“Embrace the bugs … Bring them into your classroom, you’ll have science everywhere,” says Terri Swain, director of High Pointe Child Care at Southern Indiana’s Early Childhood Conference.

Bugs are fascinating to preschoolers, or at least they can be if we don’t teach our kids to be afraid of them. Exposing our children to the outdoors and nature at a very young age, helps them develop confidence, learn about interesting tiny creatures, and influences their attitudes as they grow older. More than that, when you inspire their curiosity about nature, it helps to get them hooked on learning.

85% of a child’s brain is developed by the age of five. At this young age, their brains are forming new connections, developing the capacity for lifelong learning. As parents, grandparents, and educators, we have the wonderful opportunity to stimulate their brain development through something as simple as getting our children engaged in the outdoors … and taking the time to notice the bugs!

Photo Credit: ceeshek on flickr

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