Why curiosity is such a key component for children and their learning
Babies and young children are innately curious. They need to learn, to understand and to make sense of the world around them. Children learn through their senses and they require opportunities to explore their environment. Their brains learn to catalogue and to file away experiences. Just as each and every child is unique, so are the unique sparks that exist inside them – waiting to be lit.
Eleanor Roosevelt is quoted as saying:
“I think, at a child's birth, if a mother could ask a fairy godmother to endow it with the most useful gift, that gift should be curiosity”
As adults, we can encourage curiosity in children in lots of different ways. An obvious starting point is by observing what interests our children. We can then follow both the child and their interests, opening them up to opportunities and activities that allow for exploration.
Children are open to learning from such an early age. To them the world is full of unexplored wonder, with nature offering endless possibilities. We don’t need an elaborate plan – we just need to get outside and allow time and nature to work its magic. Open ended, unstructured - and in time, risky play - can all be met in the great outdoors. Whether it is the simplicity of jumping in puddles, playing in mud, climbing trees or investigating plants and animals, nature not only sparks curiosity, but holds a child’s attention for hours on end.
When we talk to our children, let’s remember the power of asking them what their thoughts are. How, why, when, where, what, open-ended questions and wondering out loud, for example, “I wonder why the grass is green” all offer children learning opportunities. We know that Google can answer most questions – but an Encyclopaedia, alongside having Maps and Globes to hand, mean that children discover things for themselves. How much more exciting is that sort of learning?
Remembering to be curious ourselves is another way of helping children be excited about the power of curiosity. Being open to ongoing learning, not having all the answers, and a desire to learn alongside our children, encourages their self-belief and confidence.
Mindfulness has, as one of its principles, the practice of being “present in the moment”. Mindfulness is recognised as helping us to become more self-aware, more able to choose how to respond to our thoughts and feelings, as well as feel calmer and less stressed. As a practice, it repeatedly asks that we open ourselves up to being “curious”. When we try to do this, it allows us to see things in a different way, to learn in a different way, and to reframe.
Being curious leads to understanding and knowledge. It means children become invested in whatever, and wherever, a spark of curiosity may take them. It can lead them on a path of invention and innovation. Knowledge, gained through curiosity will demand change and a rethinking of problems. Advances in medicine, as well as simple appreciation and gratitude for our world, and the people in it, all begin with curiosity.