TRANSFORMING THE CLASSROOM INTO A SPACE OF DISCOVERY: PLAY AS THE DRIVER OF CHILDREN'S CURIOSITY

Abstract

This article aims to analyze how transforming the physical space of the classroom can contribute to awakening children's curiosity, with play as the main mediator of this process. It starts from the understanding that the school environment is not neutral, but acts as a "third educator" (Malaguzzi, 1999), capable of stimulating or limiting ways of playing, learning, and interacting. In Early Childhood Education, curiosity is considered a vital force for the child's integral development, as it guides the construction of hypotheses, investigation, and meaningful learning. Thus, the organization of the classroom—involving layout, furniture, lighting, colors, accessible materials, and exploration corners—becomes fundamental to promoting pleasurable and creative experiences. Playfulness, as argued by Kishimoto (2011) and Wajskop (2018), enhances imagination and children's protagonism, creating learning opportunities that go beyond the limits of content transmission. This bibliographical research aims to reflect on the role of the school and the teacher in building investigative environments that foster children's autonomy. It concludes that the physical space, when intentionally planned, is essential to transforming the classroom into a place of discovery, interaction, and holistic development.