The Magical World of 'Learning to Learn'!

Trains, planes, and dinosaurs--My grandson at the Science Center.

I had a wonderful grandfather experience last week! I took my two year old grandson to the St. Louis Science Center and it turned out to be a BIG hit for him! I later found out is was his first visit there, although his mom had been waiting to take him. It was a magical day of learning!

We spent over two hours...

• pushing buttons
  
• riding elevators 
  
• playing with blocks 
  
• using binary instructions to make trains go 
  
• watching mechanical gizmos 
  
• watching cars and trucks from the science center overpass
• operating a miniature steam shovel
• flying in simulators, and most of all--
  
• avoiding the big dinosaur!
  

He wore me out, but the experience also wore him out. His mom said he was 'toast' later that night. His natural curiosity was 'drenched' with rich experiences that I hope will feed his curiosity even more. A few years earlier, my granddaughter and I spent a few babysitting days going to the Science Center. She is now six with a great interest in 'science stuff', not just because of our trips to the Science Center, but they didn't hurt! 

All this inspired me to write about investing time to stimulate the imagination of preschool children. This above all is the best way to prepare your kids for school! What your children know is secondary to their curiosity. Learning to have a thirst for learning is priming the pump of knowledge. 

I submitted the article to the National Fatherhood Intiative's The Father Factor Blog. It is entitled "Teach the Magic of Learning to your Preschool Children". 


Please read and share this article with parents of preschool children!

Thanks!
Mike