Helping Kids Understand the Equinox

The spring equinox is a great opportunity to teach your child about the changing seasons and how the Earth moves around the sun. Here are some tips for prompting discussion and guiding your child through some observations:

1. Start with the basics. Begin by explaining to your child that the Earth moves around the sun and that it takes one year to complete a full orbit. Explain that this movement is what causes the changing seasons.
2. Talk about the equinox. Explain that the equinox is a special day when the length of the day and night are almost equal. This happens twice a year, once in the spring and once in the fall. Encourage your child to ask questions and make observations about how the amount of daylight changes throughout the year.
3. Observe the sunrise and sunset. On the day of the equinox, take your child outside to observe the sunrise and sunset. Point out how the sun rises directly in the east and sets directly in the west. Talk about how this changes throughout the year.
4. Discuss the changing weather. Help your child notice how the weather is changing as the seasons transition from winter to spring. Point out how the temperature is starting to warm up, and how plants are starting to grow new leaves and flowers.
5. Ask open-ended questions. Encourage your child to ask questions and make observations about the equinox and the changing seasons. Ask questions like “Why do you think the days are getting longer?” or “What do you notice about the flowers and trees around us?”

Of course, kids always have questions, and our goal is to be both the source of knowledge and the inspiration for further inquiry.  Here are some questions kids might ask (along with some simple answers) and a few more questions you can ask of your children to help them dig deeper on their own.

Some common questions kids might ask include:

• Why is the length of the day and night almost equal on the equinox?
  • The length of the day and night is almost equal on the equinox because the sun is shining directly on the equator, which means that the amount of daylight and darkness is almost the same all over the world.
• Why does the weather change in the spring?
  • The weather changes in the spring because of the changing position of the Earth as it moves around the sun. As the Earth’s position changes, the amount of sunlight that different parts of the Earth receive changes as well. This affects the temperature and weather patterns in different regions, which is why we have different seasons.
• How do plants know when to start growing again?
  • Plants use a variety of cues to know when to start growing again. One of the most important cues is the amount of daylight they receive. When the days start to get longer in the spring, it triggers certain processes in the plant that allow it to start growing again.

To help your child dig deeper, you can ask questions like:

• How do you think the changing seasons affect animals?
• What other changes do you notice happening in the spring?
• How does the tilt of the Earth affect the amount of daylight we receive?
• How do people celebrate the spring equinox in different parts of the world?

Remember, the key is to encourage your child’s curiosity and help them make observations about the world around them. By guiding them through some observations and prompting discussion, you can help your child understand and appreciate the science behind the changing seasons and the spring equinox.

 

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