Problem- solving activities for children

1. Puzzles

One of the best problem- solving activities for children is puzzles. They come in various difficulty levels. Based on your child's age, you can pick the appropriate one. Give them a puzzle, and they will learn to analyse the problem/ question, find different ways of solving it, and arrive at the solution. Additionally, the activity will help improve their critical- thinking skills, gross motor skills, and hand-eye coordination.

2. Scavenger hunt

One of the educational activities that every parent should introduce to their children is scavenger hunt. It is an inexpensive, easy, fun activity that can be done both indoors and outdoors and requires nothing more than the item you already have at home. The activity allows children to think outside the box. Without being aware, they're learning problem- solving skills in a fun way.

3. Storybooks

  Reading offers a plethora of benefits. One of them is problem- solving. When children read stories, they come across various characters and the roles they play. Most often, children get attached to these characters. So, when they come across a problem, ask them how their favourite characters would have solved it. Encourage them to come up with a variety of solutions and discuss the possible outcomes of each.

4. Crafts

Engaging them in arts and crafts is another excellent way to teach children problem- solving skills. Give your child a variety of materials lying around the house. Let them come up with all sorts of exciting creations or repair broken toys or gadgets. Allow them to work independently and guide them only when they are out of ideas.

5. Open-ended questions

 Asking open- ended questions is an excellent way to improve your child's ability to think creatively and critically and improve their problem- solving skills. With these questions, there's no right or wrong answer, and the answer goes beyond a simple 'no' or 'yes.' They have to put some thoughts into their answers. Here are a few questions you can ask after each session.

- What was difficult? What was easy?

- What did you learn?

- What do you think will happpen next?

- How did you arrive at the solution?

- What would you do differently next time?

6. Maze

Are fun and safe for all age groups. When they work on mazes, it makes them think. The activity also improves their motor skills, observational skills, sense of direction, and problem- solving skills. Think beyond book mazes- you can find many maze games on the web. With practice, they'll get better at finding their way out. Eventually, you can give them more complex mazes to solve.

7. Building with toys

Give your children LEGO blocks, wooden blocks, engineering blocks, etc., and make them build whatever they wish. Building with toys requires your child to think about what to build and how to put the pieces together and come up with creative solutions to ensure its a functional design. You can once in a way ask them to build something challenging, such as a creature with three arms or two towers with a joining bridge. Watch them rack their brains as they try to come up with a structure.

8. Group drawing

Another excellent team- building activity for sharpening children's problem- solving skill is group drawing. Divide children into teams of three. Each of the three players in the team has a role to play.  One person is a drawer, who take directions from the instructor to attempt to create a design. They should stand with their back to the instructor and viewer must not talk. Next is the instructor. The instructor is the one who gives out verbal instructions as to how the drawer must draw a particular design. The viewer looks at the design. But they're not allowed to talk and can only communicate with the instructor via gestures. You have a winner when the viewer is satisfied with the drawer's picture. You can let the children take turns playing different role.