> I understand reactions that are presented to me, but how do you get the initiative of trying something new?
This is what kids do naturally, before they know any better. A lot of kids experiment with chemistry. The trick is keeping them alive and unmangled until they develop a respect for what they're working with.
In my attempt not to drill my young kids' exploration out of them, I tell them that "X is a tool, not a toy!", for values of X like knives, fire, light sockets, etc. And then promptly talk about how to use them :)
