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12 Problem-Solving Activities For Toddlers And Preschoolers
Intriguing ideas to boost their analytical and rational thinking skills.
manjari srivastava , BA (Psychology)
Specialty: Kids Fun, Activities and Education
Manjari Srivastava is a graduate of psychology. She also holds certificates in Basics In Clinical Psychology and Identifying Early Signs Of Psychosis In Adolescents And Young Adults. Previously, she ... more
Image: iStock
Problem-solving preschool activities are an essential part of learning, leading to the development of the most crucial skills for your child. Your child’s journey between realizing a problem and finding a solution involves effort, thinking, and patience. What comes in between realization and solution is important to understand, as it is the key to a lightning-fast intellect. The process is the most beautiful part, which is also the beginning of making a new genius for the world to witness. These little minds could one day become billionaires, philanthropists, or someone far more successful .
Read on to know some of the problem-solving activities for toddlers and preschoolers and how it helps them.
What Is Problem-Solving?
Problem-solving is the art of realizing a problem and finding an apt solution by a series of interconnected thoughts in the cognitive area of the mind (1) . It requires identifying the problem and pondering over the causes and attempting to chalk out the reason. The next step would be to find a solution out of the many alternatives. Identifying the causes of a problem would involve some deep thinking, which can benefit a child’s growth.
What Are Problem-Solving Skills?
Problem-solving skills are what every child needs to survive in this world. A few problem-solving skills are analytical thinking, logical reasoning, lateral thinking, creativity, initiative, persistence, negotiation, listening skills, cognitive skills, math skills, and decision-making. Good communication skills are also important as they improve the self-esteem of your child.
Why Is Problem-Solving Important In Preschool?
As parents, you may not want to fill your child’s minds with every problem-solving ability. But you must trust the process, as it is the most important phase of life, and they are learning new things every day.
- During preschool, they are constantly interacting with friends and surroundings. They come across various problems and learn from them. The best part is that it will be effortless for them to pick up these skills faster as they are in their learning stage.
- Also, the earlier they learn, the better it is (2)
- Children in preschool are introduced to the realm of creativity and imagination through stories and poems. It will be the perfect time to enhance their creative abilities.
- Children usually try to ignore things beyond their understanding. But problem-solving skills might help them see things differently.
- Developing problem-solving abilities can help them take new initiatives.
How To Teach Problem-Solving Skills To Preschoolers?
Making them listen with patience and willingness is a skill that will help them comprehend what you teach them. Here are some steps that you can follow:
- Teach them how to approach a problem in a practical way. Allow them to explore and find solutions by themselves.
- Make them do simple household chores in their own way. And, there is no right or wrong style to it.
- Every kid is unique and has a different pace of learning. A teacher/ parent will have to observe and analyze the best way to teach them.
- Usually, the first step would be to identify the problem.
- Once they find solutions, tell them to evaluate the pros and cons. And choose the best solution.
- Teach them to take failure positively.
- Encourage group activities as children tend to be active when their peers are along.
12 Problem-Solving Activities For Toddlers
You may try several problem-solving activities at home. We have listed some of the best activates here:
1. Simon Says
One of the children becomes Simon and gives commands. The rest have to follow the commands and enact only when they hear ’Simon says’ at the beginning of the command. If anyone acts when the words ‘Simon says’ is not told at the beginning, then that particular child is out. This game will improve listening skills and response time.
2. Tic–tac–toe
The game teaches decision-making and the cost of consequences. This game involves two players. One player has to mark X anywhere on the tic-tac-toe, followed by another player marking O. The idea is to make a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal line with either three X’s or O’s. Both players have to stop each other from winning. Sounds fun, right?
3. Treasure hunt
Divide the children into groups and give them clues to find hidden objects. Activities such as treasure hunt evidently improve their problem-solving skills and induce the idea of competition.
Puzzles can make a child think out of the box. They can develop a child’s logical reasoning. Arranging the crumbled pieces will surely improve their level of patience.
5. Hide and seek
Playing in a group can make them less shy and socialize with others. And, with hide and seek activity, children can learn devising strategies, escaping from a troublesome situation, and various other skills.
6. Sorting together
Give them various toys, pieces of clothing, or other random objects at home and some bins. Now ask your child to sort and place everything in the right bin.
