10 Ways To Inspire Curiosity In Your Child

Children are born eager to learn, and the world as they know it, is a place of wonder. They are always looking to explore and discover new things and figure out how the world works. 

As parents and caregivers, inspiring and nurturing their curiosity is one of the most important ways we can help them become lifelong learners. Here are 10 ways you can do that through your interactions with your child today:

1. Show them the world

There are many ways for them to see the world: an excursion to the museum, a weekend in the woods or a vacation to new places. Introducing your child to diverse places and meeting new people can peak their curiosity, and stimulating environments at an early age will serve them well for the rest of their lives. 

2. Spend time as a family

Quality time as a family is invaluable, and it can be as simple as baking a cake together to taking a walk in the park. Modeling for your child how you are curious with your own environment in your day to day life, with even the most everyday occurence can help awaken their senses!

3. Treasure experiences

Teach your kids to treasure all kinds of experiences, from the excitement of the planning to the happiness felt in the moment and the memories they make that will last them a lifetime. 

4. Wonder out loud

Let them hear you wonder out loud about the world, whether it is the plants you see in nature or the vehicles you pass by in the city. When you model what curiosity looks like will encourage them to be curious themselves too!

5. Encourage natural interest

Take your child’s questions seriously and follow their lead. By encouraging their natural interests, we help them learn so much more through activities that capture their attention and imaginations. If your child love bugs, read a bug book together, and learn new facts before heading out on a Spring walk to spot worms after a rainy day. 

6. Open-ended stories

At bedtime, after you read your little one's favorite bedtime book, try telling them a new story - one you make up on the spot. Help develop your child's creativity by inviting them to choose what happens next in the story. Each night at bedtime, April from Team Tiny and her toddler tell a story about a mama bear and a baby bear going on a walk through the woods and her toddler loves to choose which animals they meet along the way.

7. Ask questions

By asking your little ones questions, you are picking their brain and challenging them to think more deeply. Some ideas include “If you had superpowers, what would they be?”, “If you had your own city, what would it be called?” or “Do you think you are a good friend?”. Be prepared for some fascinating conversations!

8. Allow unstructured play 

Let your child’s curiosity be their guide: unstructured play gives children the space to explore, create and discover without a set of rules or predefined ways they have to play with something. This approach has been shown to foster cognitive development while boosting physical development, social and emotional development - and of course, sparking creativity! 

9. Surprise them

While children thrive on routine, creating positive surprises in your little one’s life can enhance their curiosity. Try packing some stickers in their lunchbox or tucking a new stuffed animal friend in their bed to discover at bedtime as a fun surprise!

10. Encourage your little one to create music

We all tend towards using either the right side or left side of the brain, but did you know that people who study music actually use both sides of their brain? This means they are better at lateral thinking, and able to solve problems through a creative approach.