I’m a scientist and so is my husband. We both know the importance of really “looking” at things in our world. We want our preschooler to get out and explore, but he won’t go anywhere without his iPad. What can we do?
Help your child see that his iPad is a tool, not a toy. You must control when and how it is used. Explore the beach, the museum, or the county park together. When you return home, use his iPad as a resource to find more information on things you have seen or collected. Avoid taking it in the car so you can keep your child really “tuned in” to his surroundings. Tell him, “When we get home we will look up information about fish we saw in the Columbia River.” This lets your child know that he will get to use his iPad soon.
Your child is blessed to have parents committed to his learning. Share your passion for exploration and research and you will find his interest quickly growing.