Tarot teaching to children

Teaching tarot to children is one of the best ways to engage them with this ancient spiritual art. Years ago tarot was seen as something we should stay away from, however these days it has become much 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 those around them. These days tarot is not only a tool for divination, but also for self-study, self-development and spiritual development.

However, the big question is: how soon should tarot be taught to children? How old do they need to be before learning the basics of tarot card reading?

A popular view on this topic is that children should be mature enough to understand some basic concepts and some basic symbolism. That is why the age of 7-9 years is a good age to learn it. Before this age, children tend not to understand yet some essential things that combinations of cards can show. That is why it is difficult to explain to them the meaning of card spreads at such a tender age.

On the other hand, young children 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 depicting story heroes, fairies, manga, and cartoon characters that will not only delight kids, but also get them interested in the story that unfolds throughout the cards laid out.

None of the imagery on these cards is threatening, obscene, or violent, so kids are safe and secure from anything above their age.

I have a friend who learned tarot at the age of 9. She told me that her life has become so much fuller and so much richer because of it. She could more easily grasp mythology, storytelling and many things that helped her in school and she could easily make connections that were not as visible to many of her classmates.

One way to teach tarot to children is to use the cards for playing rather than reading. Put some cards together and let them tell a story based on how they are lined up next to each other. This will enhance their creativity and imagination and later help them learn to read the cards intuitively (instead of reading them based on a fixed traditional meaning).