“Children thrive when they are given the freedom to explore materials that encourage curiosity and stimulate their senses. As educators, it’s our responsibility to provide the environment and time for children to fully immerse themselves in their play, as this is where the most valuable learning happens,” said Chris Bromham, Principal of ICS Madrid.
At ICS Madrid, we believe that children learn best when they are allowed to explore and discover on their own. This hands-on, open-ended approach to learning encourages children to engage with their surroundings in a meaningful and personal way. The key to this method lies in providing opportunities for children to express their curiosity through self-guided play.
Exploring Natural Materials: Spark Curiosity and Creativity
Using everyday natural objects, such as pebbles, sticks, or leaves, encourages children to engage with their environment in a creative way. These materials allow children to experiment, build, and discover without predetermined outcomes, fostering a sense of independence and creative thinking.
In Early Years, we provide children with time to explore these materials freely. Rather than focusing on a set outcome, we let children use their imagination to come up with new ideas, whether that’s creating patterns, sorting objects, or inventing stories with the materials around them. This process of exploration is vital to their development, as it nurtures curiosity and problem-solving skills.
Crafting with Nature: Focus on the Process, Not the Product
Crafting and building with natural items like sticks, leaves, and dough allows children to use their imagination and creativity. The emphasis in Early Years is always on the process, not the final product. This hands-on experience teaches children to think critically, experiment, and make decisions on their own.
For instance, children might turn sticks into spikes for a dinosaur or use leaves to represent an animal’s ears. These simple activities teach children that the act of creating is more important than the finished piece. It’s about developing their thinking, exploring possibilities, and learning through doing. In fact, this same design thinking approach is present in the STEAM and MIT projects in our Primary and Secondary Schools, demonstrating the continuity of this kind of learning throughout a child’s educational journey.
Outdoor Exploration: Learning Through Nature’s Wonders
The natural world is one of the most engaging classrooms for young children. Nature offers endless opportunities for learning, from observing wildlife to simply lying under a tree and gazing at the sky. Going for a walk or watching insects in action allows children to connect with the world around them in a way that is both meaningful and stimulating.
Outdoor play sparks a sense of wonder and curiosity that is essential to early childhood development. It invites children to investigate new concepts in real-world settings. Whether it’s skipping stones in a puddle or watching the flight of a bird, these experiences help children develop a deeper understanding of the world and encourage them to ask questions, explore further, and make discoveries on their own.
