Blooming Curious

They have screens. They have toys. They have activities. And yet — they trail you around the house saying 'I'm bored.'
In this episode I unpack:
● Why having access to everything is making children less able to entertain themselves — not more
● The neuroscience of genuine curiosity and why screens can't replicate it
● What boredom is actually communicating (it's not what you think)
● The gift of the unoccupied afternoon — and how to make it work
● How your own curiosity is the most powerful teaching tool you have
References:
Gruber, M. J., Gelman, B. D., & Ranganath, C. (2014). States of curiosity modulate hippocampus-dependent learning via the dopaminergic circuit. Neuron, 84(2), 486–496.
Kashdan, T. B., & Silvia, P. J. (2009). Curiosity and interest: The benefits of thriving on novelty and challenge. In S. J. Lopez & C. R. Snyder (Eds.), Oxford Handbook of Positive Psychology (pp. 367–374).
Dent, M. (2003). Saving Our Children from Our Chaotic World. Pennington Publications.
Episode #87 — Why Your Child Needs Boredom and How to Use It as a Teaching Tool
🆓 Download the 24 Screen Free Activities HERE
🆓 Download the FREE e-guide How to Nurture Natural Curiosity HERE
🆓 Download the FREE lesson plan for I Went Walking HERE
✨ If you value curiosity, deep learning, and hands-on teaching, don’t forget to subscribe and follow for weekly inspiration.
✍️ Sign up to Get Curious, the inspirational weekly newsletter for curious parents and educators HERE
💌Connect with Edwina:
Email: contact@bloomingcurious.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blooming_curious/
Website: https://www.bloomingcurious.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bloomingcurious
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@edsbloomingcurious
☕️ If you like my work and want to encourage me to keep going you can do so by Buying me a Coffee. Any contribution will be gratefully received and will certainly give me the kick I need to keep going.☕️
00:00 Why Kids Say Bored
01:19 Digital Native Paradox
02:56 Curiosity vs Dopamine
04:50 Rethinking Boredom
06:42 Unstructured Afternoons
08:08 Nature School Story
09:36 Be the Curiosity Spark
10:19 Practical Next Steps
11:09 Free Activity Download
11:43 Closing Thoughts

In this episode, I'm looking at two of the oldest — and most overlooked — educational philosophies out there: Classical education and the Charlotte Mason method. I work in a Classical school, and the more I learn about it, the more I realise that the oldest approach to education and the most progressive share exactly the same starting point: wonder.
We're talking about who Charlotte Mason actually was, why homeschoolers love her, why mainstream education almost never mentions her, and what her ideas about living books, narration, and nature-based learning can do for your child right now — whether you homeschool, teach in a classroom, or just want to raise a child who genuinely loves to learn.
If you've been feeling like something is missing from your child's education, this episode is for you.
In this episode you'll learn:
Who Charlotte Mason was and why her 19th-century ideas are more relevant than ever
The core principles of Classical education for early learners (K–2)
Why Classical education and Charlotte Mason are far more aligned than most people realise
What "living books" are — and why they work where textbooks don't
How narration builds deeper understanding than any test ever could
Why mainstream education never talks about Charlotte Mason (and why that's a real loss)
How a single high-quality picture book can teach English, maths and science
How going on a nature walk with a child is one of the most powerful classrooms in the world

🆓 Download the FREE e-guide HERE
🆓 Download the FREE lesson plan for I Went Walking HERE
✨ If you value curiosity, deep learning, and hands-on teaching, don’t forget to subscribe and follow for weekly inspiration.
✍️ Sign up to Get Curious, the inspirational weekly newsletter for curious parents and educators HERE
💌Connect with Edwina:
Email: contact@bloomingcurious.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blooming_curious/
Website: https://www.bloomingcurious.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bloomingcurious
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@edsbloomingcurious
☕️ If you like my work and want to encourage me to keep going you can do so by Buying me a Coffee. Any contribution will be gratefully received and will certainly give me the kick I need to keep going.☕️
00:00 Wonder Over Worksheets
00:51 Who Was Charlotte Mason
01:52 Why Schools Ignore Her
02:55 Classical Education Explained
04:06 Inquiry Is Ancient
05:37 Living Books In Action
06:58 Narration And Retrieval
08:23 Bring It Home Today
08:57 Free Lesson Plan Offer
10:10 Go For A Wonder Walk
10:42 Final Encouragement

