Explaining Evolution to a 4 Year Old

[Falvlun]

Over the weekend, a coworker's 4 year old daughter had asked her "Who made the flowers?" and the mom had replied "God." (The kid then asks "Who is God?" and my coworker lamented the fact that she was neglecting her child's spiritual upbringing.)

I sat there cringing at the thought of a perfect learning moment missed. Think of how much easier it would be to teach kids science, evolution, if at the very get go parents were telling their kids about it. (Instead, of course, an exact opposite foundation is being laid, but that is besides the point of this thread.)

So I got to thinking, how would you respond to that 4 year old's question? How would you begin that discussion about evolution, explain the general outline, lay that foundation, so that she could understand?

 

[lunamoth]

I did teach my kids evolution from an early age, but in the above scenario I probably would have said that flowers come from seeds, and then ask how they think flowers grow and where they come from. If the child offered God as an answer then we could talk about God as Creator, and that science shows us how the world is structured and functions.

 

[Acim]

I will be very interested in replies to this thread.

 

[Valjean]

"The flowers came from seeds; the seeds, from other flowers.
Flowers are a plant's way of making more seeds and reproducing."

 

[otokage007]

"Who made the flowers?"

There are some things that have not a creator, sweetie.

 

[Gunfingers]

Were these genetically engineered flowers? Because if so I've got an idea for how that question could've been answered.

 

[Acim]

So far no direct answers, just interesting, non sequitur responses.

"Hey buddy, who directed this movie?"

Response: There are some movies which do not mention the color blue

Or movies come from film, which comes from shooting film, and film inspires other films to be made.

 

[Gunfingers]

So far no direct answers, just interesting, non sequitur responses.

"Hey buddy, who directed this movie?"

Response: There are some movies which do not mention the color blue

Or movies come from film, which comes from shooting film, and film inspires other films to be made.

Well what would you hope for? A dissertation on the evolution of flowers? You can find one here, if it's that important to you. We're here to talk about ways that question could be answered, and most of us aren't interested in being super serious about it. A detailed explanation of evolutionary biology would be completely lost on a four-year-old anyway. We would just end up with Munchhausen's Trilemma, that is either saying that flowers exist axiomatically (flowers weren't made, they just are), giving a circular explanation for the existence of flowers, or ending up in an infinite regression (flowers come from x, which comes from y, and so on ad infinitum). And no one wants that.

 

[Acim]

Well what would you hope for?

Something simple.

Perhaps telling the child it is not a matter of who. Or even asking the child, "hmmm, why do think it is who?" And then go from there.

Also as simple as saying, "what made the flower is ongoing process where flowers make flowers."

That wasn't so hard.

 

[Pegg]

So I got to thinking, how would you respond to that 4 year old's question? How would you begin that discussion about evolution, explain the general outline, lay that foundation, so that she could understand?

I tell my little girl that God created the means for all things to exist on earth. He created the first of the seeds which produced the plants and flowers, and from then on, they expanded naturally and grew in great variety which many call 'evolution'

In this way abiogenesis and evolution are kept separate and there is no contradiction. She believes God made all the first lifeforms, and from there they grew to many forms.

 

[otokage007]

I tell my little girl that God created the means for all things to exist on earth. He created the first of the seeds which produced the plants and flowers, and from then on, they expanded naturally and grew in great variety which many call 'evolution'

In this way abiogenesis and evolution are kept separate and there is no contradiction. She believes God made all the first lifeforms, and from there they grew to many forms.

Excuse me to make a question unrelated to the thread but... If someday your little girl asks: Do God really exist?

I wonder what will you answer.

 

[elmarna]

for children under 5 it is best to let them "see". telling a child at that young age is likely to get them lost in a flood of concepts they can not understand. They relate at hands on & experienceing. I would have laid the foundation with a clear dixie cup,soil, a lima bean & place it on the window. watering it each day & as the bean is a seed-latting the child see through time the pod burst open & a sprout turn into a plant. During the time you can introduce them to the plants needs being met just as he gets his snack ,the plant gets water & light so it can grow. Perhaps the mother has charted the childs growthas some parents do by standing them up against something & making a mark. You have given the child a way to relate & something to see so that he understands the concepts. While some questions may not be so easily answered as yours...
Like the "why?" stage.[i cringe at that 1!] example:"why is there air?"
Yours was a delight to answer!

