Tip of the month: Seeing the world through the eyes of a child

Here are some  ideas on fostering curiosity in children shared by Marge Kennedy in Work & Family Life (April 2009):

• Let kids handle anything they can safely handle. Children need to touch things that fill their environment. For example, climbing a tree or walking through a mud puddle should not be something a child wonders about but never gets to experience. Given the opportunity, few children can resist taking something apart to see how it works or mixing various ingredients just to see what might happen.
• Show your sense of wonder. Observe the world around you and you'll encourage your children to do the same. Invite a creative response by asking questions such as: "What do you think is inside?" or "let's see how it works," or "what if you turned it on that side?"
• Provide tools to stimulate curiosity. A tape measure can get a young child wondering how long things are. A magnifying glass, microscope, or telescope can offer a closer look. And, of course, books are primary tools.
• Note connections. Make comparisons. Talk about how things relate and interrelate. For example, "How is a guitar like a violin? How is it different?"