During a recent toddler/pre-school workshop, the children were exploring gloop (cornflour and water) when one child accidentally dropped in a lollipop stick. To everyone’s surprise, the colour began to spread into the gloop! It was amazing to watch, sparking curiosity and excitement.

The children were eager to investigate further, adding sticks of different colours to see if the same thing would happen. They observed, compared, and discussed their findings, building excitement and learning so much in the process.
This could have been a moment where I said, “No, those sticks don’t belong in there.” But because I was present and engaged with them, I chose to pause, observe their curiosity, and let the exploration unfold naturally. None of us expected this outcome, but it turned into an unforgettable learning experience!
Of course, I set a boundary: we didn’t need to use all the sticks, as they would have to go in the bin afterward. The children understood and happily agreed to use just 2–3 of each colour for their experiment.
Moments like these show the magic of trusting children’s natural curiosity. It often leads to discovery, excitement, and play that’s even more meaningful than anything we could plan ourselves! 🌈💡 Next time I know that I could set up an "Invitation to Play" which may lead to the same outcome but I love how this was totally unexpected. Do you have any stories of play that took an exciting turn and led to a wonderful learning opportunity? I would love for you to share them in the comments below!
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