human beings . The way to explain to our children where our species comes from.

Reasons to explain prehistory to your children

Learning new things is always a challenge. It is a challenge for the children, who must give their full attention to what we are teaching them; and also for us, we have to find a way to teach them.

But don’t worry, here are some reasons that will convince you that it is worth a try:

• It will help you understand that, as a species, we have also evolved . That we had a before, that we have not always been the way we are.

• They will learn how we lived and related to the environment before having everything they now have at their fingertips.
• They will be introduced to what, for them, can be an exciting time travel that will  strengthen their imaginative capacity .
• They will leave the routine of basic learning related to basic operations or spoken or written expression.

• They will discover ways to search for information to answer questions that arise.
• Prehistory represents a historical epoch full of discoveries, evolutionary milestones, and advancements .

How to teach prehistory to children

Like all learning, it must be adapted to the age of those who are going to learn.

Thus, it is not the same to teach prehistory to children in early childhood education, to primary school students or to children who have not yet started school.

Primary education

At this stage, which ranges from 6 to 12 years old, children will receive history classes at school, so that prehistory will be worked on within the school context . To reinforce this learning, we can watch with them documentaries that deal with the subject or simply ask them what they have learned and answer any questions they may have about the subject.

Infant education

There are numerous resources on the net that facilitate the teaching of prehistory. Thus, we can make use of  books, videos or activities via the Internet . First of all, we must remember that it should be something that our child wants to do, it should not be imposed as another obligation.

Children under 3 years

Although we think they are very young, they are already prepared to enter the learning of prehistory. Your concept of temporality is not yet established, but you can see it as a magical journey through time. Your imagination will be your ally in learning.

Some advices…

First of all, they are children. Remember that s or attention span varies with age , so force them will be counterproductive. Therefore, it is best that you try to attract their interest and curiosity through different methods.

1. The more emotion they see in you teaching them, the more they will want to learn. Children notice when an adult does not feel like doing something, and they usually mimic his behavior.
2. Use all the resources you have at your fingertips. Your imagination is the limit: draw, write, use dolls or dress up. Anything goes to show what you want to teach.
3. Give value to your ideas. Teaching does not imply imposing manners, but guiding in discovery . Listen to what your child has understood and how he has understood it. This will also help you to know if your way of teaching is pedagogical or not. Let them be inspired by what you explain and give them support when they want to know more.

Prehistory is a historical time full of unusual events that will surely fascinate your children. Do not miss the opportunity to teach them everything about this wonderful stage and learn at the same time with them.