This summer, my best friend was a 4-year-old boy: Rediscovering a Love for Learning

This past summer, I nannied for a family with a four-year-old little boy.

Nannying for him was not solely playing with car toys or watching cartoons. We were always playing outside and digging for worms or rummaging through the recycling bin to construct a rocket ship.

He, similar to almost all young children I’ve met, had an innate curiosity about the world. What struck me the most was how he always asked “why?” “Why does the vacuum suck up dirt?” “Why do worms come out after it rains?” “Why do bees sting people?”

I was constantly in awe of how observant he was about the world around him. Questions I had never thought of or should have been able to answer suddenly plagued me. Consequently, I began to be imbued with his ever-questioning spirit.

I wanted to encourage this admirable wonder about the world and therefore viewed my time with him as an opportunity to teach him things through play-based learning. Rubbing a balloon on his head, I taught him about static electricity. Discussing how rockets go to space, we broached the concept of combustion. Experimenting with baking soda and vinegar, we investigated chemical reactions.

While these were topics I have only come to cover in depth in high school classes, a more simplified version was never out of his grasp of understanding. Instead, he tackled every activity with wide, enraptured eyes and a barrage of follow-up questions.

Through watching him, I saw that children traverse the world through play-based learning— making it the foundation for their passions and worldviews. Hands on exploration makes the seemingly abstract concepts of physics or chemistry or art tangible and appreciable.

As high school resumes for me, I reflect and am reminded of the real intention behind learning which I rediscovered through my time nannying. In school, I easily become caught up in grades as a testament to my knowledge. Those grades reflect my effort and work ethic, but they would be nothing without an underlying sense of curiosity. The numerical value of a grade cannot encapsulate the awe or passion I have for a subject. Therefore, I use my four-year-old friend as inspiration. I strive for curiosity to always be the strongest driving force behind learning, not pursuit of a grade.

My experience nannying this summer prompted me to learn as a medium to innovate, experiment, and ask more questions. Instead of complacently accepting that things are the way that they are, I seek to understand how they came to be and what potential they hold for the future.

Anya Kennedy is a 12th grader at Jesuit High School. She enjoys spending time with friends and family, traveling, swimming, hiking, and reading. She frequently works at a preschool, tutors, and babysits.