Questions Children Ask About Themselves

Hi Parents

Remember the time when your children ask you questions about themselves like:

I wonder why:

• I can see red balloons, blue, yellow and green balloons
• I see big things, little things, round, square and sharp things too
• I can hear planes roaring, boys whistling, whispers and shouts
• I can smell cookies baking, sweet and spicy smells, flower smells and gasoline
• I can take hamburgers, marshmallows, salty peanuts, sour lemonade, hot chocolate and different flavours of ice creams
• I can touch smooth pebbles, furry kittens, squashy mud and soapy water
• I can step up and down in the dark
• I can tiptoe and slide and jump rope and turn somersaults
• I can talk and sing and laugh and cry
• And I can ask questions

Instead of looking up books or the encyclopedia for answers, how about explaining these ‘wonders’ through fun and play. What do I mean? Well,

• For colours, show them how primary colours can be mixed to form other secondary colours. This can be done using water colours or crayons. While the children have fun mixing the colours, they can also draw at the same time.
• For different sizes and different shapes, get the children to look of objects that are round, square, triangle or whatever they can find. Then, compare the sizes. Can also use origami to make balls or fold into boxes.
• For sounds, get them to make all types of noise, be it whispers, shouts, animal calls and lots more. Can also get them to imitate tones of anger, joy or sadness.
• For smell, get them involved in cooking preparation. While helping mummy, they also get to learn which items are sweet smelling, which are sourish, bitter, hot and . . .
• For touch, get them to touch all the things in the house, from sofa, curtains, windows and let them tell you which are soft, hard, springy and so forth.
• For moving around in the dark, be careful to guide them one step at a time. Share with them in time of emergency, when there is no electricity, the safe way to move about and where to look for torch lights or candles.

The above are just some tips on how to have fun and activity with your kids. If you have other ideas, do write and share.