Tips to Talk with Your Child

Starter Strategies
More Strategies
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Starter Strategies

When visiting the outdoors, take time to wonder about the world around you. Stay curious, ask questions, and allow space to "just be." Try some of the following strategies with children.

  1. Encourage your children's questions.
  2. Explore and find answers together.
  3. Give children time and space to explore.
  4. Accept that explorations can be messy. Be ready for mud!
  5. Learn from mistakes together.
  6. Invite curiosity.
  7. Support further exploration.
  8. Encourage children to record their observations.
  9. Make good use of electronic devices (like you are now).
  10. Use items you have at home to experiment and explore.

These strategies come from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Our thanks to Yi-Chin Lan for her summary of strategies on NAEYC's website.

More Strategies

  • Try simple "yes or no" questions to start conversations.
    • Do you see that bird/flower/tree?
  • Use open-ended questions, especially those starting with Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How.
    • What do you see?
    • Where do forests grow?
    • When did you hear that bird call before?
    • Why are leaves green?
    • How does a plant get water?
  • Recall other experiences and places.
    • What does this remind you of?
    • Where else did we go on a hike together?
    • When did you talk about this at school?
  • To learn more, try questions without easy answers (also known as "juicy questions").
    • It's okay to not know the answer. The goal is to ask questions together.
    • This strategy helps families to share their knowledge.
    • If you need more information, make a note to look up your question later. Or, you can share questions with us! Use the form below.

Ask Your Questions Here