Negosentro | 5 Tips for Teaching Children About Electricity | Children begin using electricity at a very young age. Some play games on devices like tablet PCs or their parent’s smartphones. Others may have toys that are rechargeable or use a plug-in night light at bedtime. They may not fully understand how it works, but they quickly learn how important it is in our modern lives.
Electricity is a modern marvel, but it can also be a hazard. That’s why it is so important for young children to learn about what it is and how to stay safe when using it. We asked Jason from https://www.connectelectric.com.au/adelaide.php to give us some tips to help you get started teaching your children about electricity and electrical safety.
- Show and Tell with Electricity
You should discuss electricity with your children. Give them the information they need to build on as they learn more complex concepts. The best way to do this is by showing and telling. While you discuss electricity, have some visual aids ready. You may find websites or videos online that demonstrate or illustrate the ideas you are conveying.
Your local library may also have books for kids that discuss electricity and other science topics. Try to combine written text, the spoken word, and visual aids for a well-rounded experience. By presenting the information in different ways, your child will be more likely to understand and retain it.
- Have Fun with Static Electricity
Science experiments are a great way to help children learn. One of the easiest, cheapest, and safest concepts you can use is conservation of charge or static electricity. All you need is a balloon to complete this activity.
Blow up the balloon then rub it on your child’s head. As most adults know, this will cause their hair to stand up. You may want to have a mirror handy to show your little one what’s happening. They will get a good laugh and learn about how the balloon and their hair are sharing electrons, demonstrating the same effect found in batteries.
- Have a No Electricity Family Night
An excellent way to learn about something is to go without it. Plan a no electricity family night. This will be an evening where all devices and lights are off. Use candlelight or spend the evening outside if the weather permits.
Children can experience what life would be like if they had little to no electricity. Plan activities that you can do without power while also taking this opportunity to discuss the household’s reliance on electricity.
- Build Habits to Conserve Electricity
Encourage children to conserve electricity now so that they build good habits later in life. For example, if your little one is colouring or reading a book, teach them to turn the television off when they are not watching it. This also creates opportunities to explain conservation and how consumption affects the environment. Teaching kids to turn devices off is also a great way to lower your monthly utility bills! The ASE predicts around 25% of electricity used in a home is wasted so the earlier you start teaching good habits the better.
- Use Positive Reinforcement
Teaching children about electricity should be a positive experience for all involved. Use positive reinforcement in the form of a reward after a discussion, experiment, or lesson. The ideal reward could be anything the child likes, from going to dinner at a restaurant to having a bowl of ice cream or going for a walk to the park.
Remember to present information in small bite-sized portions and give children time to learn and explore concepts before moving on to the next. In time, they will begin to understand more about the electricity they use every day.
