Caregivers can provide a safe outlet for children to explore by affirming and encouraging a child’s efforts in play as they simultaneously watch and monitor children’s curiosity and interests. When children are given the time and the freedom to make play choices, they are more likely to engage in play activities for longer periods and sustain their curiosity.

Studies have found that children exhibit increased curiosity outside of pedagogical (teaching) contexts and in the absence of explicitly given explanations.

In an experiment in which researchers gave children a novel toy to explore, either prefaced or not with partial instructions on how the toy works, children played for longer and discovered more of the toys’ functions under the non-pedagogical conditions.

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1. Bonawitz, E., Shafto, P., Gweon, H., Goodman, N. D., Spelke, E., & Schulz, L. (2011). The double-edged sword of pedagogy: Instruction limits spontaneous exploration and discovery. Cognition, 120, 322– 330. doi:10.1016/j.cognition.2010.10.001

Hence, allowing opportunities for free exploration in safe environments were more likely to promote curiosity and exploration.

Read more at AL-CUR-C02.