Easy Ways To Get Kids To Love History

We all know that those of us who don’t learn from the past are condemned to repeat it. But while each and every one of us can benefit from a greater knowledge and understanding of history, it’s especially beneficial to our kids. The world seems so new to children that it’s important to educate them in the ways of those who have come before. The study of history has a range of benefits for kids.

It teaches them a great deal about where they live, their family and their ancestry. It can provide them with a greater understanding of the culture in which they were raised. It can also provide them with a moral compass, encouraging them to follow in the footsteps of great women and men who’ve come before them while learning where those who wronged our planet went wrong so that they can avoid making the same mistakes.

Yes, history can be a wonderful, edifying and morally instructive subject to study both in and out of school… But it can also be very dry. If you want to get your kids to understand history, the best way to do so is by taking it out of those dusty old books and into their lives…

Take them to see it, and make it hands on

The best way to get kids to engage with history is to go out and find it. Find areas of cultural and historical importance near you. Most kids may not relish the idea of walking around stuffy old buildings, so the more fun and interactive stuff there is for them to do, the better.

Ideally, you will want them to have a fun, interactive and stimulating experience and use it as the starting point to engage with the history. Take a look at Buffalo Ridge Camp Resort for a great example. There are tons of cool and fun activities for kids, all tied together by the historical theme which can serve as an entry point to teaching them about the site’s historical significance. It’s hard to take a look at the crazy horse memorial and not feel inspired!

Make it relevant

Many children are naturally resistant to history for the same reason you might struggle to get them to love the same movies and books that you did as a child. Their response is almost always a dismissive “Meh, it’s old!”. They see no sense of connection to it, nor do they see it as relevant to their lives, so why take the time to bother to learn it?

If you can teach them why the history they are learning is relevant to their lives now, they will understand that the pursuit of learning this fascinating subject is a worthy investment of their time.

Go beyond the textbook

Textbooks are great for giving your kids a source for key facts and dates, but to really bring it to life, you need to go beyond the textbooks. If your kid is a keen reader, why give them something as dull as a textbook when there are so many wonderful historical fiction novels aimed at kids. These will give them wonderful characters through whom they can better understand the world of the past. Don’t be afraid to throw some movies in there too, and even video games can be used to give kids a better understanding of history.

With a little imagination you can engender a real sense of love and excitement that will get your kids eager to learn more about history.

**This is a collaborative post**