Using Daylight Saving Time as an Educational Tool

[vc_row][vc_column][ultimate_ctation ctaction_background=”#e0cf3a” ctaction_background_hover=”#e0cf3a”]Before you set those clocks forward again, involve kids in the conversation about why most parts of the U.S. use Daylight Saving Time and what it means.[/ultimate_ctation][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Daylight Saving Time is when we turn the clocks ahead 1 hour in the middle of the night. This time is also referred to as when we “Spring Forward” — catchy because it also takes place in the springtime!

So how can you use Daylight Saving Time for teachable moments with little ones? Here are a few educational concepts you can dive into using Daylight Saving Time as a tool.

• Talk about time with kids.

This is a great opportunity to talk about how time works with kids. Discuss that clocks help us keep time to determine things like waking and sleeping, eating meals, and other scheduling of our daily lives. Time connects people around the country and around the world. Even though time is not the same for everyone all over the world, it provides a base for planning communications.

• Talk about changing seasons.

While Daylight Saving Time helps extend daylight hours in warmer months, even without it, our seasons would still come with shifts in daylight. Because the Northern Hemisphere is leaning away from the sun through Fall and Winter, we experience fewer hours of daylight in the U.S. In the Spring and Summer, when the Northern Hemisphere faces toward the sun, the amount of daylight hours increases. Discuss how this affects how we spend our time in each season and the activities we do.

• Talk about laws and lawmaking.

Did you know Daylight Saving Time started in the US in 1918 to help preserve energy during WWI? The idea was to match daylight hours to the hours people were awake. For some time after, individual cities could decide if they wanted to use Daylight Saving Time or not. Then in 1966, Congress passed a law that said all clocks would be set ahead and back on the same schedule unless entire states opted out. Some states like Arizona and Hawaii don’t partake in Daylight Saving Time. Some people want a law to pass to end Daylight Saving Time permanently, while others want a law to pass that makes the longer daylight hours permanent. Talk with kids about what they think.

• Talk about biology.

Scientists say that it’s important our bodies are able to rise with the sun and rest when it is dark. Many believe that ensuring daylight hours in the morning is more important than daylight hours in the evening. They say that being dark at night helps people prepare for bedtime, while the sun shining bright when we wake up helps us find the energy to get out of bed and start our day. Talk with kids about their energy. What do they feel like when they get out of bed and see the sun shining? What do they feel like when it gets dark and it’s time for bed?

Get ready for Spring and Easter with 

this Springtime Carrot Kit!

Find more cool kits here!