Younger children often ask “what?” and “why?”. As they get older, the questions become “how would I…?” and “what if…?” — the beginning of thinking like a maker.
Give them real problems
Children in this age range enjoy challenges with no single right answer: designing a better lunchbox, planning a garden, inventing a game.
Let them lead sometimes
Offer choices about what to explore. A child who picks the topic is far more likely to stick with it when it gets tricky.
