How To Raise An Inquisitive Child

Curiosity isn’t something that needs to be taught to children, they are born explorers, it’s how they develop a picture of the world around them and learn to keep themselves safe. Babies put unfamiliar objects into their mouths, using their senses to explore their environment. Toddlers use their newfound voices to ask ‘what’s that?’ and ‘why?’ Young children are curious by nature, asking questions and investigating is their way of getting to grips what can be quite a confusing world. Harnessing and nurturing their inquisitiveness is crucial to help children develop critical thought and a life-long love of learning. An independent school in Sussex has shared some advice to help you keep your child’s curiosity candle burning, read on to learn more. 

Children ask a lot of questions. Some studies claim they ask as many as 40,000 between the ages of 2 and 5 alone. Although this can be exhausting for parents, especially when you haven’t got the answer off the top of your head for ‘how many grains of sand are on the beach?’ or ‘why don’t spiders get stuck in their own webs?’, it is important not to discourage questions or make children feel silly for the things they ask. Any question shows that they are keen to learn and it’s important to be enthusiastic about their curiosity. Anything you don’t know you can always look up together. 

Questions aren’t the only way kids exhibit curiosity, they also like to experiment and investigate to find answers for themselves. Giving your child the opportunity to explore will fuel their curiosity and reward them with a sense of achievement as they learn new things. Getting outdoors is a great way for children to explore without destroying your home in the process. They can get as messy as they like and take up as much space as they need, plus nature offers limitless opportunities to learn new things. Whether you take your child on a nature walk in the countryside or just head to a local park, the change of scenery will inspire them to ask new questions and prompt them to investigate their surroundings.

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