The Secret to Passionate, Lifelong Learners
For many of us, we were raised believing that learning takes place at school and outside of school is meant for play and home life.
Learning was a doorway we rushed through so we could get to the part we actually loved.
We were the “hurry up so you can go play” generation.
Finish your worksheet so you can earn free time.
Memorize spelling and ace your Friday test to earn the weekend.
We would get home, fly through our homework just because it was required, then zoom out the door to play with our friends.
But what if for this generation they didn’t zoom off?
What if we raised our kids differently?
What if this generation didn’t grow up separating learning and joy?
What if we created that rhythm with our families where the learning wasn’t just another “chore” to check off in order to get to the fun?
What if learning WAS THE FUN?
We’re Raising Kids in a Different Learning World
But we are raising kids in a completely different world, one where curiosity lives everywhere, not just at a school desk.
Think about your child for a moment:
When they line up their toy cars by size or color, THAT’S LEARNING.
When they ask why the moon is out during the day, THAT’S LEARNING.
When they pour water back and forth between two cups in the bath, LEARNING.
Learning Isn’t Something You Finish
Curiosity is woven into everything we do. It’s what us as humans keep reaching for without even realizing it. Learning is a human behavior, not just a school behavior.
As adults, in today’s world that is usually through newsletters, blogs, social media etc. This may not look like the traditional learning that you are used to like exploring pi or studying Shakespeare. We usually seek what we are interested in, right? Whether that is a makeup Youtube tutorial, a true crime podcast or binging blogs on play-based learning 😉. We are naturally curious human beings with a hunger to grow.
For so long we always said that’s the gift of being an adult, we can do and learn whatever we want.
But what if it didn’t have to start when we were 18?
The Formula for a Passionate Learner
We learn on such a deeper level and are so much more hungry to explore a topic when it actually makes sense, is fun, and is interesting to us!
I call this the formula to a passionate, lifelong learner. And it all starts in our early childhood years.
1.Learning needs to make sense TO THEM
Our children have already been showing us how they learn all their lives, so why are we teaching them so differently?
Meet them! Not the other way around.
Some kids need to move. Some need to talk. Some need to draw. (Just like us!)
To make the most sense to your child, it has to make sense to them in their “language/learning style”
If you watch closely, your child is constantly revealing their learning style.
The toddler who must touch everything? Kinesthetic learner.
The 4-year-old who talks through every step? Auditory processor.
The child who draws pictures to explain a thought? Visual thinker.
They aren’t difficult, they just learn differently.
When we stop thinking of learning as tasks, we start seeing our kids differently.
Suddenly, they aren’t “behind”, they’re becoming.
2.Make It Fun!
Ever hear the phrase “having so much fun that you didn’t even know that you were learning”? Joy is an accelerator for learning. It keeps our brains “on” and engaged in the learning process. If there isn’t excitement, we just soak up the surface level information just to get through it.
Staying engaged with what we are learning is crucial to be able to really soak up the information and retain knowledge.
Ever notice how your toddler can learn 8 massively long dinosaur names (without a worksheet)?
That’s the beauty of play-based learning.
Fun is not fluff, it’s fuel.
Want a zero-prep way to spark curiosity today?
➡️Freebie: Grab my free movement cards, you can use them in 30 seconds, and your child thinks it’s play 😉.
3.Let Interests Lead
Having interest in a topic creates desire to soak up as much as they can about it.
For example, if your child is really into trucks all of sudden they will notice EVERY ASPECT of those trucks-the wheels, how the wheels move on ramps, how there are different types of trucks, sounds, colors… The list goes on and on! They want to absorb as much as they can about the thing they love (aren’t we the same? 😉)
Increased interest leads to depth of knowledge.
4.Build Confidence
Confidence is crucial, without it, curiosity shuts down. We often overlook confidence and think struggling is good, but it is a very fine line. It is ok for our children to be challenged; they NEED that to grow but their strength needs to always outweigh their areas of support.
Think about it as an adult, when you try something brand new for the first time, you may immediately want to give up (this is where that fine line lies). We want something that challenges us, it’s in our natural human desire but we don’t want something too far out of what we believe to be our capability.
It’s the exact same for our children!
We can support our kids and help them build confidence by being aware of the way we speak to them throughout our day and during learning opportunities. Words like “You really figured that out” or “I love the way you did ___”. By building them up, we are creating a strong foundation for their learning.
We can also give them educational opportunities where they already have a basic understanding to give them the confidence that they need to go deeper with their learning.
Instilling confidence in our children early leads to independent learning later.
When you’re ready for something simple and playful to support these natural learning rhythms, my themed units are designed to meet your child where they already are curious, capable, and eager to explore.
You can explore them inside ➡️ The Learning Pod, where families receive monthly themed learning and community support in one place.
What Learning Looks Like in Everyday Moments
Learning doesn’t only happen at a table.
It happens quietly, naturally, all throughout your day-often in ways we miss because we’re rushing, tired, or overwhelmed.
Here are simple moments that count as real learning:
Counting the stairs as you walk up
Watching shadows move across the wall
Matching socks from the laundry basket
Pouring water into cups during bath time 🛁
Building towers and noticing why they fall
Talking about the weather while getting dressed ⛅⛈️🌈
Spotting birds or squirrels outside and naming what they see
Stirring pancake batter and noticing the texture change
Pretending, storytelling, and acting out real-life moments
Sorting toys by color or size
Asking “why?” five hundred times a day 😂
Exploring what happens when they mix colors, materials, or sounds
These aren’t “extra.”
These are learning.
And the more we recognize them, the more confident and connected we become as parents guiding our little learners.
Ready for a simple way to turn curiosity into learning?
➡️Freebie: Download my free movement cards- your 2-minute, zero-prep way to make learning feel natural again.
If you’re wondering how learning styles play a role in your child’s day-to-day experiences, I dive deeper into how every child learns differently and how understanding your child’s unique learning style can bring more peace, connection, and joy. You can read more about that here.
