Topics like freedom, power, fairness and equality always of interest to young minds, but they’re even more engaging and relevant when given context. The coming years will give you and your child lots to talk about, to say the very least.

Talking about art and beauty with your little thinker will not only help them to develop skills in critical thinking and communication, but it will remind both of you that even in weird, tough times, there are still beautiful things to see, make and appreciate. That’s a boost we could all use right now.

Reading with your kids not only helps them grow into better readers, but also into better thinkers. Diving into a good book helps to make children aware of other perspectives and possibilities, and it also opens the door for discussion of big questions and complex issues.

Setting rules for use, including when, where, what and for how long is both appropriate and necessary, but is it enough to help digital natives really understand the virtual aspects of their lives?

Children of all ages have big ideas about this, and starting up a conversation can not only help them understand their place in their country, but also how people come together and stay together.

With warmer weather comes more opportunities to get outside and one step closer to nature. It also throws things wide open for all kinds of marvelous, thinky adventures with big questions about nature and our relationship to it! Yup, you can play with critters, catch some rays, go for a dip, and get muddy, and develop amazing thinking skills, all at once!

There are ways to keep a little thinker busy over the summer, and many of them also present opportunities to fill in any linger learning gaps, and even get ahead of the game for September.

Taking risks, being critical of ideas (even your own), and being willing to back up and try again, are all part of learning, for thinkers big and small. Don’t let the thought of getting it wrong keep you from taking on big questions with your kid!

One of the best parts about fun sports activities like these is that they give us an amazing opportunity to talk with little thinkers about fairness in games and sports. Since your kids’s mind is engaged in the game, it’s also poised to help grow!

In philosophy (even kids’ philosophy), big questions don’t generally have only one answer, but that doesn’t mean that anything goes. There are rules and guidelines for working through a big question, and even young kids need to learn them.

Whether you have a kid that likes to study them buggies with a microscope, paint pictures of our multi-legged friends, or generally avoid anything to do with the little dudes, there are opportunities to turn any encounter with creepy crawlies into some big questions!

Really, every day should be Earth Day (we do live on and depend on it, right?). We’re always excited about asking big questions and taking a closer look at our relationship with our lovely blue planet and its inhabitants.

There are a lot of grey areas in the information we receive these days, and kids need to learn to think about them critically.

There is one vital skill that we should be helping our kids to cultivate, one that can help all kinds of learners to bridge the gap in education.

It's critical thinking.

It’s really never too early to think critically about what makes someone “other”, and about how to bridge the distance.

Kids have a unique perspective on freedom, and chatting with them about it presents great opportunities for critical thinking.