 

[otokage007]

for children under 5 it is best to let them "see". telling a child at that young age is likely to get them lost in a flood of concepts they can not understand. They relate at hands on & experienceing. I would have laid the foundation with a clear dixie cup,soil, a lima bean & place it on the window. watering it each day & as the bean is a seed-latting the child see through time the pod burst open & a sprout turn into a plant. During the time you can introduce them to the plants needs being met just as he gets his snack ,the plant gets water & light so it can grow. Perhaps the mother has charted the childs growthas some parents do by standing them up against something & making a mark. You have given the child a way to relate & something to see so that he understands the concepts. While some questions may not be so easily answered as yours...
Like the "why?" stage.[i cringe at that 1!] example:"why is there air?"
Yours was a delight to answer!

Cool answer. But if you have to do that little experiments with each question children ask you...

 

[elmarna]

you find a lot of creative ways to keep thier interest. In early childhood development attention spans are short. It is best to capture thier focus with hands on & something they can see. If possible actions as well. They seem to retain more when they can participate. You got to be careful they are still fixated with wanting to put things in thier mouth! That is why they seem to grasp simple preperation of cooking more quickly than most subject matter! they can capture the feeling. Take it in & fill a need which keeps thier interest & is to them a great course of action!

 

[The Sum of Awe]

Over the weekend, a coworker's 4 year old daughter had asked her "Who made the flowers?" and the mom had replied "God." (The kid then asks "Who is God?" and my coworker lamented the fact that she was neglecting her child's spiritual upbringing.)

I sat there cringing at the thought of a perfect learning moment missed. Think of how much easier it would be to teach kids science, evolution, if at the very get go parents were telling their kids about it. (Instead, of course, an exact opposite foundation is being laid, but that is besides the point of this thread.)

So I got to thinking, how would you respond to that 4 year old's question? How would you begin that discussion about evolution, explain the general outline, lay that foundation, so that she could understand?

"A person planted it."

 

[Gjallarhorn]

"A person planted it."

Not necessarily true.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

Not necessarily true.

If it is in a garden usually it is.

 

[Gjallarhorn]

If it is in a garden usually it is.

It also doesn't explain "who made them".

 

[Father Heathen]

"Nature made it."

 

[Falvlun]

"The flowers came from seeds; the seeds, from other flowers.
Flowers are a plant's way of making more seeds and reproducing."

But who made the seeds?

There are some things that have not a creator, sweetie.

Oh, I see this one producing an assault of questions... or else a "grown-ups are funny" expression.

Were these genetically engineered flowers? Because if so I've got an idea for how that question could've been answered.

I think they were just wildflowers. The thought of explaining genetically engineering to a 4 year old doesn't sound very appealing. What's your idea?

Well what would you hope for? A dissertation on the evolution of flowers? You can find one here, if it's that important to you. We're here to talk about ways that question could be answered, and most of us aren't interested in being super serious about it. A detailed explanation of evolutionary biology would be completely lost on a four-year-old anyway. We would just end up with Munchhausen's Trilemma, that is either saying that flowers exist axiomatically (flowers weren't made, they just are), giving a circular explanation for the existence of flowers, or ending up in an infinite regression (flowers come from x, which comes from y, and so on ad infinitum). And no one wants that.

Surely there is some way to plant the seeds (ha!) of the concept of evolution for a four year old. We explain a lot of things to kids, many of which are complex concepts, but we figure out a simplified, age-appropriate version. Although I admit, the Trilemma is a tough one to beat. But, perhaps it doesn't necessarily need to be beat when you are talking to a toddler.

for children under 5 it is best to let them "see". telling a child at that young age is likely to get them lost in a flood of concepts they can not understand. They relate at hands on & experienceing. I would have laid the foundation with a clear dixie cup,soil, a lima bean & place it on the window. watering it each day & as the bean is a seed-latting the child see through time the pod burst open & a sprout turn into a plant. During the time you can introduce them to the plants needs being met just as he gets his snack ,the plant gets water & light so it can grow. Perhaps the mother has charted the childs growthas some parents do by standing them up against something & making a mark. You have given the child a way to relate & something to see so that he understands the concepts. While some questions may not be so easily answered as yours...
Like the "why?" stage.[i cringe at that 1!] example:"why is there air?"
Yours was a delight to answer!

I thought this idea was excellent. It doesn't go into evolution, but it does lay a nice observation-based foundation, while answering the immediate cause of flowers-- seeds.