An update from Anna, our Centre Director - August 2026
Everything begins with curiosity
Supporting children to build strong social and emotional skills, broaden their horizons, begin their journey towards becoming good citizens, and develop courage and readiness for the next stage of their education are essential tasks of kindergarten and its teachers.
In equal measure, it is our responsibility to inspire and nurture curiosity. Nothing happens without first having that spark of curiosity: to find out, make connections, solve a problem or make something work better. Curiosity also brings enormous pleasure to life. Finding out about something simply for the sake of wanting to know, delighting in the many marvels of the natural world, following interests deeply and developing our own tapestry of understandings about the world are uniquely human gifts. Children demonstrate this curiosity naturally, and they thrive upon it.
At Kindy, checking the nesting box on our way to Bush Kindy each week has sparked a deep and joyful curiosity about Bilin, the rainbow lorikeet, and other local bird species. Through nest building, imaginative play, puppetry, children’s literature, research, bookmaking and observing nature, we have learned a great deal about Bilin. The children’s favourite fact is that Bilin jumps up and down when she is excited.
Many children have been inspired to draw and paint Bilin, from careful figurative representations to impressionistic explorations of colour and movement.
Children have also created their own “Noticing Circles”. One child documented some of the plants growing in a vegetable garden, while another recorded observations of different kinds of trees. Sparked by curiosity, they were building their web of understandings and developing literacy skills as well.
Curiosity about new tools and materials at the woodwork table inspired children to attempt more complex creations and build their practical skills. A pencil is also a tool, so working with different kinds of hand tools helps children develop the confidence and ability that will support future handwriting.
Wondering what might be inside a geode prompted more meaningful tool use as the children attempted to crack them open, while wondering and forming theories about how crystals develop inside.
Curiosity about the World Cup football series inspired some children to become more rules-focused in their soccer play. They formed teams, created their own red and yellow cards, and even added a green card to indicate a good try. They also tallied goals on a scoreboard, bringing communication, self-regulation, cooperation, physical development, numeracy and literacy into their game.
A book called History of the Earth sparked particular interest in the giant dragonflies that lived during the Carboniferous Period. The children measured the ancient insect’s 70-centimetre wingspan on large sheets of paper, then drew the dragonfly to scale so they could visualise what it might have been like.
Curiosity about the “Dragon’s Sneeze” tool, a flint and steel, motivated all our Balimber friends to try making sparks before we lit the campfire. This was another opportunity for meaningful tool use and building skills and confidence.
An interest in snakes has led to ongoing story writing and bookmaking among our Kupi friends. We are also looking forward to a family member beginning a project with the children about the ocean’s Midnight Zone, which is sure to inspire curiosity, creativity, knowledge-building and skill development.