7. Spot the difference
Show them printouts of two similar pictures, with one picture having some differences. Ask them to spot the differences. This helps in actively improving their concentration and attention to detail.
8. Matching animals with sounds
Play sounds of various animals and let the children guess their names. You can also take them to an animal farm where they can observe their behavior. This activity may improve their sound recognition ability over time.
Give your child a blank canvas and some paints or color pencils. Let them get creative and produce a masterpiece.
10. Memory games
Memory games can improve a child’s retaining capacity. One such game is to sit in a circle and play “Chinese Whisper.” In this game, kids sit in a circle. Each of them has to whisper a word in their peer’s ear. The same word, along with a new one, is whispered into the next child’s ear. This should be continued till the last child in the circle announces it for all to hear.
11. Fort building
Building forts using toy material, Lego, pillows, or blankets can be fun. During the process of building a fort, children may have to face minor or major difficulties. Overcoming such issues and completing the target successfully helps in the improvement of logical and analytical abilities.
Solving mazes can also help a kid improve their approach towards dealing with problems and dead ends. It will enable lateral thinking and thinking out of the box.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What are the stages of problem-solving?
Problem-solving is a cognitive skill that works through six stages – determining the problem, generating alternative ideas or solutions, evaluating alternatives, selecting the best suitable solution, implementing the solution, and follow-up (3) .
2. At what age do toddlers begin problem-solving?
According to research, children begin problem-solving right after birth. Between zero to two years, children learn problem-solving through exploration, whereas by three years of age, they learn problem-solving through experimentation and trial and error. Four-year-olds learn problem-solving through cooperative activities with peers and friends. By five and six years, kids get enough experience to deal with problems that would need abstract thinking skills (4) .
3. How do toddlers develop critical thinking skills?
Critical thinking skills don’t develop in a day or week. Rather, it takes constant exposure to environments that hone a child’s critical thinking abilities. Asking your toddlers open-ended questions, indulging them in critical thinking activities, such as block building and puzzles, and motivating them to think out of the box are simple ways to bolster your child’s critical thinking.
Problem-solving activities for toddlers enhance their thinking abilities and promote early brain development. You may introduce problem-solving activities such as tic-tac-toe, Simon says, hide and seek, treasure hunt, puzzles, etc., to enhance cognitive skills in toddlers. The problem-solving skills in preschoolers help them cope with various situations and mingle with other children. Problem-solving skills help children think differently and take the initiative in making decisions and solving problems. These activities help build the skills without any force or pressure.
Infographic: Hone Your Toddler’s Problem-Solving Skills
Illustration: Momjunction Design Team
Get high-quality PDF version by clicking below.
Key Pointers
- Honing your child’s problem-solving skills during preschool can help them see things differently and enhance their creative abilities.
- Teach them to find the problem and use their analytical abilities to find a solution.
- Simon Says, treasure hunt, puzzles, and spot the difference are a few problem-solving activities a toddler can try.
References:
- You Can Do It: Teaching Toddlers Problem-Solving Skills. https://va.gapitc.org/you-can-do-it-teaching-toddlers-problem-solving-skills/
- Developing Problem-Solving Skills At Early Age. https://kennedyglobalschool.edu.in/developing-problem-solving-skills-at-early-age-takes-kids-long-way-as-they-grow/#respond
- Problem solving. https://www.healthywa.wa.gov.au/Articles/N_R/Problem-solving
- Development: Ages & Stages–How Children Learn to Problem-Solve. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ738434
Manjari Srivastava , BA (Psychology)
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15 Powerful Problem Solving Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers
I looked over to her table and she’s crying. Again. While everyone else is happily working away, she sat there, unable to move, just crying.
Not asking for help.
Not trying to solve her problem.
Just crying.
I took a deep breath before heading over. We’ve already been at this for several months…isn’t it about time the problem-solving has kicked in yet?
One glance and I could tell what her problem was. She didn’t have her pencil.
Know how I knew?
It laid on the floor beside her. In plain sight.
As a kindergarten teacher, I don’t jump right in and solve problems for kids. It’s good for them to try to solve the problem themselves. This is something she struggled with.
I reminded myself of the need for patience and empathy as I walked up to her. “What’s wrong, Amanda?”
