Explaining Evolution to a 4 Year Old

[Falvlun]

"Nature made it."

That was my knee-jerk answer as well. But you know that the next question will be "How?"

I dunno. I was thinking about getting a dinosaur book, and looking at the pictures of the plants in there. "These dinosaurs ate plants millions and millions of years ago! That's a really long time!" And maybe later having a discussion when something-- a baby, kittens, puppies-- is born. "Does the kitten look just like Mama Cat?" Just to get the idea that babies look different than parents-- changes occur through generations.

 

[otokage007]

That was my knee-jerk answer as well. But you know that the next question will be "How?"

I dunno. I was thinking about getting a dinosaur book, and looking at the pictures of the plants in there. "These dinosaurs ate plants millions and millions of years ago! That's a really long time!" And maybe later having a discussion when something-- a baby, kittens, puppies-- is born. "Does the kitten look just like Mama Cat?" Just to get the idea that babies look different than parents-- changes occur through generations.

Yeah, the questions after the answers can be anoying...

I have the perfect answer: I'll tell ya when you are taller than half meter, now go play barbies or I'll get angry

 

[Breathe]

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

I wouldn't really know how to discuss it with flowers without making it complicated, so probably something like this.

About who made them, I'd say that nature and time did. I doubt I would say "God made them". Even though I do believe in God, I don't believe in creation.

 

[Pegg]

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.

I will tell her to draw her own conclusions on that question.

 

[methylatedghosts]

How about "Who do YOU think made the flowers?"

See where it leads...

Their ideas are pretty darn good too.

They'll learn all about everyone else's ideas sooner or later. I say let them have their own while they can.

 

[Alceste]

I like 'nature made them' for an answer, and 'flowers come from seeds, which come from other flowers', but I would answer differently if it's a perennial or a non-fertile specialty cultivar. When I have kids I will help them plant their own little garden so they can see how it works.


IMO, that does in fact answer the question of "who" made them. If a child wants to personify nature, I'm cool with that.

 

[Gjallarhorn]

I like the idea of starting with the "plants came from other plants" bit. Later, if they figure out how recursive that is, I would begin to explain the whole "flawed replicator" concept, in less heady terms, of course.

 

[lunakilo]

Over the weekend, a coworker's 4 year old daughter had asked her "Who made the flowers?"

...

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?

First I think I would ask "why do you think it was a person who made the flowers?"
It sounds like this 4 year old already has an idea about how the world came to be the way it is, and it seems to involve one or more people making things.

My daughter who is 7 recently asked me where life came from. (pretty big thought for a 7 year old i think )
I had to tell her I didn't know for sure.

I ended up saying that some people thought that life came out of something which wasn't alive and which changed slightly and became alive. After that life kept changing a little from time to time and slowly changed into all the different living things on Earth.

So her next question was "when was the first human a human?"
Children do know how to ask good questions dont they?

 

[Falvlun]

How about "Who do YOU think made the flowers?"

See where it leads...

Their ideas are pretty darn good too.

They'll learn all about everyone else's ideas sooner or later. I say let them have their own while they can.

I think that's a great idea. Afterall, I'd much prefer children to be encouraged to think for themselves, rather than encouraging blind belief in anything you say, whatever that may be.

And you'd probably get some freakin' awesome responses.

I like the idea of starting with the "plants came from other plants" bit. Later, if they figure out how recursive that is, I would begin to explain the whole "flawed replicator" concept, in less heady terms, of course.

The more I think about it, the more this approach makes sense. Very basic, easily understandable and demonstratable, and a 4 year old probably would be satisfied with it for the time being.

First I think I would ask "why do you think it was a person who made the flowers?"
It sounds like this 4 year old already has an idea about how the world came to be the way it is, and it seems to involve one or more people making things.

My daughter who is 7 recently asked me where life came from. (pretty big thought for a 7 year old i think )
I had to tell her I didn't know for sure.

I ended up saying that some people thought that life came out of something which wasn't alive and which changed slightly and became alive. After that life kept changing a little from time to time and slowly changed into all the different living things on Earth.

So her next question was "when was the first human a human?"
Children do know how to ask good questions dont they?

That's pretty impressive for a 7 year old. Good luck!

 

[Tristesse]

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.

Exolution and abiogenesis are seperate. There is no contradiction, they explain two different things. Anyone who is conflating the two is wrong for doing so.

 

[Killetzbaal]

Flowers have sexy time to make more flowers.

 

[Noaidi]

I would agree with elmarna and Alceste here. Tell the child that Nature is responsible and help them to plant a seed and watch it grow. Explaining anything deeper will be beyond a four year-old's comprehension, but hopefully the experiment would stimulate an intesrest in further enquiry when they are older.