Observing nature plays a huge role in the aesthetic education of a child and has a tremendous impact on the development of a child's personality. Observing the world around, the child uses all the senses. These are vision (colors, shapes, sizes), hearing (the sound of the wind or the splash of water, the murmur of a stream, the rustle of leaves, the singing of birds), taste (salty sea water, sweet strawberries, tart honey), touch (scaly pine cone, soft rabbit fur, rough tree bark, fine sand), sense of smell (the scent of flowers, the scent of the earth heated by the sun, or the scent of tree foliage washed by the warm spring rain). All this excites, attracts, interests the child. Ushinsky noted that children think in "forms, colors, sounds." That is why it is so important to develop the child's observation skills, to acquaint him with nature. To instill a love of nature should be regularly and gradually, using a whole range of activities commensurate with the age of the child.

Younger preschool child (3-4 years old)

Plant care

The main task at this age for the baby will be the ability to distinguish from three types of plants, recognize and name their parts, pour water from a watering can, wipe the leaves with a damp cloth. It is better to use attractive large indoor plants for these purposes, the organs of which (leaves, stems, flowers) are clearly distinguishable. These can be: fuchsia, geranium, balsam, ever-flowering begonia, hibiscus, ficus, aucuba. It is also useful to grow chives for feathers, dill and lettuce, tulips and hyacinths. Of course, full-fledged care of plants for a child at this age is not yet available, but adults can involve him in care and observation. It is necessary to explain to the baby why we water the plant, why we wipe the leaves for him, etc. Invite your child to stroke the leaves, admire the flowers, and smell them.

We plant onions at the end of winter. First, ask the child to touch the ground, feel its looseness and softness, examine the bulb. Then let the baby make a hole, put a bulb in it with a sprout upwards and press it into the ground (if necessary, help the baby, the bow should sit tightly in the ground).

Fish and bird care

At this age, the child can begin to gradually become involved in caring for fish and birds. An aquarium, especially properly designed, invariably attracts the attention of children. Observing fish helps to educate the child's artistic taste, teaches him to love and understand nature. Explain to the child how the fish swim, ask if they have a mouth, eyes, ask him to see how quickly they swim up to the stern and grab it. After a while, invite your baby to feed the fish on his own. Remember that feeding the fish should only be supervised by an adult. Also, do not forget that sometimes a child's interest in an object is manifested in an unexpected form (for example, he can put his hand into an aquarium and pull out a fish). Be careful, stop such actions, explain why it is impossible to do this. Taking care of birds is much more difficult. If you have a parrot or canary, involve your child in watching him, show how you care for the bird (feed regularly, clean the cage, change the water in the drinker twice a day, clean the perches).

Mammal care

If you have small mammals (hamsters, guinea pigs, rabbits) or larger ones (cat, dog) in your house - involve your baby in observation, tell and show how to take care of the animal, how to interact with him. Tell that you cannot grab an animal, make sudden movements, you cannot bother a cat or dog when she does not want to play. At the age of three, the child begins to form as a person, concepts of good and evil, of what can be done and what is categorically impossible are laid in his mind. Your task is to teach respect for your pet, taking care of it. A child 3-4 years old can pour food himself or pour water into the drinking bowl, fix the bedding. Be sure to teach your baby the basic rules of hygiene when dealing with a pet. Never leave your child alone with a cat or dog until you are one hundred percent sure that they will not harm each other.

You will notice how the baby's interest gradually strengthens and grows, with what pleasure he watches the animals. Your task at this stage is to activate the child's desire to care for plants and animals, as well as to bring the baby the joy of communicating with them. Your own attitude is very important - attention, care, tenderness to a living being. This will be the best example to follow. Animal observation can completely absorb the baby. Do not forget to give your baby basic knowledge about the appearance, behavior of a fish or bird, and the need to treat it carefully. You can also systematically draw the child's attention to the birds during a walk, compare birds, name them, note the peculiarities of their appearance, and feed them in the cold season. All this will strengthen the baby's positive attitude towards living beings and will certainly cause a desire to take care of them on their own. Properly selected literary material - fairy tales, poems, drawings, stories about animals, as well as good cartoons will be invaluable.

Middle preschool child (4-5 years old)

Begin to introduce your child to the conditions necessary for the life of plants, as well as to form new skills in the baby's care (for example, spraying). Show the relationship between the condition of the plant and how it is cared for (for example, thin leaves and fragile stems mean more watering, and large, fleshy leaves rarely).

