Think about the last question your child asked you
Maybe it was "Why is the sky blue?" or "Where does the water go when it runs down the drain?" or the even trickier "Why do we exist?" Children ask questions we adults have stopped thinking about — and that is exactly what makes them remarkable thinkers.
Wonder is not just endearing. It is one of the most powerful learning strategies that exists.
Children are scientists from birth
Research on children's question-asking reveals something fascinating. A 2013 UK survey estimated that four-year-olds ask around 300 questions per day. While the exact number varies between studies, research by Michelle Chouinard (published in Cognitive Psychology in 2007) confirms that preschoolers ask a striking number of information-seeking questions — and that these questions are not random. Children ask systematically to fill gaps in their understanding of the world.
In other words: your child is conducting active research at the breakfast table.
What makes children's questions special is that they come from genuine wonder. Children have not learned to pretend they understand. They have not learned to be "too cool" to ask. They ask because they truly want to know.
What happens to the wonder?
Here is the sobering part: wonder declines. Studies show that children ask fewer questions as they grow older, particularly after starting school. This is not because they become less curious by nature — it is because they learn that answering correctly is rewarded more than asking good questions.
Many children experience their questions being met with "you will learn that later" or "not now" or simply "because that is just how it is." Gradually, they learn that questions are disruptive rather than valuable.
It does not have to be that way.
How to nurture wonder — five practical tips
1. Say "great question!" — and mean it
When your child asks something you cannot answer, it is tempting to change the subject. Try instead: "That is a really great question. Let us figure it out together." You do not need to know the answer. You just need to show that the question deserves attention.
2. Turn the question back
Instead of always providing the answer, try: "What do you think?" This is not laziness — it is one of the most effective learning techniques available. When children formulate their own hypothesis, they practise critical thinking and build confidence.
3. Create a "wonder jar"
Keep a jar or box in the kitchen where the family can drop notes with questions no one knows the answer to. Once a week, pick one out and explore it together — look it up, experiment, discuss. It turns wonder into a family habit.
4. Model wonder yourself
Children copy what we do, not what we say. Say things like "Oh, I did not know that — I wonder why that is" or "What do you think would happen if we...?" When children see that adults also wonder, they understand that curiosity is something you never outgrow.
5. Protect time and space
Wonder needs time. In a daily life filled with activities and screen time, it is worth protecting the moments where your child can simply think, observe, and ask. A quiet walk in the forest can yield more good questions than an hour of structured activity.
Wonder is not just for children
Science itself is built on wonder. Every scientific discovery started with someone who asked "why?" or "what if?" Einstein put it well: imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is about what we already know. Wonder is about everything we do not yet know.
At Good Atoms, we build our STEAM lessons around exactly this principle. We do not start with answers — we start with questions. Because we believe that children who wonder are children who learn.
Your turn
Tonight, at the dinner table, try this: ask your child a question you genuinely do not know the answer to. Perhaps "Why do you think birds can fly but we cannot?" See what happens when you wonder together.