What is The Curiosity Approach?

The Curiosity Approach aims to create ‘thinkers & doers’ by putting the child at the centre of their own development and education. Modern toys and technology are removed from the learning environment and replaced with everyday items to encourage children’s natural curiosity and eagerness to explore and create.

A Curiosity Approach setting is painted in neutral colours and filled with easily accessible, loose resources. But unlike what you may see at other nurseries, such as plastic toys, the children are instead presented with ordinary, real-life items made of wood or other natural materials.

This encourages the child to create their own toys to play with while simultaneously learning about the world they will eventually venture into. The children essentially go back to basics and have to use their imagination to figure out what each item is for and how to use it rather than being given a toy with a fixed identity which shapes how a child will play it. The Curiosity Approach gives the children control to shape the play, rather than the toy shaping and limiting the play.

Ask your child if they've noticed a change in what they play with, and watch this video to find out more about the programme.