“Wow! Look at what I just found.”  

“I want to make that!” 

“Let’s climb up the hill and play in the water!”

 

When I think about the families that visit Kidspace Children’s Museum, I always smile at a very common sight I see around campus. I will see the children excitedly lead their grown-ups towards the next exhibit or activity that intrigues them or captivates their attention.
They shape the experience of their entire group’s visit by eagerly diving into the moments that are specially crafted just for them. That energy and excitement envelops what ‘kid-driven’ means to me.

At Kidspace, we define “kid-driven experiences” as fun, playful moments and opportunities that allow kids to lead their own discoveries, create their own projects, and explore their interests. These experiences are often open-ended where the focus is less about an exact finished product and more on the child’s ability to learn and discover at their own pace and in their own way. Exploration, imagination, and creativity are the fuel for these kid-powered experiences, which can lead to an amazing day filled with play and learning.

It is through these sorts of unique kid-driven opportunities, that children are able to become empowered to generate their own unique ideas and thoughts. Studies show that by regularly asking children open-ended, thought-provoking questions, it can help expand their curiosity, deepen their ability to reason, and further develop their creativity and problem-solving skills!

Kid-driven experiences are an important and pivotal part of the mission of Kidspace, but they aren’t exclusive to just the museum’s physical campus. One way to share in a kid-driven experience is through silly, thought provoking, and open-ended conversations that let you and your family put on your creative thinking hats and imagine fun ideas together.

You can try these “kid-driven” conversation starters at home, in the car, or on a walk. Here are eight kid-driven conversation starters to get the whole family thinking, playing, and laughing together:

1. “What is your favorite toy and why?”

2. “Which would you rather have as a pet: a dragon or a unicorn?  What would you need to care for them?”

3. “What meal or food item could you eat for an entire week and not get tired of?”

4. “If you could have any super power, what would it be and why?”

5. “What is your favorite thing to do outside?”

6. “If you could have a signature sound effect to use whenever you wanted, what would it be?”

7. “What is something that always makes you smile or giggle whenever you think about it?”

8. “What is the best combination of weird foods you have eaten together? What was the worst combination of foods you have put together?”