Tonight with your 5 to 8 year old
The prompt
“In your own words, what does it mean to be generous?”
What to listen for
If they describe generosity as giving something away even when it's a little hard, that shows real depth of understanding, not just "sharing is nice." Praise that nuance specifically, noticing that generosity sometimes costs something is a mature insight.
If they describe generosity only in terms of money or toys, that's totally normal for this age; you can gently widen it by asking about generosity with time or attention too, like listening to someone.
If they say "I don't know," ask them to think of the most generous person they know and describe what that person does.
What this tells you
Whether they connect generosity to a bit of personal sacrifice shows how deeply they're starting to understand giving, not just possessing.