“I…can’t…find…my…pencil….” she sputtered out between sobs.
“Ok, that’s a problem we can solve. What have you tried?”
“I don’t know.”
After a long time trying to first, calm her down, and second, come up with some strategies she could try, she finally found her pencil. At that point, everyone else had finished the project.
What is Problem Solving?
Problem-solving is the process of finding a solution to your problem . This can be quite tricky for some young children, especially those with little experience in finding more than one way to solve a problem.
Why is Problem Solving Important?
Problem-solving skills are used throughout childhood into adulthood. As adults, we solve problems on a daily basis. Some problems we solve without thinking much- I wanted to make tacos for dinner but forgot to buy the ground beef. What are we going to have for dinner now?
Other problems are significantly more complicated.
Problems for kiddos can be problems with friendships, the inability to find something that’s needed, or even what to do when things don’t go your way.
Kids who lack problem-solving skills struggle to maintain friendships or even begin to attempt to solve their own problems.
Children who lack problem-solving skills are at a higher risk for depression as well.
What Are Problem-Solving Skills?
Problem-solving skills are:
- Breaking Down a Problem into Smaller Parts
- Communication
- Decision-making
- Logical Reasoning
- Perseverance
That’s a big list to teach toddlers and preschoolers. Where do you begin?
The Problem-Solving Steps
Sometimes kids are so overwhelmed with frustration that it affects their ability to solve problems.
Kids feel safe in routines, and routines help them learn and grow. After a few times of repeating this routine, you’ll find your kiddo starts to do this on their own.
It’s important not to skip straight to solving the problem , because your kiddo needs to be in a calm state of mind to solve the problem, and also they need to know their feelings are valid.
- The first thing to do when your kiddo is struggling with problem-solving is to validate their emotions.
In doing this, they will feel more understood and learn that their emotions are okay. There are no bad feelings, and we must learn how to manage our emotions.
This might sound something like “Oh, I can see you are really frustrated that the block won’t fit on there right. Let’s take some deep breaths to help us calm down before we think about what to do next.”
- Next, work through your calm-down process . This may be taking some deep breaths together, hugging a stuffie, or giving your kiddo some quiet time to calm down their heart and mind.
- Identify the problem . This sounds like something you may have already done (before the meltdown) but it’s important to be very clear on the problem you’re solving. Have the child tell you their problem out loud.
- Move on to solution-finding . When your kiddo is ready, talk about what the problem is and three possible solutions. When possible, let your kiddo do all of the talking. This allows him to practice his problem-solving skills. It’s important to remind him that the first thing he tries may not work, and that’s ok. There’s always another way to solve the problem. If he’s prepared for this, solutions that don’t work won’t be such a frustrating experience.
- After you’ve done that, test your solutions one by one. See what works. If you haven’t found a solution yet, go back and think of different ways you might be able to solve your problem and try again.
Are you tired of hearing “It’s TOO HARD!” followed by a meltdown?
Using this one simple phrase you’ll get in this powerful lesson, you’ll not only be able to help your kiddo not give up but you’ll:
>Activate their superpower of perseverance so that they can turn around a meltdown and keep trying
>Inspire them to use perseverance …even when it’s hard
>Teach them to recognize the warning signs of giving up , and how to turn it around by taking control of their choices.
Grab your powerful FREE video lesson to teach your kiddo one of the most powerful keys to perseverance.
Powerful Activities that Teach Problem-Solving Skills to Toddlers & Preschoolers
These activities below may look simple, but don’t let that deter you from trying them. A lot happens in little developing brains and these powerful activities help toddlers and preschoolers make connections and develop {many} essential skills-more than just problem-solving.
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Puzzles are fun and a great way to encourage cognitive development in children. They are great for spacial reasoning and strengthening problem-solving skills. They also develop memory skills, critical thinking, and the ability to plan and execute the plan. Toddlers will enjoy the simple puzzles, and preschoolers will do great with floor puzzles with larger puzzle pieces.
Doing Simple Chores
Doing simple chores is a great way to teach children problem-solving skills, and it strengthens responsibility and perseverance as well.
During the toddler years , you may start with just picking up their toys, or helping you put their dirty clothes in the hamper.
