It often happens that parents reduce the familiarity of a preschool child with geography only to study the map, memorize the capitals of states and remember flags. But geography is very vast, has many sections and concerns almost any side of our lives. This is not only a geographical map …

The concept of geography also includes meteorology, ethnography, geology, ecology, regional studies, geodesy, geophysics, tectonics, and many other related sciences. And this is perhaps the most interesting area of ​​knowledge for the baby. He cares about travels and distant lands, people and animals that live there. He asks a lot of questions about why earthquakes and volcanoes are erupting, why the sea rolls waves all the time and why the water in it is salty, which is underground and at the bottom of the ocean …

Our home is Earth

The first ideas of the baby about himself and the world around him are usually very fragmented and unsystematic. Our task as parents is to help the little ones to realize that every person is a part of this world. Where to start?

Your story may sound something like this: “Each person has his own house. You have it. You live in it with your mom and dad. But all, all people have another big common house – our beautiful planet Earth. Sky it looks like a huge blue ceiling, and the land we walk on is the floor. One big sun shines for everyone. The rain pours us like a shower and the wind blows.

For a long time, many years ago, people did not know anything about our planet. They thought that the Earth looked like a big pancake and lied on the backs of three whales or on three elephants that stand on a giant tortoise. When the animals began to move, earthquakes happened on Earth. “You can draw these elephants, the tortoise, and the Earth on their backs and laugh together, because any, even the smallest kid, knows perfectly well that the Earth is not flat and it’s a huge ball.

Of course, the globe will be very useful to you.

After all, only with its help, the baby will be able to imagine at least a little bit of how our planet looks. Perhaps this is how astronauts see it from space. It’s just as tiny as a ball.

Ancient people once decided to swim to the end of the earth. They boarded the ship and, after many days of sailing, returned home again, but on the other side. So people learned that the Earth is round.

Find the point where you live with the baby on the map.

Let the baby put a finger on it and, like ancient travelers, move, with a finger straight across the globe, without turning anywhere.

Returned to the home?

Where does Carlson live?

The sooner a geographic map appears in the baby’s room, the better. Do not think that the baby will not understand or remember anything. It is enough only from time to time to draw the attention of a young geographer to a map, show, and name geographical objects, and very soon the child will know parts of the world, oceans, and even many countries with their capitals.

A diverse children’s literature is a real treasury of geographical knowledge. And the more we read for the baby, the wider will be his ideas about the world. And not just read, but be sure to find on the map those places where events occur. For such games, it is most convenient if the card hangs directly above the crib.

So, reading about Carlson’s tricks, we will find the country of Sweden and remember its capital – Stockholm. Getting acquainted with the book about the boy-onion Cipollino, we find on the map and his homeland – Italy.

Especially good is a children’s map of the world with all kinds of biological, historical and fabulous icon objects. Kids are very fond of looking at them, at the same time remembering a lot of useful information.

Colored seas

Probably your baby already knows that the blue color on the map indicates rivers, lakes, seas, and oceans. Familiarity with the planet’s water resources can begin with the “colored” seas. The kid will be interested to know that on our planet there is the Black, Red, White and even the Yellow Sea. Find them on the map and try to figure out together why these seas are so unusual called.

Or maybe the baby wants to draw these colorful seas? Which countries are they located near? What kind of people live there? Perhaps the baby has already visited some of these seas (for example, on the Black or Red) or you are about to go on a trip. Then he will be doubly interested in learning more about these amazing seas.

And then find on the map and look at other seas. And also try to figure out the origin of their names. This will not only expand the geographic knowledge of the baby but also will train thinking, ingenuity, and imagination.

Geography for a walk

Where is the best place to study earth science?

Of course for a walk.

Arrange a real scientific expedition with the baby. To do this, it is not necessary to go on a multi-day trip. Just one sunny day tell the baby that today you are not just going for a walk, you are going on a journey. What do you need for a real trip? Comfortable clothes and shoes, a backpack and, of course, something tasty to eat. Ready? Then go!

It doesn’t matter so much where you go with a young traveler: to a forest, park, river or pond. Just pay his attention to the world and tell, tell, tell. For example, about the soil. What is chernozem, how is it formed and what plants grow on it.

Take a compass with you on your mini camping trip. Such a wonderful attribute will give the campaign special significance. Teach your child to use a compass. Let him hold the compass in his hands and slowly rotate around himself until the red arrow points to the letter N. Explain to the baby that he is now facing north.

Minerals

Our land holds much real wealth and treasure. And this is also an interesting and important topic for discussion with the kids. Why are natural resources called “minerals”?

When cooking dinner with the baby, tell him about natural gas. But in the kitchen, there is another valuable “fossil” – salt. Ceramic dishes are made of clay, glass is made of sand. All these are minerals.

Try to create your collection of minerals with your baby. Most likely, you will not be able to find precious stones, but here is the usual salt, coal, sand, chalk, graphite, etc. rightfully take a worthy place in it.