While we were at the Botanical Gardens the other day, watching the bug show, children were moving closer to the stage area and then back to their parents. My daughter did the same. She finally decided to sit on one of the amphitheater steps. Two brothers sat next to her. Both were very fair, with very fair hair. My daughter has very dark hair. Quite a contrast! And the littlest of the brothers, probably 18-24 months old, noticed. He was so intrigued, he reached out to touch her hair. I was proud of her for not saying anything, since he was little. And I know she wondered what he was doing. I didn’t tell her she used to do the same thing, although usually with us assisting.  Like the time she stared and stared at the first beard she saw. We asked if she could feel his beard, and our friend was tickled and happy to oblige her.

Little children are intrigued by things that look interesting. To them, different is often interesting. And because they learn through all of their senses, touching tells them even more about what they’re seeing.

I used to take my daughter’s hand, when she was younger than a year old, and help her touch the things she stared at. Frequently, it was something with an interesting texture.

Then take it further, and give children the words to describe what they’re touching. “Isn’t this a neat rock wall? Look at the different colors we see - gray, tan, white. And feel how rough the stones are. They feel cold too, don’t they?”

Rather than limiting their exploration, support it. Help them explore safely, and provide the language to build those brain connections.