Explore the learning potential and creative thinking benefits of shifting the way you ask your child questions. Good questions help children to think outside the square, they challenge assumptions and help to spark a desire to explore possibilities. A think dive into the unknown.
Children love to ponder over ideas that are a bit silly and ridiculous. So questions that are a bit outrageous and crazy are often a great way to trigger exciting ideas. Open questions let the child explore freely rather than give a closed “yes” or “no” answer. They also invite children to search for information, explore possible solutions, and to think creatively about the question.
“When can you see the moon in the sky?” versus “I wonder how does the moon come out at night?”
“What color is this?” versus “What does this color make you feel?”
“Does the robot look happy?” versus “Can a robot feel anything if he/she/it falls over?”
“What type of sea creature is this?” versus “Do seahorses have friends?”
“What are robots make of ?” versus “What do you think would be most exciting about having a robot as a friend?”
“What type of fruit is that?” versus “What would that taste look like if we tried to draw it?”
“What did people eat during the Middle Ages” versus “How could we make a tasty cake without using chocolate and sugar?”
“What does this machine do?” versus “What if we could build a machine from things in the kitchen?”
What if the sun was a square?
What if the sun came out at night?
What if the school was closed during the day?
What if. . .