Curiosity – A Skill for Life
It’s a well-known fact that kids are born curious. They come into this world with an innate desire to learn and to understand their surroundings.
What is curiosity and why is it important?
When most people think of curiosity, they think of a child who is constantly asking “why”. But curiosity is more than just a natural inclination to ask questions. It’s also a desire to learn and understand new things.
There are many reasons why it’s important for kids to be curious. For one, curiosity is the foundation for learning. And it’s not just academic learning either – curiosity helps children learn about the world around them and develop problem-solving skills.
Curiosity is also important for children’s emotional development. When kids are curious, they’re more likely to be open to new experiences and be willing to try new things. This can help them build self-confidence and become more adventurous.
Some of the best ways to help them foster that curiosity are to give them opportunities to explore, ask questions, and discover through hands-on activities.
How to foster curiosity in kids
There are many things parents can do to help foster curiosity in their kids. Here are a few ideas:
- Provide opportunities for exploration. Give your child opportunities to explore different parts of their environment. This could include letting them explore the backyard, going on nature walks, visiting a museum, or even just having a room where they can freely explore without restriction.
- Encourage questioning. As your child explores, encourage them to ask questions. This will help foster their natural curiosity and also help teach them how to ask questions in a thoughtful way.
- Provide age-appropriate challenges. Don’t always give your child easy answers – challenge them with puzzles, problem-solving activities, and other age-appropriate tasks that will require them to use their curiosity and problem-solving skills.
- Be a role model. kids learn a lot by watching their parents. So be a role model for curiosity – ask questions, explore new things, and be open to new experiences.
A STEM story: Leanne Kemp – Driven by curiosity
The team at Primary + STEM have curated a collection of stories about women who’ve turned their childhood passions into STEM careers.
One of the stories is about Leanne Kemp, an Australian Tech Entrepreneur, who crafted a career in STEM which was based on a foundation of curiosity.
Leann’s story tells the tale of a girl who grew up in Queensland, Australia and as a child, one of her favourite words was ‘why’.
Leanne didn’t see herself as good at school learning and her grades weren’t great, but she had something that would turn out to be much more important.
She had curiosity!
Leanne had a strong desire to better understand the world.
Today, Leanne is the founder and CEO of Everledger. She co-chairs the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on the Future of Manufacturing. She was elected one of the World’s Top 50 Women in Tech in 2018. Leanne’s awards include the AIM Global Allan Gilligan Award 2019, Advance Global Australian Awards 2018 for Technology Innovation, and Innovator of the Year 2016 and 2018 at the Women in IT Awards (London). In 2018, she was appointed the Queensland Chief Entrepreneur in Australia.
You can read Leanne’s full story here.
Share your story
If you’ve got a story to share, we’d love to hear it! Send us an email at primaryandstem@gmail.com and we’ll be in contact soon.
Image credit
Photo by MART PRODUCTION