We’ve all experienced it: Something catches our eye as we walk down the block; something jumps out at us as we read a menu; our interest piques at a certain melody or phrase, and there it is—a spark.
Our interest has been caught.
From there, we may take a risk and order a new entrée, or seek out information on a new topic, or turn up the volume. Once something sparks our interest, we pursue it—sometimes for years to come.
The same thing happens with our little ones, especially in their early years where brain development is happening quickly and constantly. And as a result, the ways we, as grownups and caregivers, nurture those sparks of interest can make all the difference.
Chicago Children's Museum is the perfect place to watch interest spark in our littles. We design all of our spaces to encourage and facilitate interest in powerful, child-led ways.
We asked Liz Rosenberg, Lead Arts Educator at Chicago Children’s Museum, for some tips on how we can practice igniting our little ones’ sparks at home.
1. Start with easy questions
It can be tricky for little ones to decide what activities they want to do or what interests them. As grownups, we can be supportive of that indecision by asking simple, leading questions like “What’s your favorite food?” or “What’s your favorite animal?” It’s an easy to way to help the kids in your life figure out what they’re most interested in.
2. Use the “Five Minute Try” method
Often when situations are new, they can feel scary—especially to little ones—and that feeling can look a lot like boredom or disinterest.
If your child (even toddlers!) begins an activity and then suddenly wants to move on, encourage them to stick with it for five minutes, and talk with them about what that experience is like. This can help them think about and articulate what they do or don’t like about the activity—and what they might want to try instead.
3. Provide options
Open-ended time can be overwhelming for everyone, including grownups and children. By laying out a few specific options and allowing your little to choose what they want to do, you take away some of the indecision that comes from too many choices.
Additionally, you can learn a lot from what they choose—if you lay out Legos, books, crayons, and stuffies, notice what your little one gravitates toward. You can then encourage their interest in that activity in the future.
4. Build excitement
Excitement is contagious. When a grownup shows genuine enthusiasm and encouragement for their children’s activities, creations, and discoveries, they enhance the interests sparked in their little ones.
Our spark expert Liz says, “As an artist, I have distinct memories of my mother really making me feel good about what I created... I don't even care if she was lying! It helped so much that she built off my excitement. It felt so great that she thought I was good at what I loved doing.”