Is it possible to talk about soil with children in a simple and understandable way? Of course it can!

Soil, the outer part of the lithosphere (Earth's surface), has been shaped by climate and living organisms. This content may be incomprehensible to curious young explorers, who ask questions at every turn. Soil for the youngest is soil, sand, sometimes mud, in which earthworms live.

The youngest children notice that soil is everywhere, and they are right. It can be found in the playground, in our homes where flowers in pots flourish, and in the garden where carrots are plucked. At this stage It is worth mentioning to the child that what they call "soil" scientists have given the name "soil". They tackled this topic because soil is a very important element in nature. It is in the soil that trees, flowers and shrubs grow, from which we can pick raspberries, for example. 

The soil is also a place where animals live. This is sure to make your little explorers curious. These animals have great hearing, so they can cope in the dark. An example from the garden is the mole - well known in Poland. Another animal that lives in the dark is the sand char, which lives in the desert areas of East Africa. Interestingly, it feeds on plants. In Argentina, on the other hand, we find the dwarf mole, which only comes to the surface after rainfall, when its habitat is flooded with water, and at night in search of food.

It is also worth mentioning that it is not only mammals that make their home in the soil. Living organisms that are not visible to our eyes also live there, such as bacteria - both good and bad. It is also the place where we find algae and protozoa, which the youngest will learn about in school. And there are also insects and... the famous earthworm. 

It is good to know the answer to the question of what the soil is made up of. Can you answer it? Well, it is made up of three phases: solid, liquid and gas. The liquid and gaseous phases will certainly not be a problem, as they are nothing more than water and air. The solid phase consists of organic compounds, living organisms and minerals. In simple terms, these are the rock particles that get mixed in with what decomposes in nature, such as branches, leaves, flowers, fungi and smaller and larger animals.

Why pay some attention, refresh your knowledge a bit and talk to your children about soil? Because it is a really important topic. First of all, 95 per cent of food comes from the soil. Which means that if we didn't pay attention to what happens to it and how to take care of it, we'd probably be walking around hungry. Secondly, as serious as it may sound, it is true that without soil, there would be no existence of us humans or the flora and fauna around us. Lastly, and most importantly, by talking we ensure that we have a good relationship with our child and that he or she has a good relationship with nature. 

Did you know that.

The dwarf pufferfish, a tiny snake from India, has a unique disc-shaped structure at the end of its tail that helps it burrow into the ground? This little-known reptile spends most of its life below the surface, hiding from predators and searching for food in the soil.