How Children Explore Age-by-Age
Children are naturally curious about the world, and their powers of observation grow right along with them. Here’s what to expect when.
From birth to 2 years, your child may:
- use all her senses to learn about the world
- recognize routines and patterns
- experiment with cause and effect (for example, dropping a bottle)
From 2 to 3 years, your child may:
- rely increasingly on previous experiences and language to understand the world around him
- categorize information, depending on experience or language skills (think that “all large four-legged creatures are cows,” for example)
From 3 to 4 years, your child may:
- grasp cause and effect in a strong, but inaccurate way
- show competence in her own physical space — by balancing, managing stairs, throwing a ball
- observe objects and events carefully
From 4 to 5 years, your child may:
- continue to use all the senses, along with his growing language ability and previous experience
- use her imagination to transform phenomena: “I’m the mommy, you’re the dog”; in playing “dog,” the child shows knowledge of dogs
From 5 to 6 years, your child may:
- show lots of knowledge about interesting subjects, such as dinosaurs, cars, or space
- wonder whether things are “true”
- acquire information from listening, books, television
From 6 to 7 years, your child may:
- argue with you and friends about cause and effect, and make judgments about things being true or made-up
- show more interest and openness in the natural phenomena surrounding him, such as weather, water, or soil
- demonstrate a large vocabulary for describing the natural world
Naturally, these are just guidelines. Every child develops at his own pace. To spark your child’s interest in nature, trying exploring the great outdoors together by taking hikes or visiting parks or nature reserves.
