Easy Preschool Social Science Activities Your Child Will Thank You for Later

The more perspective I get with age and through seeing the world from a child’s eyes, the more I realize how much easier certain concepts would have been for me, had my parents or teachers introduced me to them sooner.

During the preschool years, it’s essential to start your child off with a good foundation of general knowledge to build off of.

While many people choose to stick with basic reading and math introductions, it’s also important to include preschool social science activities to help establish a connection between your child and the world around them.

Establishing this connection early on can really help your child become more aware of themselves and their contributions, as well as respectful of those around him who may be different.

I’ve put together some ideas to kick start the lifelong education journey your kid is about to embark on. Here are some fun and easy social activities for toddlers that will set your child up for success:

1. Teach them equality

A fun way to visually represent human equality to children is using eggs to represent people!

All you need for this activity is at least two eggs of different colors like white and brown. You get extra cool points if you get multiple eggs of different shades (and don’t worry, I won’t tell if you trade out a few eggs from different cartons at the store!)

You can also draw faces with a marker if it makes it easier to personify the eggs to make the activity more relevant to your child.

Simply crack the eggs and explain how even though the eggs might look different on the outside and be different colors, much like people, they are all made up of the same stuff on the inside.

I found out it’s better to crack the eggs myself, as our children may not have developed the great skill of cracking an egg evenly to clearly show the insides.

I’ll admit, I barely have the skill myself, but I would still rather not have my kid smash eggs with an open palm for the sake of this activity.

2. Create their first family tree together

Family trees are a classic way to give insight to self-identity. Understanding where you come from can also open you up to understanding where other people come from.

You can keep this beginner family tree super basic and just include your child, their parents, and their grandparents, and only choose to go further back in generations if they show interest and start asking more questions.

You may choose to add portraits, as well as include some of the person’s favorite things to see and do that may be specific to that generation.

Creating a family tree gives children a sense of belonging while also encouraging them to learn more about different time periods.

3. Help them learn the value of money

You can use real coins for this activity to get your child familiar with the currency that will be the most relevant to them in whatever part of the world they happen to be in.

You can “price” different items in your household and ask them to purchase them based off an allowance that you see fit to start off before heading out into the real world (i.e. before taxes come into play and that’s another lesson in itself!)

For example, if you’re asked for a glass of juice, let them know the juice costs, say, five cents. This also works extremely well to shut down requests for sweets when you’re asked for a doughnut, because sadly doughnuts cost more than what they have. Boo.

Depending on your child’s comprehension level, you can move up to coins that are worth more and then move on to bigger bills as well which will set the very basic foundation to understanding the economy.

4. Govern your household

Give your kids a taste of democracy in a simple way by letting them have a mini mock election. This works especially well when there is a minimum of three people to participate and can be put to practical use when there are any disagreements.

Put to a vote what you’ll eat, or what activity you’ll do, or whatever else seems to be the issue for the day with little ballots (any little slips of paper will do.) Majority wins.

Not only is this a good way to settle fights or help indecisive kids, but it gives them a little taste of government while helping them feel a sense of empowerment in the decision-making process.

And while you’re at it, help them understand some of the pitfalls of democracy and how rule by a majority is not always fair.

For instance, after dividing ice-cream equally between 3 kids, ask 2 of them whether they would like to have a vote to decide whether the 3rd child should give them some of his ice-cream 🙂

Call me crazy, but my favorite government in my house is a dictatorship where I say what goes and nobody else is allowed to voice their opinion on the matter 🙂

5. Transport through the elements

Once your child is familiar with the concept of air, water, and land, you can move on to teaching them about transportation through the elements.

You can make your own paper boats and planes to swim and fly, but I think it’s best to just purchase a small toy car to drive.

Your little one won’t even notice they’re learning because it will all just seem like a big, fun game! You get to look like a cool parent, but most importantly you’re showing your child the different ways people travel around the world.

6. Break down language barriers

Let your kid know that different people speak different languages, and try incorporating a few words in a different language to help inspire curiosity and interest in other cultures from your young learner.

Even if your child doesn’t become multilingual, adding in simple words to their vocabulary such as “hello” and “please” in different languages can help them gain a sense of cultural awareness.

I keep my skills sharp, too, by learning Italian and practicing at my local Italian restaurant.

” Another cannoli, please!”

There’s so much to learn about the world and the possibilities are endless!

These social activities for toddlers are just a few of the many simple activities that you can engage in that will ensure your child will thank you later!