Children’s inability to develop critical thinking led Charmaine Micallef, an educator for 20 years, to find some way to make education fun.

Nutty Scientists, an international franchise that seeks to use various methods of teaching children on areas related to nutrition, astronomy, environment and science, was her answer.

Having spent her career teaching children in a private school, Ms Micallef said she was inspired to see the way children learned and connected the dots. Until, at the birthday party of her daughter’s friend, she realised children should be pushed to discover more.

“I looked around and saw the usual face painting and I thought, surely there must be something else that can help children discover and learn,” Ms Micallef recalled.

She then came across Nutty Scientists and resolved to bring them over, which she managed to do in the short span of six months.

The organisation looks into the science topics children are studying at school and then holds camps that seek to combine fun with learning.

“Each workshop contains an educational component or theme that keeps children interested at all times,” Ms Micallef noted.

Children had to be helped to develop critical thinking.

She said: “You do not just tell children that we are going to learn about density today, they need to come to conclusions on their own.”

Children have to be encouraged to discover their own learning and the educators should simply accompany the children through their learning journey.

Nutty Scientists, which will be launched at the Kitchen Garden at San Anton Palace, also organises visits to schools, company retreats and hosts workshops.