When observing animals, compare members of the same class and different species. Tell that fish have a body covered with scales, there are fins on the back, tail and abdomen, fish are large and small, of different colors. When observing birds, point out differences in plumage, beak shape, size and shape of the body, draw the child's attention to the key features of the life behavior of birds (singing or chirping, pecking food, swimming). Considering mammals, we pay attention to the length and color of the coat, the shape of the muzzle, the size of the body, habits (they wash, listen, hold food in their paws, turn their ears). We teach the child to select food for animals, wash feeders and drinkers. You can grow oats together for birds and rabbits in winter. Also in winter, be sure to make a bird feeder with your child.... It can be the simplest one (for example, a used milk carton that can be beautifully painted with paints). Explain how hard it is for the birds to get food for themselves in winter; in the harsh season, only a person can help them. Children willingly agree and take an active part. Hang the feeder outside the window, and the child will watch the birds fly in and peck at the grains or bread crumbs left for them. This will give the baby great joy.

Children are already more independent, and under supervision they can carry out feasible assignments every day - feeding a bird or fish, watering flowers, picking fresh grass for the rabbit, etc. Continue to teach your child to take care of the world around them, to form love for nature, interest in studying it. Use every opportunity to draw your child's attention to animal behavior in the wild. For example, in the summer this can be done by walking in the park, in the forest, or relaxing outside the city. Let your baby watch birds, squirrels jumping on tree branches, or fish in a pond. Also, do not forget that the main condition for fostering love for nature is the example of adults, that is, your own personal example.

Senior preschool child (5-6 years old)

It is already possible to give the child a task that he will perform on his own (for example, make him responsible for watering the plants). Teach this responsibility to be conscious - checking the moisture content of the ground, not watering for the sake of watering. Children of older preschool age may well prepare water for irrigation themselves (fill the container with water in the evening, and water the plants that were entrusted to him in the morning). Also, the child can no longer only wipe and spray the leaves, but also loosen the ground in a pot, cut dry leaves with scissors.

Bring fallen branches of willow and poplar from the street in winter (in January-February), birch trees in spring (in March), put them in the water. Have the child watch the buds appear and then the leaves. You can arrange a winter garden at home - plant onions, parsley roots, sow peas, beans, plant carrots or beets. The child will observe their development with great interest. At the beginning of spring, older preschoolers can already be involved in planting plants, and in summer children can take part in caring for flowers at their summer cottage. This work develops curiosity, responsibility and attention, plays an important role in aesthetic and mental development. A child 5-6 years old is able to independently loosen the earth with a rake, plant seeds, participate in harvesting, and, of course, water the garden. The child can work for 20-40 minutes (the duration depends on the individual characteristics and habits of the baby).

As for caring for pets, an older preschooler may well be entrusted with regular feeding of a cat or dog at a strictly defined time (without forgetting about the rules of hygiene). Communicating with animals, caring for them brings great joy to the child.

If you can't keep a dog or cat, buy an aquarium or get a songbird. The child can add food, wash the feeder and drinker, and even clean the cage with an adult. Gradually, you can make caring for the bird the responsibility of the child, insuring and helping him. For preschoolers, birds such as siskins, bullfinches, goldfinches, finches are best suited. They quickly get used to a person, do not require complex care.

It is very good if the child has the opportunity to visit the village. There are endless opportunities for observing animals and birds. The child will see in practice that good care and proper nutrition allow the animal to grow quickly, get stronger, the animal benefits humans. Caring for animals and birds fosters in a child a love for nature, a kind attitude towards it, and also teaches to work, helps to overcome qualities such as selfishness and indifference.

Teach your child to love wildlife!

Communication with nature makes an indelible impression on the child, teaches you to admire its beauty, brings up humanity and kindness in the baby. It is important to teach a child to love all living things, be it a flower or a bird, a kitten or a frog, to protect and preserve nature. And above all, we must set the right example for the baby with our own behavior. It is also very important for a child to gain knowledge about wildlife. There are many sources for this - drawings, fiction, TV shows, films, as well as direct communication. You can tell your kid about animals in different ways - authentically, instructively, and fun. Read the works of Skrebitsky, Bianki, Tolstoy, Turgenev with your child, talk about what you read. Walking with your child, visit parks and squares, forests and fields. Learn to see the beauty of the world around you. Watch not only birds and animals, but also insects, summer is a great time for these purposes, especially if you manage to go to the country house or to the village.

On a walk, use all the opportunities for the child to learn about nature, show interest in it, learn to love and understand it. Pay attention to dogs with their owners. Show that when the owner calls the dog, she understands this and comes to the call, tell how the dog serves the person. Be sure to warn that you should never approach stranger dogs, avoid homeless and unattended dogs, because they can be dangerous. It is very good to have a pet in the house, because love for animals is best instilled in the direct care of them. This is especially useful for shy and withdrawn children - they need a friend who loves and accepts them for who they are, does not evaluate or judge.