Curiosity is inescapable...

As teachers, we dreamed of having a class full of children filled with awe and wonder about the world around them. For some children this is a natural state of being, for others it is something which requires prompting. However, how to teach children to be curious is not straight forward. What can we do to help them to look differently at the world and believe that anything is possible?

Our mountaineers have saved us once again! There are so many great examples of curiosity being the driving force behind a mountaineers desire to reach the summit. Whether it’s the curiosity to see new and rare environments, to see if they can be part of the elite club that reaches the top or to find out what their own body is capable of – curiosity is inescapable.

What we hadn’t bargained for was the link we would come across between mountaineers and science. There are a huge amount of curious scientists out there on the mountains, collecting data and asking ‘I wonder’ questions.

Who knew you could have a job working and living on Mont Blanc leading scientific trips on the mountain? As an added bonus, you might just save the world whilst sharing your findings about climate change!

From encouraging reception children to simply look up and find new things in their own surroundings; to asking year 3 pupils where in the world they would like to visit one day; to encouraging year 5’s to complete six challenges to boost their curiosity – this block of lessons teaches it all.

These activities shine a light on why curiosity is such an important summiteer skill. In teaching explicitly how to be a curious climber, our children may just grow up to be explorers of the world!