Every parent and teacher has witnessed the phenomenon: a child who cannot recall facts from a textbook can vividly describe every detail of a hands-on science experiment conducted weeks ago. This is not coincidental. It is rooted in decades of cognitive science research that reveals fundamental truths about how the human brain, especially the developing brain of a child, processes, stores, and retrieves information. The foundation of interactive learning lies in what neuroscientists call dual coding theory. Proposed by Allan Paivio, this theory suggests that information processed through multiple sensory channels creates multiple memory traces in the brain. When a child reads about a volcano, they create one memory trace. When they build a model volcano, watch it erupt, feel the fizzing reaction, and hear the bubbling sounds, they create multiple interconnected memory traces. These interconnected traces are far more robust and easier to retrieve than a single trace from passive reading. The hippocampus, the brain region most associated with memory formation, is particularly responsive to emotionally engaging and novel experiences. Interactive learning naturally generates both. When a child uses an AR-enabled book like EUREKA's BeginnAR series and watches a dinosaur emerge from the page, the surprise and delight trigger the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that not only makes the experience pleasurable but also signals the hippocampus to mark this moment as important and worth remembering. Jean Piaget, the pioneering developmental psychologist, established that children in the preoperational and concrete operational stages (ages 2 to 11) learn best through direct interaction with their environment. They construct understanding by manipulating objects, testing hypotheses, and observing outcomes. Interactive learning tools, whether physical manipulatives or digital AR experiences, align perfectly with this developmental framework. They give children the agency to explore, make mistakes, and discover patterns independently. The concept of embodied cognition further supports interactive learning. This theory proposes that cognition is not just a brain activity but involves the entire body. When children use gestures, movements, and physical interactions as part of their learning, the motor cortex becomes involved in memory encoding alongside the visual and auditory cortices. This full-body engagement creates learning experiences that are literally unforgettable because they are encoded across multiple brain systems simultaneously. Working memory, the mental workspace where we hold and manipulate information, is severely limited in young children, typically capable of handling only three to four items at once. Traditional instruction often overloads working memory by presenting too much abstract information simultaneously. Interactive learning naturally chunks information into manageable experiences, allowing children to build understanding incrementally. AR experiences, in particular, excel at presenting complex information in digestible, visually rich segments that respect the limitations of developing working memory. Metacognition, or thinking about thinking, is another cognitive skill that interactive learning promotes. When children engage with hands-on materials, they naturally reflect on their own understanding. Questions like "Why did this happen?" and "What if I try something different?" emerge organically. This self-reflective practice is the foundation of lifelong learning and academic success. Children who develop strong metacognitive skills early consistently outperform their peers throughout their educational journey. The implications for educators and parents are clear: prioritize interactive, multi-sensory learning experiences whenever possible. Whether through AR-enhanced books, hands-on experiments, educational games, or project-based learning, the goal should be to engage as many senses and cognitive systems as possible. The science unequivocally supports what intuitive teachers have always known, children learn best when they are actively doing, not passively receiving.