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All children are naturally curious of the world around them. As an adult, it is important that you foster this curiosity and turn it into an appreciation for animals and nature.

Doing this can be easy as well as rewarding if you work with your children, not against them. Don't lecture your student, guide them instead. To do this you are going to need to guide yourself as well. The more you know about the world around you, the more you can impart to them.

FIND OUT WHAT INTERESTS YOUR CHILD.
When I was younger I was fascinated by the ocean. My family had three Time Life books titled The Sea, The Oceans and The Fish. I started out by looking at the pictures, at just four years old. Eventually I read them over and over. There were other books in the series but these three were my obsession. Ever after, I was always drawing scenes of sea life, and I asked to go the aquarium every birthday. I filled my days by pretending my house was a submerged ship wreck, and I was a deep sea diver.

In hindsight, I have no idea where these interests came from. I didn't live by the ocean. None of my family members are very scientific. I don't even know where those books came from to be honest. Being the second eldest child of six (very busy parents) no one encouraged my love for the sea, but they didn't discourage it either. The point is, even undeveloped, my passion for knowledge of ocean life was immense. It was a drive.

Find out what about nature intrigues your child and then support them. Chances are they already have something in mind. Do they wonder about deserts? Do the rain forests fill them with questions? Finding out what they prefer to learn is a great way to teach them about the natural world.

GO TO AQUARIUMS, ZOOS AND MUSEUMS
These are the places that will open the world to you and your child. At an aquarium you can observe fish up close. You can take turns reading the provided facts. At the zoo you will learn about conservation, habitat, feeding habits. At museums you will learn natural history.

As a starting point these places are wonderful. Ask your child to keep their eyes open for one thing they would like to know more about. When you return home you can supplement your knowledge with some web or library research on any area your child chooses. Specializing, or focusing their learning will make it personal to them and give them a sense of pride.

GO CAMPING
Knowledge is wherever you are willing to look for it. When you go camping you are up close to nature. Tent camping

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