Children's inquiry is an approach where tamariki explore and research their own questions and curiosities over sustained periods of time with the support of their kaiako. This article explores findings from research examining how this approach has been interpreted and enacted by early childhood kaiako in Aotearoa New Zealand. The article examines the state of the early childhood sector, which is currently facing many challenges, and juxtaposes this with narratives from the research that demonstrate how children's inquiry approaches can provide a focus for early childhood communities to develop rich, authentic cultures of learning.