The Serious Business of Curiosity and Play
By Derek Maul
Therefore, imitate God like dearly loved children. Live your life with love, following the example of Christ, who loved us and gave himself for us. – Ephesians 5:1-2
Once in a while, a picture comes along that says everything that needs to be said. In news photography they call that a “Pulitzer” – in my world it’s usually a grandchild. This photograph is a prime example. The image sums up so much of what I believe is important for our grandchildren and why I am so proud of how Naomi and Craig are raising their family.
Curiosity is – in my professional judgement as an educator – one of the most useful predictors of functional intelligence and long-term success in learning.
“Curiosity is the state of being curious: inquisitive, wondering, ready to poke around and figure something out” (from vocabulary.com). Or, from Collins: “Eagerness to know or find out.” This is something we have observed in all four of our grandchildren all their lives. From the earliest age – not just mimicry or repetition of a learned task, but invention.
The idea that play is the important work of children has been attributed to several thinkers, but I like the way Fred Rogers expresses it best: “Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.”
As grandparents, we do everything we can to encourage this orientation toward learning. But it is the parents who implement the idea and establish the family ethos.
To this end, we have gifted our daughter’s family a membership to the Miami Museum of Science, and also membership to Zoo Miami – which is only ten minutes from their house.
The absolute best situation for children to thrive would include (and I’m sure there are more):
- a family where they are loved, secure, valued, and engaged;
- a faith-based community where they can explore what it means to be children of a loving God;
- a neighborhood where they are safe and encouraged;
- learning opportunities where they can explore the natural curiosity and creativity they were born with;
- challenges that require them to adapt and grow;
- convenient access to outdoor recreation.
The photograph at the beginning of this post affirms just about all of those points.
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Derek is a North Carolina-based writer, journalist, teacher and speaker. He is the author of numerous books on what the Bible reveals as essential in becoming a man of God.
He is convinced that his four grandchildren are exactly the hope and promise that this world needs. His conviction is important to understand because it reveals a lot about his theology, and how he believes our identity as God’s children plays out in the day-to-day experience of living in a world where darkness, disappointment, and defeat are all too common.
He is a committed encourager, and a pilgrim in progress. He divides his time between writing and traveling to speak about the fully engaged life. His passion is to connect people – men and women – with a more vibrant, authentic experience of what he calls “The Life-Charged Life.”
If you would like to read more, check out his author page at Amazon. Also check out his website and his daily blog.
Reading Between The Lines, With Derek Maul is published every Wednesday on Christian Grandfather Magazine.
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