Wednesday, February 28, 2018

How To Get Your Kids Interested In History


As a parent, you know that your two most important tasks are to ensure that your children have days filled with fun, love, and laughter and that they get a good education. Getting a good knowledge of math, science and English will certainly give them a great start in life, but subjects such as history can be just as important. Learning about the past gives us a greater understanding of our present and can prevent tomorrow's generation from making yesterday's mistakes. If your kids find history boring, here are three ways to raise their interest in what can be the most fascinating of subjects.

Turn History Time Into Play Time

Children today love things that are visual and dynamic, which is why they love to look at the screens on their cellphone or tablets so much. Studies show that mobile screen usage in children under eight has quadrupled since 2013, so they can quickly lose patience when confronted with history on a printed page, even if it is accompanied by lots of illustrations. It's easy to make history more exciting; all it takes is a little imagination. Encourage your children to act out famous scenes from history; they'll especially love it if they can dress up as George Washington, Julius Caesar, or Queen Cleopatra, and they will be learning at the same time as they're playing.

Discover Archive Film Footage

Increasing numbers of museums are digitizing their archive films, which means that there's now a vast array of films from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries available to view online. This is especially attractive for children, as they are, after all, the generation that turns to YouTube and similar sites as a primary source of entertainment. Children and adults can learn a great deal from these archives, from seeing early forms of motorized transport to how we used to farm, and the best thing of all is that they can be viewed for free.


Explore America's Ancient Civilizations

The continents of North and South America were home to some of the greatest civilizations in history, and with such rich and varied cultures behind them, they can be endlessly fascinating for children. The Mayan people are a particularly interesting topic, and their mysterious predictions of the end of the world often appear in the news today. The Mayans disappeared rapidly and the reason has always been a mystery, but as WallStreetOTC.com reports, the latest theory revolves around the lagoon known as 'The Blue Hole of Belize'. Other theories involve aliens, so whatever the truth, it's a story that's sure to capture the imagination of your little ones.


The key to getting your kids interested in history is to make it as exciting as possible; take a look at some of the more unusual stories from history, encourage dressing up, painting and make-believe, and encourage them to see historical figures as real people not just names in a book. A love of history gained in childhood stays with you throughout life, and that could be one of the best gifts you ever give your loved ones.

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