- Definition
Anthropomorphism is when you give human feelings or actions to animals or objects, like saying a teddy bear is "sad.
In the story of the Three Little Pigs, the pigs build houses and the wolf talks, which are human behaviours.
How to teach this in 30 seconds
Try this analogy: Anthropomorphism is like when a cartoon animal talks, wears clothes, and has feelings, just like a person in a story.
Ask your child: What human things does your favorite animal character do?
Common mix-up: Kids might think it's just about animals talking. It's actually about giving any human quality, like feeling sad or being brave, to an animal or even an object.
Examples
- A story about a 'brave little toaster' that has feelings and goes on an adventure.
- Describing a family's dog as 'lonely' when it's left at home.
anthropomorphism is a term used in Ontario’s Kindergarten to Grade 8 curriculum.
Where this shows up
The descriptions on this page are SmartStudy’s own original, plain-language writing — not the Ministry’s wording. They are aligned to the Ontario Curriculum, © King’s Printer for Ontario. For the Ministry’s official wording, see the source link below. SmartStudy is an independent service and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the Government of Ontario or the Ministry of Education. Ontario Curriculum and Resources ↗
