Experts, educators, and parents know how important it is to acknowledge kids' inquiries--even if they do seem endless--but sometimes we could all use some creative advice and a little extra patience. Next time you find yourself alone with the insatiable curiosity of a child, follow these suggestions from The Curious Learner by Marjorie R. Simic, Melinda McClain, and Michael Shermis and learn to enjoy where this curiosity leads you.

• In place of a verbal answer, suggest an activity that might help your children discover what it is they want to know. When they ask, "What makes the grass grow?" you can be ready with some seeds to plant. Or you might let your child help with the flower, vegetable, or indoor herb garden you've been meaning to work on so that he can observe a plant from seed to something on the dinner table.
• To discover new things, encourage your children to use their own senses, like hearing, listening, tasting, touching, and smelling. Instead of telling your child how many legs a ladybug has, ask her to take a closer look--"How many legs do you see on that ladybug?"
• Ask questions that lead children to answer some of their own questions. Include questions like "I wonder where we could find out about that?" or "How can we solve this problem?" You may be surprised by your child's innovative solutions.
• Show children sources of information, such as encyclopedias and magazines, that can help them learn more about the things that interest them.
• Take family field trips to the zoo, science museum, aquarium, and library regularly.
• Encourage your child to play with concrete objects such as blocks, boxes, string, and stacking objects. Stimulate experimentation by assembling a home science kit from everyday items. Substitute, for example, empty pill bottles for vials, soda straws for eyedroppers, panty hose for screening, and fishing line for wire.

By following these suggestions, parents can help kids engage with the world around them, which in turn aids in the development of flexible thinking, problem solving skills, and motivation.

To parents frustrated by unending queries, the authors of The Curious Learner give this advice: "Relax and enjoy answering questions with your child. That means ask, explore, play with ideas. When things don't work out, laugh and start the process over again. If you can laugh at the trial-and-error play of being a scientist, so will your child. Then he will tackle school science with the same friendly attitude."