Creative Ways to Teach Children about the Importance of Voting

posted on Feb 23, 2021

We live in a democratic country, and elections provide a great opportunity to participate in the democracy. The future of the nation lies in the hands of the next generation. As such, it is important that the budding young minds are taught about their duties of being a responsible citizen. And the first and foremost responsibility of a citizen is to vote. It turns out that many youngsters today are not aware of voting and the importance of taking part in the elections. It is, however, imperative to instill a sense of democratic responsibility among children from a young age so that they grow up knowing their duty and right to vote. They need to be taught about the process of voting and be empowered with the confidence to voice out their beliefs and opinions in a democratic country.

We understand that it can be tedious, and at times challenging, for parents to talk to kids about politics and voting. However, doing it in a fun and creative way can surely bring about a positive impact on their attitude towards voting and elections. Keeping that in mind, we, at Gurukul The School, a renowned private school in Ghaziabad, have brought forth for you today a few tips and creative ways through which you can easily teach your children about the power and importance of voting.

Arrange Fun Mock Elections at Home

Start off at home, so that children get to know what it is to vote. It can be for anything from a dinner main course to where to go for the vacations. Just let all the family members participate in the voting process. Ask your little one to make his/her own ballot box for setting up a mini voting booth using a cardboard box with a slit on top to drop in the ballots. Ask the family members and friends to write down their preferences on a piece of paper and put them in the ballot box. This way, children will know how the voting process happens, and the majority of votes decide the winning. The important part of this mock up voting process at home is to allow your children to voice out their opinions and take part in family decisions, even if it is for a small thing.

Include Your Kids in the Political Talks with Family

Talking to children about political issues and local leaders is the last thing that people generally do at home. But, in reality, it is actually very important for the kids to know about all these things. After all, the people we elect are the decision-makers of the country, and so, children, being our nation builders of tomorrow, should inevitably know about them. Hence, do include your kids in your discussions about the political scenario and the leaders. Ask them how they feel about the political issues and let them talk about local leaders too.

Be a Model Voter for Your Children

There’s no denying that children learn from adults. Thus, to make your child learn the importance of voting, you have to, first of all, give a lot of importance to religiously casting your own vote. Never skip the voting day for leisure or a picnic. Let the child know what you are doing and why you are voting. You can also take them to a local polling station to let them see how it works. When they grow into young adolescents, they can even volunteer their time and energy to democracy. This way, they will know how by casting their vote, they are actually helping the country become a better place.

We, at Gurukul The School, believe that each child should be aware of his/her rights as well as duties towards the nation. And they learn that the best when they connect with the community in ways that give them a firsthand experience of the real world. This is why we, at Gurukul, have created such an environment at our school where children are made to participate in the in-school elections that give them a bigger picture of what it is to vote in the future. We provide our students with opportunities to learn about democracy and recognize their responsibility that they owe towards the nation. This enables our students to grow up with awareness about their civic duty of voting and how their vote can help to transform the entire system in the nation.