  Fostering data visualization literacy (DVL) as part of childhood education
could lead to a more data literate society. However, most work in DVL for
children relies on a more formal educational context (i.e., a teacher-led
approach) that limits children's engagement with data to classroom-based
environments and, consequently, children's ability to ask questions about and
explore data on topics they find personally meaningful. We explore how a
curiosity-driven, child-led approach can provide more agency to children when
they are authoring data visualizations. This paper explores how informal
learning with crafting physicalizations through play and curiosity may foster
increased literacy and engagement with data. Employing a constructionist
approach, we designed a do-it-yourself toolkit made out of everyday materials
(e.g., paper, cardboard, mirrors) that enables children to create, customize,
and personalize three different interactive visualizations (bar, line, pie). We
used the toolkit as a design probe in a series of in-person workshops with 5
children (6 to 11-year-olds) and interviews with 5 educators. Our observations
reveal that the toolkit helped children creatively engage and interact with
visualizations. Children with prior knowledge of data visualization reported
the toolkit serving as more of an authoring tool that they envision using in
their daily lives, while children with little to no experience found the
toolkit as an engaging introduction to data visualization. Our study
demonstrates the potential of using the constructionist approach to cultivate
children's DVL through curiosity and play.
