My number one goal is to make enrichment easy for you! One way I can accomplish this goal is by thinking about what your curious kid might need. Do they need to be challenged? Are they looking for a new topic to explore? How can you pair a book for added enrichment?
When I think of “curious”, I have an image of old world maps, leather chairs and floor-to-ceiling books. Those are the things I loved as a child. I would curl up in my grandmother’s study, flip through her old textbooks, and make notes on anatomy and the Egyptian pyramids. I would look at old maps and wonder what it would have been like to sail across the ocean 300 years ago, finding new lands and cultures.
What does the word “curious” mean to you? Below are 5 simple ideas to spark creativity and imagination with a curious kid through writing, drawing, reading and games. Maybe one of these ideas will spark your curious nature, too.
How to Support A Curious Kid
1- Curiosity Prompts
Curiosity prompts are the perfect first step for enrichment, especially when you aren’t sure where to start. A curiosity prompt is a question that sparks an interest or requires the reader to do a little digging to find an answer. These prompts can be used to introduce a new topic, practice research skills, find a new genre to read, or support writing practices for opinion and informational essays.
2- Story Coins
If your child hates writing or struggles to decide what to write, Story Coins are the perfect game. Each coin comes with a different image to spark creativity, imagination and story telling. In addition, they can be used to build vocabulary, practice word correlations, create word problems and so much more!
3- Scavenger Hunts
I still remember my 13th birthday when my mom created a scavenger hunt for my party at the mall! She had all the clues perfectly planned and we each had a small budget for things to buy. It was so much fun! In my classroom, I love to create simple hunts to review before tests, but scavenger hunts aren’t limited to planned out clues or learning review. You can easily use scavenger hunts to engage your curious kid to get off the couch and get outside.
4- Choice Boards
If you’ve been here before, you might know my love of choice boards run deep! I love them for many reasons, but mostly because they provide enrichment opportunities while allowing students to choose what they want to work on. Having a choice gives kids a reason to stick with challenging work and take pride in their accomplishment. Plus, they don’t require a lot of set up or prior knowledge to complete. Purchase the Sunshine Choice Board.
5- Sketch Notes
Does your curious kid love to draw or doodle? Are they observant or always making notes? If so, using a sketch notes technique could be amazing for helping them process information, make sense of complicated texts, or map out their big ideas. There are so many ways to use sketch notes and no wrong way to write them. I like to start with a main idea or word, then build my sketches around that focus. How will you sketch note?
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