· By S. S. Coulter
Fostering Curiosity in Kids: 10 Effective Strategies
One of the lessons I teach in my books is “you can’t just a dog by its bark.” In other words, it’s important to get to know people before forming opinions about them. How can we teach this to our kids? One great way is to focus on curiosity and how it fosters deeper understanding and stronger relationships.
In my third book ROWLF!, the main feline character, Fassa, has been plagued by a loud barking dog for months. He fears this dog and continuously lets its bark ruin his day. Eventually, he seeks out the dog and finds one of the sweetest animals he’s ever met. What did Fassa do here? I find the most important thing he did was to be CURIOUS. Instead of just believing the dog was one way, Fassa ventured out, got to know the dog, and developed an informed opinion that led to a new friendship.
So let’s look more into curiosity and how we can teach it to our kids. The cool thing about curiosity is that it can be intellectual as well as stir our hearts and spirits.
Taking time to learn about and understand others is a skill that goes far beyond playground friendships. When we take the time to get to know others beyond a first impression, we:
- Test our assumptions – we often jump to conclusions rather quickly about others. We can validate what we initially thought was true by engaging and interacting.
- Challenge our “mind reader” abilities and develop critical thinking skills – we often read into what others think about us and can drive ourselves a little crazy. If we take the time to ask people what they think rather than guessing, it can be a pleasant surprise.
- Realize different tastes can be delightful – when someone’s preferences are completely different than ours, it actually is a compliment to how unique we all are…and you may learn to like something new.
- Learn to admit when we’re wrong – this is a big one. Was your first impression wrong? Being able to admit it is huge and leads to humility and yet another chance to learn.
By instilling this mindset early on in our kids, we’re not just preventing hurt feelings; we’re teaching our children lifelong social, emotional, and critical thinking skills.
10 Ways to Foster Curiosity in Our Children
- Be intentional about being curious – make a concerted effort to ask questions about and look deeper into your daily tasks, especially in front of your kids. Which leads us to…
- Model curiosity for your kids – our kids mimic us. When you are doing various activities with your kids, wonder out loud about what you’re doing/seeing together – why do cars need gas, why do the leaves change, where do libraries get their books?
- Pursue your interests and encourage your children to also – you may love gardening so have a variety of books on flowers. Does your child like cars? Find ways to nurture this curiosity through books, activities, toys, etc.
- Engage in role-play – ask your child to imagine how others feel and react in different situations, like being the new kid on the soccer team.
- Provide choices and challenges – give your children an opportunity to take risks and express preferences by providing various ways they could complete a task and letting them decide what to do.
- Read together – books are such a great way to open the world to our kids. And you can help them pursue their interests even more through this great tool. If your child likes bugs, read about bugs!
- Ask open-ended questions – we’ve all dealt with the “yes” and “no” one-word answers from our children, so ask questions such as “How did you feel about….?” These questions encourage them to critically think about their answers and develop the muscles of curiosity and imagination.
- Make time for imaginative, free play – get out the boxes, blankets, and household items that don’t have instructions, and let your kids be curious and make up their own games.
- Celebrate curiosity with encouragement – make sure to recognize and appreciate your kids for asking questions, trying new things, and attempting to solve problems.
- Make it ok to be uncomfortable – when your child is unsure of something like Fassa was about the dog, it can be really uncomfortable. But this is the time to grow. Instead of trying to push away discomfort, fear, or anxiety, we can help our kids get curious and transform these feelings into something useful.
Curiosity has so many benefits, including the desire to get to know others beyond a first impression. As the saying goes, you can’t judge a book by its cover – let’s teach our kids to “open the books” to see the wonderful things that may be waiting inside for them!
The third book in my children’s activity book series, ROWLF!, has a story, plot twists, and activities to teach this wonderful lesson. And for more information about and benefits of curiosity, please see below.
More information on curiosity:
Tips on Nurturing Your Child’s Curiosity by Zero to Three
The case for teaching empathy: Why empathy doesn’t just “happen” by Parenting Science
How Curiosity Can Help Us Overcome Disconnection by Greater Good Magazine
How do you foster a culture of curiosity and experimentation in your classroom or home? from LinkedIn