When we think about how kids learn and grow, we can’t forget Jean Piaget’s important ideas. He said that children go through four different stages as they develop their thinking skills. Let's look at these stages one by one:

1. Sensorimotor Stage (0-2 years)

• Main Learning: Object permanence.
• Example: A baby discovers that when a toy is covered by a blanket, it’s still there, even if they can’t see it.
• Think About This: Imagine a baby drops a toy. At first, they might think it’s gone for good, but later, they will start to look for it!

2. Preoperational Stage (2-7 years)

• Main Learning: Symbolic thinking and egocentrism.
• Example: A child might pretend a stick is a sword in a game or might think that everyone sees the same things they do.
• Think About This: If you ask a child to draw a house, they might add a smiling sun because that’s how they see the world.

3. Concrete Operational Stage (7-11 years)

• Main Learning: Logical thinking about real things.
• Example: Kids start to understand that even if you pour the same amount of juice into a tall glass or a wide one, it’s still the same amount.
• Think About This: If you show them two balls of clay that are the same size, and then you flatten one, they will get that both have the same amount of clay, even if they look different now.

4. Formal Operational Stage (12 years and up)

• Main Learning: Abstract thinking and problem-solving.
• Example: Teenagers can think about imaginary situations and come up with reasons for their ideas.
• Think About This: They can discuss tricky questions about what is right and wrong, seeing things from different views and understanding complex ideas.

These stages show us the amazing way children’s minds grow!