Gowrie Clare Court have a deeply embedded Out and About program, where our daily ventures into the neighbouring Cruickshank Park spark curiosities which are bought back and expanded on at our service.
Every autumn, as the weather cools, we notice that the children become fascinated with the mushrooms that quickly emerge. This year, the children’s interest around fungi has evolved into a complex and layered inquiry, with educators following their lead and building on the learning
“In the beginning” educator Ashlee says, “we noticed children stopping in their tracks to crouch down and look closely at the mushrooms.” Ashlee notes that the children’s fascination made the educators realise that this year, there have been many more varieties of mushrooms popping up.
How it started
Although an inquiry into mushrooms is something which emerges most years at Clare Court, this year, something felt different. The sheer variety of mushrooms appearing across the outdoor spaces, combined with the depth of children’s questions, made the exploration particularly alive.
Children didn’t just want to know what the mushrooms were, they started thinking more deeply about them, wondering:
- How do they grow?
- Do mushrooms move?
- Do they talk to each other?
- Can they make noise?
Although many of these answers could quickly be answered by an adult or an internet search, what’s most beneficial here is the children’s ability to wonder and hypothesise—important skills for problem-solving and critical thinking. These aren’t fanciful questions — they’re profound ones.
Where the inquiry went
Building on the children’s questions, educators gathered close-up and microscopic images of mushroom structures, giving children access to a completely different perspective of mushrooms. The children used clay to carefully construct mushrooms, paying attention to the different parts like the caps, gills and stems. An outdoor art studio has also been established as a shared space where emerging ideas across rooms can intersect, with mushrooms as the connective theme. Although the studio is a work in progress, educators are eager to get all rooms engaging with mushrooms and the different ideas emerging through art.
“The best part has been the fluidity of the space,” Ashlee shares. “Children are using it in unexpected ways, and I’m able to learn alongside different groups of children.”
Where to next
The inquiry is still unfolding, the outdoor studio is continuing to evolve, and educators are watching closely to see what threads children pick up next. There are so many different angles which could be explored, and the team can’t wait to see where the children’s curiosity will take them.
Reflective questions:
- How do you create space in your program for inquiries that resurface year after year?
- What role does the outdoor environment play in sparking and sustaining children’s curiosity in your service?
- How do you respond when children’s questions can be easily answered?
- How could you promote shared inquiry-based thinking between different rooms or age groups?
- What real-life tools can you use to support children’s questions?
