Children may talk about things people can and cannot do - at home, in childcare, and in the community. Their ideas may be correct or incorrect, but it is the starting point of a great discussion.
Many families and childcare centres have "house rules" or "room rules" to outline the expectations of people who use a common space. Children's games can have rules too.
Preschool children are old enough to have the concepts of government and laws explained to them:
- Australia is a democracy and the people of Australia vote for representatives who will make decisions on their behalf.
- Laws are like a set of rules for everyone in Australia. They are there to keep people happy and safe.
EYLF learning outcomes
Children can achieve learning outcomes from the Early Years Learning Framework through an interest in laws, rules or governments. Children can understand they belong to a community with reciprocal rights and responsibilities necessary for active community participation (2.1).
Laws and rules can help children feel safe, secure and supported (1.1). Children can cooperate (4.1) and interact in relation to others with care, empathy and respect (1.4).
Learning experiences
- Play games with rules.
- Create a child-led list of classroom rules.
- Use a voting system in your classroom to make group decisions. Children can raise their hands or vote anonymously by drawing a happy or sad face on a piece of paper.
- Investigate how people with shared values form countries and communities.
Events
- 30th June is International Day of Parliamentarism
- 15th September is International Day of Democracy
Discussions
- Ask children why they think we have rules and laws. Read Why can’t we do whatever we want? On Curious Kids.
- Talk about human rights, giving examples from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Resources
Websites
Parliamentary education office: How the Australian Government works