A king kneels beside his young son in a beautiful royal garden, showing him a tiny turtle and encouraging his curiosity about nature.

Raise a Curious Science Thinker—One Question at a Time

November 9, 2026 Tom Radd

Young children can produce an astonishing number of questions before breakfast. Why does toast turn brown? Where does the moon go? Can worms hear us?

It may be tempting to supply a quick answer—or quietly hope the questioning phase passes. But a recent experiment suggests that practicing how to ask questions may help children become more interested in gaining new science information.

What the researchers found

In a preregistered randomized experiment, researchers assigned 103 children ages 5–7 to one of two groups. During eight individual science lessons over two weeks, one group was encouraged to ask questions while the other was encouraged to listen carefully.

Afterward, children in the question-practice group placed a modestly higher value on receiving new science information. Children who began with less science knowledge appeared to receive some of the largest benefits.

That finding is encouraging, but it is also narrow. The groups did not differ significantly in every outcome: researchers found no overall advantage in children’s later question generation, persistence, or science learning. Because this was a randomized experiment, it provides evidence that the structured practice affected the particular information-valuing measure—but it does not show that a short activity will permanently transform a child’s general curiosity or school performance.

Try a 10-minute “question hunt”

You do not need a science kit or a prepared lesson. Pick something your child notices during a walk, bath, meal, or playtime—a shadow, a puddle, a rolling toy, melting ice, or a bird on a wire. Then follow four simple steps:

1. Notice: “What do you see happening?” Let your child lead. A detail that seems ordinary to an adult may be fascinating to a six-year-old.

2. Question: Invite one question beginning with why, how, or what if. If your child is stuck, model curiosity: “I wonder why this ice cube is disappearing.”

3. Predict: Ask, “What do you think?” There is no need to correct an imperfect prediction immediately. The goal is to make thinking visible.

4. Investigate: Test the idea when it is safe and simple, observe for a few minutes, or find the answer together in a reliable book or website. Finish with: “What did we notice—and what new question do we have?”

You do not have to be the encyclopedia

The National Association for the Education of Young Children recommends valuing children’s questions, allowing time for trial and error, and responding with phrases such as “What do you think?” or “I don’t know, but we can find out together.” Harvard’s Center on the Developing Child likewise advises adults to elicit curiosity, encourage playful exploration, and give children meaningful agency.

In other words, a parent’s most useful science response is not always an answer. Sometimes it is an interested face and four powerful words: “Let’s find out together.”

The Good News for Parents

Encouraging your child's curiosity doesn't require expensive educational toys, elaborate science experiments, or knowing the answer to every question.

This study offers a promising finding: giving young children opportunities to practice asking questions may help them place greater value on discovering new information. Although the researchers didn't find improvements in every measure of curiosity or learning, the results suggest that making room for children's questions is worthwhile.

For parents, the encouraging message is simple: everyday moments can become opportunities to explore and wonder together. Whether you're watching a bird, cooking dinner, or wondering why the moon changes shape, you can help your child investigate the world—one question at a time.