Curiosity helps you navigate through life—it gives you a sense of wonder and mystery about the world around you and your place within it. I enjoy exploring, discovering, learning, questioning, investigating, and asking questions of myself and others as I go along my journey through life—all because I have curiosity, something that is innate to us all.
We carry it with us from the time we are children into adulthood. A 2012 article at the BBC inspired me to write about curiosity today, and so I will provide a link to it here. The article argues for the case of neoteny, which is "the retention of juvenile features throughout life" (Wikipedia). Curiosity explains the evolutionary advantage of neoteny because wonder that extends into adulthood plays a vital role in problem-solving, decision-making, creative thinking, and innovation. However, I am writing today because it has made me reflect upon my childhood memories of curiosity. I hope that others who may be reading this newsletter can do likewise.
My goal in creating kid's activities is to foster curiosity and wonder. Why? First of all, because I remember how it felt as a child, I want to help give children an outlet for their astonishment. Second, I hope they will have fun learning, be challenged yet not overwhelmed, and feel great about themselves when they finish! Third, I hope it encourages them to cultivate curiosity into adulthood as they become the next generation of great thinkers. Finally, I hope they solve some of the problems we struggle to solve today.
