Sparking Your Kid’s Curiosity at Home

Curiosity is not something that you can teach, and as a matter of fact, there have
been countless studies that prove that children are born with the natural gift and desire
to be curious. Children take in the big world that is around them and explore new things
all the time, all while being curious and enhancing their ability to be better learners. As a
parent, you do not have to take the time to sit your child down and teach them about
what it means to be curious, but if you engage them in activities that spark their
curiosity, you have the ability to assist them in their development as they begin to open
up to a wider variety of topics and surroundings.

As your child ages, their natural tendencies of curiosity might be replaced and
the spark that was once very alive might seem to take the backseat to other things. You
can take action now and get your child involved in things so they can stay curious
throughout their lives in school and at home.

There are plenty of things that you can be doing in your everyday life to help
nurture your child’s curiosity. Here is a list of things that you can add to your days to
assist your child in developing a curious mindset:

Explore Outside

The world is a large and magnificent place that you can help your child explore!
Taking your child outside to see new things and go new places can help them spark a
new level of curiosity. Things that might seem so normal to you can be so fun and
engaging to your child. Walk around outside, visit places that are new and watch as
your child gets excited about the little things. You can even notice things that they take
interest in outside and ask them questions about it. This will have your child opening up
to a whole new world of things to be excited about and eager to get out and learn about!

Interests Spark Curiosity

Have you been able to notice a specific thing that your child has taken an interest
to? It could be anything that fascinates them or they find intriguing. Use this interest of
theirs and begin conversations about it. Allow them to tell you what they love about that
specific thing and connect with them about it. This allows them to see your interest but
also gets them talking about it. This could draw in so many new opportunities to explore
and be curious. Capitalize on their interest and find where it occurs and let them explore
– this could be at places like museums or art galleries!

Open Ended Questions

Open-ended questions have the ability to get your child thinking. So often, when
you get into the habit of asking questions that only require a simple yes or no, your child
can lose out on the opportunity to think about something and answer accordingly. These
questions do not have to be complex in any means, but rather, a question that prompts
them to think about something they learned in school or a topic that they have shown
interest in. Curiosity sparks learning and questions can help get your child to that point.
Ask your child questions and let them explore the answer!

Engaging Activities

There are lots of games and activities that exist that have such a structured open
and close. You pick up a toy and follow the same routine to play and engage with it, but
is that really allowing your child to be curious? Find games that interest your child that
allows them to be creative and engage how they want. Things like arts and crafts give
your child the freedom to do what they want and explore in a way that suits them. An
activity that lets your child get creative is going to spark their curiosity in all kinds of
ways, and you can be there to assist with it!

Curiosity is not something that your child is going to learn from you or anyone
else, it is something that they are born with. They are welcomed into a large world with
so many possibilities and new things that it’s natural they take the time to explore and
ask questions. Being there for your child through their curiosity by opening them up to
new things or things that interest them or answering their questions about the world is
going to create an environment where their curiosity can spark and lead them down a
path toward being a better learner.