Problem Solving Play - Matching Dots

Problem solving can be incorporated into playful challenges for children using objects and items from around the house.  I am going to try to do a short series on some problem solving play challenges.  Here is the first one:
Match the Dots - 
1.  Materials: 4 index cards for each player, 4 stickers, matching set of objects for each player (ie wooden dowels, paintbrushes, pencils, pipe cleaners and tape).
2.  Set Up: Give each child 4 index cards that match the 4 stickers and the set of objects.  Place one set of stickers at least 2 feet away from a starting line.  In our house, we established a rule that your body had to remain on the wooden floor.  You could not touch the rug at all with your body.  We placed dot stickers anywhere from 2 feet to 5 feet away from the edge of the rug.
3.  The object of the game is to get each index card to touch anywhere on the sticker without ever touching the rug.  There is no time limit.
4.  The only instructions I gave were to match the cards and do not touch the rug. 
5.  Each child started out by just trying to use one dowel to move the card to the dot.  Very quickly they realized it was not long enough and began taping the objects together.
6.  They worked hard at creating a long stick out of 2 dowels and 3 paint brushes to be able to reach the index cards to the matching stickers.
7.  Then a lightbulb went off in one of them and they realized they could walk around the rug just not on it.  This brought them closer to one of the dots.

The kids enjoyed the activity and landed up repeating it several times moving the sticker dots each round. 

Stay tuned and next week hopefully I will post about another problem solving challenge.  Try some questions from the Creative Brain Series.

Simple Fishing Game

So we made some bow and arrows the other day which you can read about here.   After awhile of shooting arrows, the children took the bows apart and started using them as batons pretending to march in parades and do dance moves.  I love when toys take on new roles.  Well, this morning the toy became a fishing rod.  They attached the string back on one end and placed a magnet on the other end.  After twisting some pipe cleaners into fish shapes, the fishing game was ready to play.  They caught fish, pretended to be in a boat and practiced "casting".  The older kids enjoyed the challenge of catching the fish from afar.   The toddler loved going up close to catch the fish and was so proud she could finally fish like the big kids do when we go camping. 


Therefore, in total, the kids made three toys out of the same materials that originally cost about $2 for the parts.  Now that is some economical problem solving!

One more thing - if interested just came across the cutest free printable to go along with the fishing game - Fishing bingo.

Invention Game

Here is another kid created activity that my children enjoy.  The invention game is to either create something from scratch from different materials or recreate something with items from around the house.  One of the first challenges they did was to make your own water bottles.  Then they had people vote which one they thought was the best overall.  The one on the left was an attempt to make an insulated water bottle with a cup inside a cup and LOTS of tape.  The one on the right was super simple - plastic cup with coffee cup travel mug lid.  


They have done this activity many times since then.  Some inventions they work together on i.e. a water fountain out of a cereal box and duct tape (amazingly it did work).  Some inventions they create a contest for such as using only objects out of the craft bin make a puppy dog.  This was interesting because the end results were all different - pipe cleaner dogs, wood block dogs, painted dog and a clay dog.  


There are so many things that children could invent using materials around the house.  Leave it very open ended to allow for problem solving. 

Open Ended Problem Solving

Our local school district every year sponsors a learning fair for students grade 4th through 6th. Basically, students complete a project at home and share it at the Learning Fair usually on a poster, table top or a demonstration. The whole idea is for the students to come up with a question or problem and answer it. My children and their friends have participated in it over the past several years and it is a wonderful event. It allows the students open ended learning where they pick the question. It is a great way to introduce early concepts of research and problem solving. In the end, the children learn so much and have so much fun along the way. This year the two questions they came up with in our house are:

1. How do you make cotton candy without a cotton candy machine?
2. What can babies see? 

Previous years have included how do cell phones work, how does a hair perm work and how do you make chewing gum? This is a super simple idea to try with your children to grow their abilities to learn and problem solve. Just remember let them pick the topic no matter what it might be (unless dangerous obviously - well making cotton candy without a machine actually turned out to be quite dangerous, hot sugar hurts!)

For the younger crowd, let them participate as well.  Let them come up with the question.  You may just need to help problem solve a bit along the way.  I think you will really enjoy just hearing their ideas and questions.