Data Doesn’t Have to Start with Spreadsheets. It Can Start with a Sneeze.

I was invited to an elementary school in the Bay Area to introduce kids to the wonderful world of data. A decade ago, I wouldn’t have imagined myself agreeing to do it but doing these data exercises with my own kids, I was less scared. I said, “Bring it on!”

On the day of the event, I arrived 10 minutes before the allotted time, parked my very reliable Honda CRV, and entered the school. The teacher greeted me at the door and we took the stairs to classroom 4-B. Just before entering the class, I said a little prayer and entered the room.

It was a different step, very much so from what I am used to in the ‘corporate world.’ There were no phones, no laptops; these kids were actually talking to each other. As I entered the room, the attention shifted and now all eyes were on me. I could also feel my heart beating a little faster.

“Are you Mr. Gulrez?” one kid asked.
I cleared my throat and said, “Yes, I am. Do you know me?”
“I have your book and it has your picture in it. You were young.”

I realized that picture was taken some 10 years ago (even before these kids were born..lol) at Microsoft when our leadership called a professional photographer for a headshot in Building 5.

I laughed (at myself) and thought about shifting gears. “Should I open my laptop and walk through the slides I created?” I asked myself. However, “Wouldn’t that be boring for these little kids?”

“Achoo!”

The sneeze came from Anas, sitting in the second row.

Then, two more: “Achoo! Achoo!”

I walked to the whiteboard, and wrote…

I turned around and the kids were laughing. Anas looked at me and shrugged.

“Do you think this is data?” I asked.

Laughter erupted. One student whispered, “That’s not data!”

“Why not?” I asked.

Just then, Anas (enjoying the spotlight) added one very obvious fake sneeze.
I turned back to the board:

More laughter. Now they were hooked.

I asked, “Is anyone here good at drawing?”

And everyone raised their hand…. (hmm interesting. When I ask the same question in my corporate workshops, adults often say, I used to draw as a kid. What changed?)

Little Sara came up and drew a stick figure of Anas mid-sneeze, complete with dramatic “ACHOO!” bubbles.

Then we created—Sneeze Graph, Snore Graph, Crying Baby Graph and so on—the classroom was alive with curiosity, and creativity.

While I couldn’t capture the video of my session, I recorded this episode to share the topics I covered and how to make it engaging for the kids.

By the time the class was over I saw the little kids completely engaged. They didn’t realize it, but they were learning to think like little data scientists, asking questions, capturing observations, and telling stories through visuals.

At first glance, it may look simple—but this playful activity opened the door to some powerful lessons for both kids and adults.

We explored patterns in snore and sneeze sounds, forecasted the pitch of the next snore, and even spotted a few outliers. And the best part? The kids were completely hooked.

Data doesn’t have to start with spreadsheets. It can start with a sneeze…;)

Your turn to play

I hope this gave you a glimpse into how to introduce data to the younger audience…simply by using everyday moments and data from our daily lives.

In my book Drawing Data with Kids, you’ll find many more simple, playful activities that families can do together to explore data, ask questions, and learn in a fun, hands-on way.

Learning data doesn’t always need a screen. We can use just a little curiosity, crayons and make it fun.

Gulrez Khan

Book

Hi there, I’m Gulrez Khan—father of 3 beautiful kids and award-winning author of Drawing Data with Kids. By day, I work as a Data Science leader, and by night, I read bedtime stories to my kids. Sometimes, the roles overlap—I’ll find myself storytelling in conference rooms or teaching data concepts to my kids. It’s funny, but it works!

If you’re interested in a workshop for your team or school, feel free to message me.