Eat Healthier: Nourishing Curiosity with Library Programming

This year, I’m viewing “traditional” New Year’s resolutions through a library lens. In February, we focused on creating movement-friendly library programs. In March, we explored living life to the fullest with messy play and learning. This month, we’re focusing on the resolution to eat healthier. While libraries may also have opportunities to feed bodies, the work I’m focusing on is feeding minds and growing a child’s natural curiosity.

Why Curiosity Matters

Curiosity is the fuel for lifelong learning. When we can engage a child’s natural curiosity, we leverage their innate desire to learn and explore. Because they are excited, they are more motivated to learn, and similarly, more likely to retain new information. This also activates their brains, expanding neural connections and developing critical thinking and problem-solving strategies. Most importantly, curiosity helps children build resilience. Through the process of learning and failing, they learn to view mistakes as part of their learning and growth. Incorporating curiosity into your library means creating spaces to test, try, and explore without judgment. We must model not only learning, but also failure, as an exciting part of discovery. Here are some ways for libraries to feed curiosity.

Build balanced experiences.

Just like healthy eating, curiosity thrives on variety, repeated exposure, and low stakes. An easy way to add this to your library’s diet is by intentionally incorporating STEAM. STEAM concepts infuse our daily lives, making these programs scalable for all audiences and ages. Consider your target audience, then base your programs on their existing knowledge, adding something new and incorporating simple challenges. Families can guide their own learning experience. Start simple, then build into more complicated programs as you go. Here are some foundational STEAM concepts to consider:

• Science: Design programs that include observation, prediction, investigation, and critical thinking.
• Technology: Look for ways to add a new tool or concept, build programming skills, or encourage problem-solving.
• Engineering: Focus on building, cause and effect, and creativity.
• Art: Incorporate activities that utilize creativity, expression, and personal interpretation.
• Math: Choose topics that utilize similarities and differences, routines, and patterns.

Choose topics that invite curiosity.

To inspire curiosity, we need to understand what excites our patrons. First, think about the themes that resonate in other programs. Then, consider the questions you get most at the desk. From there, consider what matches with the season or your community. Whether it’s dinosaurs, the weather, or bodily functions, expressed patron curiosity puts you halfway to a successful program. However, if they can find an activity in a Google search, they’ve probably already explored it. Look for ways to extend learning or combine options to make programs more engaging and interactive. Our Wonderful World of Animals series capitalizes on children’s natural curiosity about different animals while also exploring their own impact on the planet. For example, during our Cetacean Sensation program, attendees explore activities to learn about blubber, echolocation, dolphin skills, and baleen, as well as simple steps aiding whales and dolphins today.

Say yes to nonfiction.

Feeding curiosity means expanding our reading tastes, whether it’s the stories we share in programs or recommendations we make. Too often, we undervalue nonfiction as a tool for exploration. However, nonfiction books are powerful learning tools. Look for simple titles that function as read-aloud options for younger audiences. For older audiences, consider displaying browseable titles or embedding books in program activities. Options that pair with existing fiction titles are great for reluctant readers. As with any reader’s advisory or read-aloud, you’ll want to know your audience, so consider visual appeal and reading level. For example, during our oceans storytime, I might include Ocean Animals from Head to Tail. We don’t read all the animal facts, but it’s a fun way to add nonfiction. Plus, it’s a built-in literacy tip for caregivers to use nonfiction on their own and explore parts (or all) of a book together.

Choose encouragement over instruction.

Curiosity can be intimidating, especially for children whose learning experiences center on classroom experiences with specific expectations and outcomes. However, curiosity grows best with unstructured exploration. Provide basic guidance for the overall concepts, while allowing families the freedom to explore independently. You’ll likely need to prepare talking points for staff in case of frustrated children or caregivers. Emphasize that you are offering opportunities to explore with no risks. We may not always have the answers, and that is okay. Trial, failure, and asking questions are all part of being lifelong learners. Our STEAM Challenge program offers a different family challenge each week, such as building a boat or constructing a card tower. Staff may ask open-ended questions to help guide thinking and design processes, but they don’t tell families how to complete the challenges.

Include take-home connections.

Just like healthy habits, curiosity grows best with repeated, consistent exposure. Take-home connections are a great way for families to continue learning independently. It’s important to consider ways that information extends, not just repeats, the program experience. While sharing instructions and supplies is helpful, it’s also great to include ways that families can take it to the next level. In addition to sharing activity instructions, we encourage staff to share discussion questions, library resources, and the why behind activities. Signage should be simple and understandable, so families get the information they need. Our table signs for Mother Goose Mania include a review of the activity’s steps and also questions to encourage discussion. Our handout templates include spaces to include supplies, instructions, discussion questions, and resources to continue learning. Most program outlines also include talking points for staff to facilitate discussions with families, giving key points and suggestions.

Picture Book Tie-In: The Books of Mistakes

As you look at ways to inspire curiosity, remember that the process may involve mistakes and learning. The Book of Mistakes by Corinna Luyken is a great exploration of how mistakes often transform into inspiration and opportunity. Follow along as a little ink spill transforms an entire piece of art. While this title works best for one-on-one reading, use it to point out details and ideas and ask plenty of questions about what might happen next. This title pairs well with open-ended art or STEAM explorations. Remember, mistakes mean that we are learning.

Stay tuned next month as we explore the resolution to lose weight by streamlining some of our processes for maximum results. How will you inspire curiosity in your families and your library this month?

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This post addresses ALSC Core Competency #1: Commitment to Client Group and ALSC Core Competency #3: Programming Skills. Featured image created by Jaime Eastman, ALSC member.

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Jaime Eastman is a senior Public Services Librarian and Early Learning Coordinator at the Harrington Library, one of the Plano (Texas) Public Library locations. Jaime is also working on at least two ambitious cross-stitch projects, dreaming of future travel plans, and reading far too many books. As a child, she wanted to grow up to be an author. Writing for the blog and publishing with Children and Libraries feels like a good start, and she regrets nothing about her adult decision to be a librarian doing storytimes, who didn’t have to grow up too much.