Preschoolers can take their dirty dishes to the sink (or load them in the dishwasher), collect the trash, dust, wipe baseboards, and do their own personal care items like making their bed, taking care of their dirty clothes, and putting clean clothes away.
Stacking Rings
When watching a toddler play with stacking rings it doesn’t look like much is happening, but playing with these toys is full of ways to encourage development. It helps with visual and spacial perception and planning ahead, but it also with balance control, crossing the midline, creative play, and gross motor skills. Not to mention it’s a great opportunity to practice problem-solving.
Playing Hide-and-Seek
Hide and seek has many surprising benefits for kids. Playing hide and seek is like a treasure hunt that helps develop gross motor skills and encourages physical development, as well as problem-solving skills. It also helps young children develop visual tracking, working memory, and social-emotional skills.
Imaginative Play
Imaginative play (also called role-play) builds important skills. Through pretending to be in different situations, kids develop social skills, emotional skills, better communication, and problem-solving skills. Imaginative play is a great idea for young toddlers all the way to older children.
Free Play
Many young children don’t have {enough} time for free play. Free play is important for healthy brain development , not only developing imagination, cooperation, physical skills, and independence but also providing a great opportunity to strengthen problem-solving skills.
Playing with Wooden Blocks
Building blocks are a fun way for children to develop creative thinking, imagination, problem-solving, fine motor skills, and if working with others, cooperation, communication, and friendship.
Playing Memory
Memory games improve attention, focus, visual recognition, and concentration. It helps children recognize details and of course, strengthens problem-solving skills.
Ask Questions
When I see my son struggling with something, my first instinct is to give him choices or at least lead him in the right direction. The better thing to do is to ask very open-ended questions that lead his process, not his thoughts.
Questions like “What’s one way to solve your problem?” are much more effective in teaching problem-solving skills than “Well, where did you last see your stuffy?”
Read Books and Social Stories
Reading books is one of my favorite ways to teach any skill. It’s extremely effective at teaching, and it’s also an amazing bonding time with kids.
When we read stories, our brain reacts as if we’re living in the story. This is why reading books about skills such as problem-solving is so effective.
Kids of all ages learn from the people they love . (Yes, even those older kids who you don’t think are paying attention.) Often as adults, we’re too busy going through our daily routine to think about talking about the way we solved the problem at work that day.
Talking about how you use skills such as problem-solving, perseverance, and integrity is a great way to set an example, and an expectation that this is how we do things, and it will provide encouragement for your kiddo to do the same.
Scavenger Hunts
Scavenger hunts are a great group activity that can strengthen your child’s logical thinking and problem-solving skills.
When Your Kiddo is Ready, Add These Activities
Preschoolers would benefit from all of the fun activities on the list above and when they’re ready, feel free to add in the following activities.
Mazes are great for problem-solving and perseverance, but your kiddo will need to have decent fine motor skills to do these activities. Mazes are one of our favorite activities. We love to take our activity book of mazes in the car with us for road trips.
Board Games
Board games are a good way to strengthen problem-solving, teamwork, planning skills, patience, sportsmanship, and communication skills. They also strengthen family relationships by providing some intentional time of connection .
Any board game can also be turned into an academic game with just a deck of cards for whatever skill you’re working on. If you’re working on the alphabet, put one letter on each card. Before each player’s turn, they draw a letter card and say the letter’s name. (You may accidentally forget the name of a letter every now and then to see if your kiddo is really paying attention!)
Allow Opportunities for Hands-On Investigations
Kids are tactile. They love to touch and explore things with their hands. This is a good activity for toddlers also, as long as they are out of the putting everything in their mouth stage. Hands-on exploration is great for language development, sensory exploration, and problem-solving.
Allowing kids to investigate with their hands allows them to see how the world works up close. It also gives them time and space to try to make things work…and problem-solve when it doesn’t go as they think it should.
The Most Difficult Way (and Most Important Way) To Strengthen Problem-Solving Skills
Watching our kids struggle is hard ! We don’t want to see them having a hard time…and most of the time we don’t want to deal with the impending meltdown. Standing back and giving our kids time and space to work through even simple problems is hard to do. It’s also the most important way to strengthen problem-solving skills.
