Nurturing Love Of Learning In Children

Traveling alone with my preschooler son for the first time in a week was a challenging yet intentional choice. Guided by his continual “why” and “how” questions, I prepared a tour to explore village life and surroundings. Motivated by Jean Piaget’s constructivist theory, which focuses on learning through effective interconnection with others and their own experiences. Maria Montessori’s theoretical outlook emphasizes child-centred, hands-on learning, where children explore and discover at their own pace. So, linking these theories with experiential learning as the process of learning by doing, we happily occupied two seats on the bus from Kathmandu to Gulmi. With this journey, I expect to disclose how experiential learning play a role in young children's hands-on experiences, hence nurturing curiosity and fostering fruitful learning.

Children gain knowledge mostly through hands-on exploration and sensory activities as their brains are designed naturally to acquire data and information about the surroundings they explore. For instance, at Rurukshetra, at the Sangam of the Kali Gandaki and the Ridi rivers my little boy tried to put seven stones and could not succeed even in nine attempts. Finally, my guidance of putting the stone bigger and smaller taught him skills needed for lifelong learning as resilience develops when people face and overcome small failures. I observe his sense of happiness and persistence in trying again and finally overcoming it. Then, we visited temples of historical monuments and spiritual significance, where he observed rituals, enjoying the sound of big bells in temples.

Curiosity

On one fine morning walk near the village, in the fields, my son noticed the cauliflower plants in various growth stages and was able to relate cauliflower on the kitchen table at his home. Moreover, in the process of learning by doing, I noticed his curiosity reached its peak as he observed buffaloes being milked and small goats hopping around with him for a while. These experiences taught young children cause-effect relationships, understanding how the source of food comes from, how animals are cared for, enriching his skills to think and observe. 

During my visit to Bharse, a culturally and naturally rich rural village in Gulmi, my son had the chance to see and greet diverse people and settings especially through a homestay. On arrival at the homestay, he was warmly welcomed with greetings of namaste and hugs followed by flowers tika. He was named “sano paryatak” as a small tourist. Then, he went to observe the food being cooked over a firewood stove. Such experiences deepen a child’s connection to the real world, encouraging adaptability and life skills. As a parent, I viewed this as an opportunity to generate significant learning moments.

The experiences of the waves of flowing water, the taste of fresh produce, the earthy smell of the fields, the sound of temple bells, and the vibrant sights of rural life experiences engaged all his senses. The hands-on approach engages multiple senses: sight, touch, smell, hearing, and occasionally taste, resulting in rich, unforgettable learning experiences that go beyond rote instruction.

Piaget and Montessori emphasise that engaging, significant, real-world experiences create learning that is transformative and not just informative. Parents can foster holistic development by progressively establishing new experiences that build on what a child already knows. Relating this, my son, who was already familiar with domestic animals through pictures, was better able to connect those names to actual experiences on the field trip. For instance, upon returning home to Kathmandu, my son was asked by his 92-year-old great-grandmother what he had seen during his travels. With curiosity, he shared, "I saw cauliflower, buffaloes, milk, rivers, trees, temple bell, jeep, vegetables, and baby goats and many more”. His ability to absorb these experiences and share them with his great-grandmother shows how learning happens through both active engagement and reflection, which can be linked with USAID's CLA (Collaborating, Learning, Adapting) approach to child learning for both development programmes and child education. This gradual scaffolding nurtures curiosity and competence, preparing children for lifelong learning.

Real-world learning

An enduring journey from Kathmandu to Gulmi on rural roads was challenging, so I took certain precautions, as allocating a separate seat for my child ensured safety, comfort, and space to observe and adapt to changing landscapes, a practice I learned from Khagraj Baral’s “Sikai ra Sahayog book literally learning and collaboration”. In addition to this, I packed nutritious snacks, a blanket, and water and made every effort to ensure his comfort. As parents, we can offer manageable and enriching real-world learning experiences by coming up with innovative solutions to these problems, as there are not black and white rules to overcome them.

Practically reflecting on my journey with my son, I noticed that his endless open-ended questions highlighted the power of experiential learning to create lasting impressions. This not only satisfies their curiosity but also shows that learning is a continuous, interactive process. I urge parents and educators to go beyond structured or digital learning, nurturing a love for discovery and laying the foundation for lifelong learners who approach the world with wonder.

(Neupane is a learning and development expert and holds an MPhil in Development Studies from Kathmandu University.)