Having an aquarium can do wonders for a kid. With the grownup help, your home aquarium can become an educational game. It can provide kids with knowledge or create great memories while you sit with them and explore the wonders of an aquarium. It will inspire cognitive development, spark kid’s imagination and improve their social and emotional skills. Recent studies have shown that taking care of a pet fish can have useful effects on kids. Observing fish in an aquarium also helps calm children who suffer from ADHD. Here are some of the benefits that come with owning an aquarium.
Imagination and creativity
Every aquarium represents a small world. They usually have algae in them, corals of different shapes and sizes, smaller objects like treasure chests or some sunken buildings. You can even put rocks or sand from the ocean in your aquarium. Let your kid build their own aquarium, allow them to choose and put in things they think would be interesting. This can spark their imagination and creativity. If something could harm the fish, tell them. They’ll have to adapt and change their original idea and design a new layout for the aquarium. Take them to larger and commercial aquariums to spark their imagination and allow them to get ideas.
Responsibility
Looking after the aquarium and the fish in it can make children more conscious about their actions on the things around them. Teach them about what the fish needs. If they need water changed, tell your kids how to do it. If they need to be fed, explain how it’s done. This will teach them the social skills that can be applied to humans as well as animals. Make sure that the tasks they are in charge of are something they can do. That way, looking after a pet fish will promote a kid’s self-confidence. Know what your kid is capable of and give them the aquarium maintenance tasks accordingly.
Emotional impact
Recent studies have shown that simply looking at an aquarium will reduce stress and anxiety in children. Fish can be great friends, they make good listeners. Young kids can confide in them about something that happened at school and they’re reluctant about telling it to their parents. They won’t be judged and they don’t have to worry about having their secrets exposed. Also looking after a pet fish takes up kid’s attention. This can control anger or frustration. Activities and hobbies help children deter negative emotions. Taking care after a whole aquarium certainly qualifies as such activity.
Science
Looking after an aquarium by yourself requires a lot of knowledge. While looking after their pet fish, kids will learn a lot about chemistry, biology and ecology. Just by having an aquarium in your house you can teach your kid about fish anatomy or something more complicated, like the food chain. Aquariums are not that difficult to set up, you can order them online. Check out aquarium shop Sydney and find an aquarium that will fit your home.
Looking after an aquarium full of different fish doesn’t have to be just a hobby. It can also be very educational and positively impact children’s social and cognitive development. These are just some of the benefits that come with owning your own aquarium.
