Teaching tarot to kids is one of the best ways to get them involved with this ancient spiritual art. Years ago tarot was seen as something that we should stay away from, however these days it has been greatly demystified and people have started to let go of their fear and negativity towards tarot.
More and more people are learning to read tarot cards to help themselves and others around them. These days tarot is not only a tool for divination, but also one for self-learning, self-development and spiritual development.
The big question though is: how soon should one teach tarot to kids? How old should they be before they get to learn the basics of reading tarot cards?
One popular point of view on this subject is that children should be mature enough to understand some basic concepts and some basic symbolism. This is why the age of 7-9 is a good age for learning it. Before this age kids tend to not yet grasp some essential things that card combinations can show. This is why it is difficult to explain to them the meanings of card spreads at such a tender age.
On the other hand, children of young age only use the cards for very mundane and common tasks that require the most basic knowledge about the world around us. Especially with the many tarot decks made for children, this is easier than it used to be before.
There are some great decks of cards that depict story heroes, fairies, manga and cartoon characters that will not only enchant the kids, but also make them interested in the story line developing throughout the laid out cards.
None of the images on these cards are threatening, obscene or violent, so children are safe and protected from anything that is above their age level.
I have a friend who learned tarot at the age of 9. She told me that her life has become much fuller and much more enriched because of that. She could easier grasp mythology, the art of story telling and many things that helped her in school and she could easily make connections which were not so visible to many of her classmates.
One way to teach children tarot is by using the cards to play as opposed to read. Put some cards together and let them tell a story based on how they are aligned next to each other. This will enhance their creativity and imagination and will later on help them learn to read the cards intuitively (as opposed to reading them based on a fixed traditional meaning).
More and more people are learning to read tarot cards to help themselves and others around them. These days tarot is not only a tool for divination, but also one for self-learning, self-development and spiritual development.
The big question though is: how soon should one teach tarot to kids? How old should they be before they get to learn the basics of reading tarot cards?
One popular point of view on this subject is that children should be mature enough to understand some basic concepts and some basic symbolism. This is why the age of 7-9 is a good age for learning it. Before this age kids tend to not yet grasp some essential things that card combinations can show. This is why it is difficult to explain to them the meanings of card spreads at such a tender age.
On the other hand, children of young age only use the cards for very mundane and common tasks that require the most basic knowledge about the world around us. Especially with the many tarot decks made for children, this is easier than it used to be before.
There are some great decks of cards that depict story heroes, fairies, manga and cartoon characters that will not only enchant the kids, but also make them interested in the story line developing throughout the laid out cards.
None of the images on these cards are threatening, obscene or violent, so children are safe and protected from anything that is above their age level.
I have a friend who learned tarot at the age of 9. She told me that her life has become much fuller and much more enriched because of that. She could easier grasp mythology, the art of story telling and many things that helped her in school and she could easily make connections which were not so visible to many of her classmates.
One way to teach children tarot is by using the cards to play as opposed to read. Put some cards together and let them tell a story based on how they are aligned next to each other. This will enhance their creativity and imagination and will later on help them learn to read the cards intuitively (as opposed to reading them based on a fixed traditional meaning).