Upon entering the school, I was immediately struck by the amount of colors on display and materials supplied in the school. The overall environment seemed to be overflowing with elements of curiosity, creativity and imagination.

Watching the kindergarteners, was particularly interesting. Despite their young age, they still seemed to exhibit a degree of independence. As the teacher spoke about primary and secondary colors, a few students sitting right in front of the teacher sat straight and still, digesting as much of the class material as they could. Every time a question was asked, these children where more likely to answer in the way that the teacher had just taught them. The children in the back however, exhibited a different behavior that I found more intriguing. From a distance, one might note that they where doing their own thing, or “goofing off”. However, observing the children for a longer period, I was able to notice that there was something far more interesting going on than what was initially perceived. One child sat observing the bird behind the bookshelf, trying to trigger it to make a sound. Another child was playing with the laces on their shoe, trying to do a different sort of knot. Despite their lack on concentration on the teacher, the children where still engaging in learning, just on a different scale. Fiddling with objects, staring at us, the observers behind them, or analyzing the environment around them where all acts of self, independent learning. These children did not seek to answer questions as they where taught, but rather explore the answers in a less formal manner.

I believe that understanding the nature of a child’s curiosity, and that “fiddling” with an object is all part of their learning journey, is an important observation to note when designing a “toy” that seeks to interact with the curious part of a child.