What Awe Actually Is..
(and Why Kids Need More of It by Age 6)
If you’ve ever watched a child freeze mid-sentence because they noticed something big—a full moon, a towering tree, a crashing wave—you’ve seen awe at work.
Not excitement.
Not distraction.
Awe.
Most parents assume awe is rare. Something reserved for epic vacations or once-in-a-lifetime moments.
The research says otherwise.
According to The Science of Awe, a white paper prepared by the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley with support from the John Templeton Foundation, awe is a distinct emotional state with measurable effects on learning, attention, emotional regulation, and social behavior.
And for children—especially between ages 5 and 8—it may be one of the most underused tools we have.
So What Is Awe, Exactly?
Psychologists define awe using two core ingredients:
Perceived vastness
Something feels bigger than our usual frame of reference—physically, conceptually, or emotionally.A need for accommodation
Our mind has to stretch. We have to update how we understand the world.
That’s it.
Awe happens when a child thinks:
“Wait… the world is bigger than I thought.”
It doesn’t require spectacle. It requires attention.
Why Awe Matters So Much Around Age 6
Early childhood is filled with questions.
But research shows that by early elementary school, question-asking drops sharply.
Not because kids stop being curious—but because their environment becomes more compressed:
Faster pacing
More evaluation
Less space to wonder
Awe does something subtle and powerful in this moment of development.
It interrupts mental autopilot.
Studies summarized in The Science of Awe show that awe:
Reduces excessive self-focus
Increases openness to new information
Improves learning readiness
Encourages exploration rather than performance
In other words:
Awe prepares the brain before learning happens
Awe Is Not a Reward. It’s a Reset.
Most educational approaches try to motivate kids after instruction:
Praise
Incentives
Correction
Repetition
Awe works before instruction.
It resets attention.
It softens defensiveness.
It creates a natural “What if?” state.
That’s why awe is so effective—and why it’s so often missed.
The Big Mistake Parents Make About Awe
Parents tend to think awe is:
Rare
Inconvenient
Extra
But the research suggests the opposite.
Awe is most powerful when it is:
Brief
Frequent
Embedded in daily life
It doesn’t need planning.
It needs permission.
A Simple Practice You Can Try This Week
Here’s a research-aligned way to start.
The Awe Pause (30–60 seconds)
Once a day, invite your child to stop and notice something slightly bigger than them.
You don’t explain it.
You don’t quiz them.
You don’t turn it into a lesson.
You just say one of these:
“That’s kind of amazing, isn’t it?”
“I’ve never really thought about that before.”
“Wow… look how big that is.”
Then you stop talking.
That pause—brief as it is—creates the conditions awe needs.
And according to the research, those moments compound.
Why This Matters More Than Ever
We live in a world that floods kids with information but starves them of perspective.
Awe restores perspective.
It reminds children:
They are part of something bigger
The world is still surprising
Learning is an invitation, not a demand
And when awe becomes part of daily life, curiosity doesn’t have to be forced.
It comes back on its own.
Next week:
Why awe makes kids better learners—before you teach them anything.