You know that rules help us at home and at school. A law is a rule, too. It is a rule for everyone who lives in a town, a state or the whole country.
Key idea
A rule can be for one family or one class. A law is for everyone, and it is made by leaders the people choose.
Why it works
A family can make its own rules, like "Bedtime is at eight." But a town needs rules that all its people share, like where cars must stop. So the people choose leaders, and the leaders write laws. A town makes town laws, a state makes state laws, and Congress makes laws for the whole country.
Common mistake
Some children think laws are only for children. Not so! Laws are for everyone: grown-ups, teachers, police officers and even the President. Nobody is above the law.
For the grown-up: Point out laws you see on a walk: speed limit signs, crosswalks, "no parking" signs. Ask who made each one: the town, the state or the country.