A history question can begin with a guess. You do not have to know the answer before looking at the picture, and your child does not have to give an answer aloud. Try sharing one possible idea, notice what the illustration makes you wonder, then choose what to investigate together.

Choose one of the History cards below and try this guessing format together. A single question can fill a turn. If everyone wants to continue, choose a different subject for the next round.

Start with Stompo’s dinosaur question

History card H001 features Stompo and asks, “What did Diplodocus eat?” Read the question once, then offer a turn to guess. A child could say an idea, draw a possible food or point to something in the picture. An adult can guess too, making room to be uncertain.

Separate “my guess” from “something we checked”. You might draw two spaces on paper for those categories. If you do not yet have a reliable answer in front of you, keep the question open. Looking interested does not require pretending that a guess is a fact.

Choose a question about a building

H197 features Velourie and asks, “Which stone built the Great Pyramid?” You can begin by noticing the words in the question: a building, a material and something you want to find out. Invite a drawing of a building made from an imagined material, then return to the real question.

The drawing is a made-up design, not a model of how the pyramid was constructed. Keep that distinction in the conversation: “This is our imaginary building. Now, what would we like to check about the real one?”

Wonder about moving water

H251 features Slowmo and asks, “How did Romans move water?” Before investigating an answer, ask what your child already wonders about moving water from one place to another. They can sketch a possible route across a sheet of paper, or tell an adult where to draw the line.

Compare ideas without treating the most elaborate drawing as the best guess. A simple line can be enough to start another question: “Where would the water begin?” or “Where would it need to arrive?” These follow-up questions are your conversation prompts, not additional printed card text.

Give the activity a clear shape

  1. Choose one picture and read its actual question.
  2. Take a turn to guess, point or draw.
  3. Notice one thing you want to check, using the card and a trusted reference an adult chooses.
  4. Finish with one new question, or put the picture away for another day.

If you explore several periods, keep each picture and question together so they do not blur into one invented event. A dinosaur question, the Great Pyramid and Roman water are different subjects. The shared activity is asking and checking, without needing to squeeze them into one story.

The History set contains 134 cards, including H001, H197 and H251. Its purchase includes the chosen set’s printable files and app access; other sets are separate purchases. Explore the card sets and choose History to see the current offer. Read the card, explore a trusted reference together and choose what you would like to find out next.