1. It's important to look for problems to present to your children so they can propose their own solutions. Think of a simple problem that you can present to your child and challenge her to solve it. How can you keep the activity going by expanding or revising the problem?
2. In the next week, make a point of asking your children questions that have more than one answer; for example, "What do you think about?" or "How could we fix it?" or "I wonder if there's another way?"
3. The next time your child tells you about an idea he has, ask him to draw it for you or make a model out of pipe cleaners or blocks. When he is finished, ask him to explain his idea to you again. Are his thoughts clearer than before he drew or made a model of his idea?
4. Think of a real life experience that you can give to your child that will help her to further explore an interest of hers and then give her this experience. For example, if she is interested in animals, go to the zoo or a natural history museum. Be sure to make time to hear about her questions and interpretation of what she experiences.
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