Animals

Young children love to explore all types of living things. Animals are especially exciting because of the ways they move, communicate and interact. And of course, people are also members of the animal kingdom. That means children can investigate themselves as they explore animals! The types of wild animals you and your five-year-old observe will depend partly on your geographical location and whether you live in a rural, suburban or urban area, but animals are everywhere! What deer, squirrels, birds, turtles, frogs, fish or small critters — such as worms, snails, spiders and insects — will you find in your corner of the world? As you and your child explore animals outdoors, you will observe them interacting with the environment as they move about, look for food and make shelters. You may also investigate pets or farm animals. These early explorations lay the foundation for your child’s understanding of animals — including people — as living things that grow and develop, that have characteristics, needs and life cycles and depend on an environment that meets their needs. Five-year-olds are increasingly able to notice and describe details in animals’ characteristics and behavior and to make connections between animals, their needs and the environment. They recognize that different types of animals can be grouped together based on their characteristics — ducks, seagulls and sparrows are all birds — although they are likely to laugh if you tell them that people are animals! Depending on their experiences with animals, they may have a beginning understanding of animal life cycles and that young animals resemble their parents. Young children are very sensitive to how their parents and other role models respond to animals. If your child observes that you are scared of dogs or disgusted by worms, for example, they are likely to respond the same way. Of course, you will want to teach your five-year-old to be safe around wild and unfamiliar animals, but most of the animals your child will investigate — with the exception of biting dogs and stinging insects — pose no threat. You are the best person to help your child become a self-confident and safety-conscious animal explorer.