As parents, we’re like frogs in boiling water. When our kids are infants, they need us to recognize their needs and solve them immediately. As they get older, they can point to what they want, but we still have a lot of interpreting and problem-solving to do on our own. If we aren’t careful, we stay in this stage and don’t teach our kiddos the steps to problem-solving for themselves.
The next most difficult thing? Allowing natural consequences to happen. (As long as your child is safe of course.) If your child saves their money for a long time to buy a new toy, but walks down the toy aisle and picks up something you know they’ll be disappointed with, let it happen. It will teach a valuable lesson that will last for years to come.
Another Essential Part of Problem-Solving
Perseverance is a big part of problem-solving. We are rarely able to solve problems the first time, and it’s essential that kids can find more than one solution to a problem. Studies have found that perseverance is actually the biggest predictor of success, even more than aptitude or raw talent.
An entire module is dedicated to perseverance in our course for kids, Super Kid Adventures . Your kiddo will get 25 teacher-led lessons on character traits (perseverance, empathy, friendship, responsibility, and wellness) and activities that take their learning further.
Want a free preview? Grab a FREE Perseverance video lesson that teaches your kiddo one of the most important secrets that help them use perseverance.
Want More?
If you like this, you’ll love:
The Ultimate List of Books that Teach Perseverance
7 Simple Ways to Encourage Independence in Young Children
How to Help Your Child Develop Self-Help Skills
Your Turn
What are your favorite ways to teach problem-solving skills?
About Elizabeth
Elizabeth is a mama of two boys, a former teacher, and the founder of Discovery Play with Littles. Her mission is to make raising kids with character simple and fun. Join us for our best learning through play ideas, character growth activities, and family connection ideas so you can watch your child thrive.
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Perseverance is the biggest predictor of success, even more than raw talent or aptitude.
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PLAY is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood. -Mr. Rogers
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8 problem solving games to play with your preschooler.
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As a toddler, my daughter once got stuck in an opened cardboard box. She climbed in all by herself, but once inside she couldn’t figure how to maneuver her way out.
Like any good mom, I helped by handing her a crayon and allowing her to spend the next 15 minutes inside the box scribbling her little heart out so I could power clean the living room until she remembered she was stuck.
It’s true, I may have been taking slight advantage of her not-yet-fully-developed problem solving skills, but as a mom of a toddler tornado, you take what you can get 🙂
She’s now a preschooler and her problem solving skills have improved since daily life has provided her with ample opportunities (darn those jacket zippers!).
That said, I also believe that presenting her with social problem solving games and activities to utilize her thinking cap has been an important part of her pre-operational development.
I’ve compiled this list of 8 creative activities to assist in developing those skills that are needed when she hits those frustrating preschooler obstacles.
I believe in keeping things fun for the child and easy for mom, so these problem solving activities for preschoolers are simple to set up and many require only your child’s own creativity!
1. Make it Move
For this activity, you’ll need some masking tape and a crumpled ball of paper.
The challenge comes when you place the ball of paper in between two lines of masking tape and ask your preschooler to move it outside the lines — without touching it.
Some preschoolers can’t get enough of this experiment and figure out several ways to move the paper. Others can get frustrated easily and want to give up.
Remember, this is supposed to be fun, so don’t let your child get discouraged. Hints are fully ok; just try to wait until they are absolutely needed.
We want them to stretch their problem solving muscles, but not feel defeated.
2. Fit the Top
This is one of my favorites because it’s a delicious learning mix of fine motor, spatial awareness, problem solving and pantry clean-out skills!
For Fit the Top you will need to dig out your entire mess of a Tupperware collection from that forgotten kitchen cupboard.
Or, if your Tupperware is unusually orderly (round of applause from us!), grab a large collection of different sized plastic water bottles and their lids.
Water bottles are probably more fun, but using Tupperware does double duty of getting you organized, so maybe a combo of both is best.
Lay out all Tupperware and water bottles in one pile and put lids in another. Ask your preschooler to help you organize by finding the right lids to go with the right container.
Popping and screwing the lids on their correct containers exercises those fine motor muscles.
Ensuring the right size/shape lid goes with the right container helps practice both spatial awareness and problem solving skills.
Pro Tip: Help Your Child Become Better at Problem Solving
Enroll your child for the Atlas Mission and let your child play with this award-winning educational program. Your child will become better at problem solving without even realizing it!
