Curiosity. Is there an app for that?
"I'm bored."
"There's nothing to do!"
"I don't have anyone to play with."
Over the winter break, these are phrases I heard repeatedly. My 5 year old son is accustomed to going to preschool with a dozen other children, or having the neighbors around to play with. Due to the holidays, his preschool was closed and the neighbors were traveling.
I was able to entertain him by helping him build some forts with the gift packaging, we played some games (even made up one of our own), and did a few crafts. And yes - he spent some time on his iPad.
I won't give you advice on how you should or shouldn't use technology in your home, but we have found great success in showing our children how to use technology to support their other interests. For example, my son loves watching the baking video tutorials (especially the ones made by kids). And then we usually end up in the kitchen trying to recreate it. He also loves playing the PBSKids Fidget's game where he has to design ways to deliver emergency equipment to the Fidgets after a natural disaster. Sometimes when we play with LEGOs or blocks, he references what he was building in the game.
While I'm not saying that an app or a website can replicate the same experience as building or designing in real life, it is better than some alternatives. When used as a tool or a resource, technology can be an incredibly powerful tool in catering a child's curiosity. Perhaps, by seeing more of the world via technology, they are developing even more questions, and more curiosity about the world around them.
Here are some of my favorite websites/apps that I believe encourage curiosity and creativity. These sites are great for parents, teachers, or students themselves.
Howtosmile is a collection of the best educational materials on the web. SMILE was launched in 2010, by a group of science museums dedicated to bringing science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) out of the academic cloister and into the wider world. Are you looking for new ways to teach kids about math and science? Do you want activities that meet you where you live, whether your “classroom” is an active volcano, the shark tank at the local aquarium, or your own kitchen table? You’ve come to the right place.
Innovation Destination is an incredible resource for teachers, parents, and students. They have thousands of activities to browse through, lists of suggested books, and an incredible video collection. My favorite part of this site, is the "Inspiring Innovation" section. This section, you can watch videos of kid inventors and innovators. You get to hear their stories, what inspired them, and how they put their ideas into action. It can be incredibly powerful for students to see themselves in inventors.
Creativity Catapult was developed by the Bay Area Discovery Museum and Center for Childhood Creativity. Creativity Catapult is a research-backed, expert-curated collection of activities that promote creativity skills in children ages 2-14. Creativity Catapult activities link to the Center for Childhood Creativity’s “7 Components of Creativity."
4. PBS Design Squad
My son is a lover of many PBS Shows, so I was so thankful to find accompanying games and apps with his favorite characters. Even better - they have entire pages dedicated to teachers and parents of how you can take the learning beyond the games. They give ideas for conversation starters, crafts and activities to do at home, and much more. I was a huge fan of PBS resources as a teacher, and I'm loving them just as much (if not more) as a parent.
The Curiosity Machine is hands down one of my favorite websites (it's not an app) of all time. They have an incredible mission and provide loads of FREE resources for teachers and parents to foster creativity and curiosity. They usually have family challenges (currently its a challenge around artificial intelligence), but the website has hundreds of other challenges that you can sort by theme.
On the parents page, you'll find an entire workbook (in English and Spanish) and a playlist of videos on how to support your child's learning. Just take a look at the Table of Contents from the workbook! These are great topics for ANY parent.
From the website because I can't say it better myself:
Located in San Francisco, California, the Exploratorium is a public learning laboratory exploring the world through science, art, and human perception. Our mission is to create inquiry-based experiences that transform learning worldwide. Our vision is a world where people think for themselves and can confidently ask questions, question answers, and understand the world around them. We value lifelong learning and teaching, curiosity and inquiry, our community, iteration and evidence, integrity and authenticity, sustainability, and inclusion and respect.
The Exploratorium website is just as fantastic. It has over 35,000 resources consisting of original apps, microsites, webcasts, videos, articles, podcasts, slideshows, online exhibits, and activities, there's plenty to wander through, explore, do, and experience. The easiest way to view all the activities is to go to their "Explore" page.
One of my favorite sections on the website is Science Snacks. My son and I find a lot of our "recipes" on here and we usually have the stuff on hand.
So there you have it. My Top 6 (currently) websites/apps to spark curiosity. No they aren't a substitute for getting curious about the world around us, but they can help spark curiosity about things we can't physically encounter. Do you have a favorite website/app that you use? Throw it in the comments below! We'd love to hear from you!