At the KneeBouncers, we have some fun characters in our games and elsewhere on our site. The fun green and blue fellow below is Sly the Curious Cat! Curiosity is an excellent trait to have and encourage in children! When children are curious, they imagine things and think of new ideas. Curiosity encourages kids to want to discover the answers to things they don’t know or understand.
What is Curiosity?
We are all born curious; it’s what helps babies learn how to talk, walk, and do all the things they’ve learned to do so far! Sly Cat is a curious little guy and a great way to introduce curiosity to your little one. A curious brain is ready to learn new things! The more curious we are, the faster our brain moves and the more we can learn. So, while it is often exhausting listening to a child constantly asking, “Why?” It’s a good thing! It means they are curious and hungry for knowledge!
But sometimes, curiousness gets kids into trouble (like sneaking a peak at hidden birthday presents or going through their sister’s diary). So when a child’s curiosity has them crossing acceptable boundaries or rules, staying calm and pointing out what is OK and what is not is important. A simple phrase like, “I know you’re excited about your birthday, but sneaking into my room to look for your gifts is not OK. That’s an invasion of my privacy.”
So, while curiosity is a good thing, tell kids that when they feel curious about something, to stop and think, will this curiosity teach me something new, or will I engage in a behavior I shouldn’t?
Get to Know Sly
Introduce your little one to Sly! Sly loves tuna fish sandwiches, blowing bubbles, and zooming around in his play car. Sly is a really friendly little guy and is always making new friends. Sometimes, our curiosity can help us overcome shyness and meet new people who may look or seem different than us!
You’ll find Sly playing with his friends on the KneeBouncers! Sly’s best friends are Horatio the Hippo, FooFoo the Bunny, Sammy the Monkey, Cesar the Dog, and Freddy the Bear. His favorite thing to do on a rainy day? Paint like Picasso!
Get painting with Sly Cat! KneeBouncers_SlyCat Download this free coloring sheet and help Sly finish his painting. What do you think Sly wants to paint a picture of on his easel? What colors will he use?
We’d love to see your work! So, snap a photo and upload it to our Facebook page.
Parents, if you want to learn more about healthy ways of encouraging your child’s curiosity, read Developing Curiosity in the Young Child’s Brain by Tracy Trautner at Michigan State University.
Updated September 16th, 2023, by L. Elizabeth Forry