The number one concern teachers have about inquiry learning isn't time, or curriculum pressure — it's control. In this episode, we talk honestly about why that fear makes complete sense, what "losing control" actually looks like in practice (versus what we imagine), and the four simple structures that make inquiry learning manageable in any early years setting. Whether you're brand new to this or you've tried it and it didn't quite land, this episode will help you understand why — and what to do differently.
In This Episode:
· Why the fear of chaos is completely valid — and what's really behind it
· The crucial difference between productive noise and actual chaos
· A real classroom example: floating and sinking, two ways
· The four structures that keep inquiry learning contained and purposeful
· Why starting with just five minutes is enough
· How to use Wonder Time, Think-Pair-Share, and simple thinking frameworks in K–2
🔗 Teaching tools and graphic organisers HERE
🔗 Complete picture book lesson plans with inquiry component seamlessly included HERE
🔗 Inquiry Learning resources HERE
🎧 Listen to this episode on how to transform wonder questions
🆓 Download the FREE e-guide How to Nurture Natural Curiosity with 10 plug and play curiosity starters HERE
✨ If you value curiosity, deep learning, and hands-on teaching, don’t forget to subscribe and follow for weekly inspiration.
✍️ Sign up to Get Curious, the inspirational weekly newsletter for curious parents and educators HERE
💌Connect with Edwina:
Email: contact@bloomingcurious.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blooming_curious/
Website: https://www.bloomingcurious.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bloomingcurious
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@edsbloomingcurious
☕️ If you like my work and want to encourage me to keep going you can do so by Buying me a Coffee. Any contribution will be gratefully received and will certainly give me the kick I need to keep going.☕️

00:00 Fear of Losing Control
01:21 Chaos vs Structure
02:52 Productive Inquiry Example
03:57 Four Structures Overview
04:22 Clear Entry Point
04:56 Roles and Norms
05:42 Thinking Frameworks
06:33 Strong Lesson Close
07:21 Start Small With Inquiry
08:48 Resources and Wrap Up

What does learning actually look like when children are genuinely curious? In this episode, I share real classroom stories — from gifted learners who'd switched off, to children who'd come to see school as a place of failure — and explore what changed when curiosity was given space to lead. We also look at what the research says about interest development in the early years, and why the brain is uniquely receptive to curiosity-driven learning right now.
In This Episode:
The classroom moment that shows what curiosity-led learning really looks like in practice
What a 2023 study on interest development in early childhood tells us about authentic engagement
The story of a gifted learner who rediscovered his love of school through self-directed projects
How a child who struggled found confidence and took risks when given something she truly cared about
What changes for literacy, numeracy, and wellbeing when children are genuinely interested
Simple starting points — for teachers and parents alike
Research Mentioned: Van Aswegen, E.C. et al. (2023). The impact of interest: an emergent model of interest development in the early years. Early Child Development and Care. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2023.2245575
Mentioned in This Episode / Related Blog post:
https://bloomingcurious.com/blog/post/step-by-step-integrated-inquiry-teaching-guide
🆓 Download the FREE e-guide How to Nurture Natural Curiosity with 10 plug and play curiosity starters HERE
✨ If you value curiosity, deep learning, and hands-on teaching, don’t forget to subscribe and follow for weekly inspiration.
✍️ Sign up to Get Curious, the inspirational weekly newsletter for curious parents and educators HERE
💌Connect with Edwina:
Email: contact@bloomingcurious.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blooming_curious/
Website: https://www.bloomingcurious.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bloomingcurious
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@edsbloomingcurious
☕️ If you like my work and want to encourage me to keep going you can do so by Buying me a Coffee. Any contribution will be gratefully received and will certainly give me the kick I need to keep going.☕️

00:00 Curiosity Led Classroom
00:58 Morning Learning Snapshot
01:54 Research Behind Curiosity
04:01 Why Curiosity Fades
04:48 Project Time For Gifted
06:52 Project Time Builds Confidence
08:42 How To Start Inquiry
09:07 What Changes In Learning
11:25 Try It At School And Home
11:59 Free Guide And Farewell

Children’s curiosity and fascination with the world is declining. Children are asking fewer questions. This loss of curiosity can be due to depleted dopamine, as referenced in NIH-where they identified contributors such as excessive screen time, sleep deprivation, poor high-fat/high-sugar diet, low sunlight exposure, and rare genetic disorders. Research suggests low dopamine manifests as impulsivity, inattention, fatigue, poor mood regulation, and stimulation-seeking. Edwina argues solutions include removing screens in early childhood, increasing outdoor free play and boredom, raising curricular challenge and expectations (with praise for device-free classical education), and moving away from compliance-based worksheets toward narration and recitation to check for understanding and build mastery.
References:
Children's Health in the Digital Age
How Curiosity Enhances Hippocampus-Dependent Memory: The Prediction, Appraisal, Curiosity, and Exploration (PACE) Framework

Get the free e-guide with 10 plug-and-play curiosity starters.
🆓 Download the FREE e-guide How to Nurture Natural Curiosity HERE
✨ If you value curiosity, deep learning, and hands-on teaching, don’t forget to subscribe and follow for weekly inspiration.
✍️ Sign up to Get Curious, the inspirational weekly newsletter for curious parents and educators HERE
💌Connect with Edwina:
Email: contact@bloomingcurious.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blooming_curious/
Website: https://www.bloomingcurious.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bloomingcurious
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@edsbloomingcurious
☕️ If you like my work and want to encourage me to keep going you can do so by Buying me a Coffee. Any contribution will be gratefully received and will certainly give me the kick I need to keep going.☕️

00:00 Curiosity Is Declining
00:40 Dopamine And Curiosity
02:24 Symptoms We See Today
03:35 Curiosity Needs Effort
05:17 Cut Screens Early
06:47 Get Kids Outside
07:21 Bring Back Challenge
10:07 Beyond Worksheets
10:45 Recitation And Narration
12:10 Free Guide And Farewell