August 2026: Building Curiosity through Hobbies and Projects

Every now and then, I find myself thinking, “I like this.” And I’m not the only one. I’ve watched peers, family members, and students experience that same lightbulb moment while tinkering, listening, or exploring: “This is interesting.” But how can families and mentors nurture that spark? How can we turn “I like this” into “I wonder why?”

Curiosity doesn’t always look academic; it looks like returning to something naturally. For younger children, this might mean regularly drawing animals, collecting rocks, or improvising with Legos. Hobbies give that curiosity space and structure to flourish. They become especially powerful when they become a source of questions.

Leaving space to ask questions- and pursue them- is one of the most valuable things friends and family can do to support curiosity. If a student is drawn to watching birds in their backyard or reading about different types of cells, help them pursue that interest. It might mean a mini-experiment with bird feeders or finding an accessible article about eukaryotic cells. The goal is not simply to provide answers, but to encourage experimentation, problem-solving, and creativity. Even seemingly trivial questions can become meaningful when children are given the freedom to investigate them.

So how can you facilitate curiosity? Follow students’ interests and ask open-ended questions: “Why do you think only pigeons are visiting our backyard?” “Why are eukaryotic cells different from prokaryotic cells?” “What do you think will happen if we mix oil and water?” Allow students to make mistakes, change directions, and ask new questions. And, perhaps most importantly, model curiosity yourself. Sometimes, the best response is simply, “I don’t know. Let’s find out.”

Curiosity doesn’t need to become a competition, a grade, or a résumé entry. Sometimes, it just needs time, space, and support. A hobby gives curiosity somewhere to begin; a project gives it somewhere to go. When children are encouraged to follow what interests them, even a simple “I like this” can become the beginning of a much bigger question.

Interested in learning more? Check out the following article: Edutopia & Project-Based Learning 

That’s all for now!

Until next time,

Anoushka Majumder

Vice President and Curriculum Director of English, VTO