Want To Talk Politics With Your Little Thinker?

Of course you do (no really)! More than ever, it’s an important subject to cover with kiddos, and yes, there are lots of ways to bring it up that are fun and accessible for kids of all ages. Here are two activities to get the conversation started:

Focus on Fairness:

It’s something that comes up a lot in politics, and it’s also something about which even really little kids think a lot.

·      Propose a race! It could be running from one end of the playground to the other, or it could be seeing who can put their toys away the fastest.

·      You can offer the winner a prize, if you like, but it’s not necessary, especially if the littles in your house tend to be more competitive.

·      Lay out some quick rules, and offer someone in the race a slight advantage, like a head start, or a smaller pile of toys to put away.

·      You may find that your little thinker starts talking about fairness even before the race begins, and that’s fine.

·      Have a chat about why the race is or isn’t fair. Are there ways to make it more fair? Are there times when it might be more fair to give someone a bit of a lead or a leg up?

A Look At Leadership:

·      Break out the crayons and paper, and make a series of badges. You and your little thinker can decorate them any way you like, but each one should have a quality possessed by a great leader (ex. hard working, good listener, etc.).  Make a whole bunch!

·      To start, have your kid pick out 3 or 4 they feel are really important, that they’d wear with pride if they were a leader. Have a chat about why they chose those badges, and if there are others they’d like to wear too.

·      Stick all of the badges to the wall, and ask your little thinker to put the most important ones up high, and the less important ones down low. Give them time to change their mind, reevaluate, and move the badges around as they think about them.

For both activities (for all thinking activities, really), make sure you:

·      Give your kiddo first crack at the conversation and keep an open mind while you listen to their ideas.

·      Ask everyone to explain why they think what they think.

·      Leave room for everyone to change their minds, revisit questions later, and disagree (peacefully).

No, you don’t have to bring up current events or any specific political figures in order to chat about politics with a young mind. Start with fun activities like these, that deal with bigger concepts, and as your child gets older, they’ll have a good, solid foundation for more detailed, complicated discussions.

You’ll be amazed and delighted by all they have to say (we promise), and they’ll feel heard and empowered.

Happy thinking!

PS- If you’d like to share a cuddle and a good read with your budding political thinker, check out our books/Interactive ebooks “Who’s The Boss?” and “Mildred Builds A World”.