Wondering how you can recreate at home the curious child? Follow some of these simple tips that we do in our setting and you will soon see a difference in how your child play and learns.

An open question is any question that can’t be answered simply ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Open questions prompt your child to think about the answer, and give them freedom to respond with their own ideas and thoughts. Some examples:

Closed: Do you like…?
Open: How do you feel about…?

Closed: Are you ok?
Open: How do you feel?

If your child is going through the ‘why’ stage of questions, this can be a great way to redirect the question into a conversation.

Them: Why is the sky blue?
You: I wonder. What do you think?

Free play is easy to recreate at home.

Steer clear of the kinds of activities that encourage you to follow a strict pattern. Instead, choose toys and equipment that leaves your child free to use their own imagination. Building blocks and Lego, felt shapes, art supplies and buttons and beads can be made into so many different things, whereas a plastic garage can only be that.  Simple household items like buckets, real objects such as a wooden mug tree with curtain rings  and cardboard boxes can, with your child’s imagination become buildings, vehicles, and ways to promote their fine motor skills too. Ask your child to initiate an activity with an open question: what’s this? what are you doing? If your child needs encouragement to start off an imaginary adventure, connect the play to something they already enjoy like a loved TV show, story, animal or person. Then let them lead.

Here is a useful booklet full of ideas of how to encourage your child to have healthy teeth and happy smiles http://www.feoffmentpreschool.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/RBKC-2017-Healthy-Teeth-Happy-Smiles.pdf