3. I’m Being Silly
I’m Being Silly is an on-the-fly story telling game. The parent starts off with a simple story and the preschooler has to stop them when they’ve said something silly. Here’s an example:
Johnny was a four-year-old boy on his way to school. As he left, he grabbed his car keys and buckled himself into the driver’s seat.
If they don’t stop you here at the silliness of Johnny driving the car himself to school, just keep going. Maybe Johnny gets to recess and all the teachers are playing on the slides and swings while Johnny has playground duty.
When he gets home he might first take off his socks and then his shoes.
Customize the difficulty of the hidden sillies to the level of your child’s problem solving skills. Chances are they will love this game enough to turn the tables and see if you can catch the silliness in their own stories!
4. Pattern Blocks
Pattern blocks or tangrams (the colorful blocks that come in different geometrical shapes) provide fun problem solving activities simply by being played with.
If you want to increase the challenge, a quick google search will pull up hundreds of patterns to print and copy. Your preschooler will be proud of the intricate designs he can create just by following the cards.
This is a great independent activity when you need some quiet time for yourself or you can build something and ask your child to copy it. Take turns trying to stump each other with your designs.
5. Fort Building and Escaping Lava Alligators
Every child must build a fort in their living room. It’s a rite of passage.
Equally, they must pretend the living room floor is lava filled with alligators and use your couch cushions to create a safe route around them.
Whether you set out materials or just consciously ignore your urge to remind your preschooler that the couch cushions are not trampolines, this creative game is an exercise in solving problems — albeit imaginary ones.
The easiest materials for fort building are sheets and clothespins, but anything your child finds is fine.
To escape Lava Alligators, the appropriate tools are (unfortunately) your favorite couch cushions, but Lava Alligators can also be rehomed to the driveway with hand drawn sidewalk chalk squares working as the safety stones if necessary.
6. Build a Maze
Using blocks, chairs, cardboard boxes, or masking tape you can create a maze for your preschooler to get lost in while working on his critical problem solving skills. It can be small enough for his cars to drive through or big enough for him to walk through.
Be warned, giant cardboard mazes in the backyard have a tendency to attract all the neighborhood kids for a full afternoon of problem-solving fun.
You may end up being forever known as the Coolest Mom on the Block.
We hope you can handle that.
7. Pack my Bag
With Pack my Bag, your preschooler can prepare for a real trip or an imaginary one. Have him help you prepare for the day’s activities by asking him questions.
What does the weather look like outside? What clothes should we wear? Will we need an umbrella, sunscreen, or a parka?
After we get out of the pool, we will want to get dry, so what will we need? I think we will be gone a while, do you think someone will get hungry?
My example questions might be too direct or just enough depending on your preschooler’s current problem solving skills. The trick is to ask questions that lead him just enough, but still give him some thinking work to do on his own.
8. Preschool Detective
This game can be done with or without the detective hat and magnifying glass. In this game, Mom gives a clue about an object, then preschooler makes a guess.
Likely she will guess wrong after just one clue, so Mom will provide another one and she can guess again. This keeps going until the preschooler has guessed correctly. Here’s an example of how this game could go:
Mom: I’m thinking of something big and soft
Preschooler: A bear?
Mom: Nope, it’s something you keep in the house.
Preschooler: The rug?
Mom: Not quite. It’s something that you use at night and should be in right now, but you’ve left it three times to ask for another glass of water.
Preschooler: My bed?
Mom: That’s right! You win!
As her problem solving skills increase, the clues can be made harder encouraging her to ask more questions.
This is a fun game as is, or can be played with a point system where the preschooler gets a point for each incorrect guess. Each time she plays, she can try to finish with fewer points than the last time.
Usually, no prize is needed for this game, but if this exact scenario arises, a one-way trip back to the above-mentioned bed with one last Mom tuck-in is a fantastic grand prize for guessing.
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About the Author
Jodi Burnett creates educational content for the Atlas Mission . In an earlier life, she used to write the parenting column for a leading regional newspaper, the Tremonton Leader. She now spends her days researching educational methods, playing with microscopes, homeschooling her 4 children, and having a crazy time learning out in the world alongside her kids. She lives near the gorgeous Wasatch Mountains in Salt Lake City with her husband, 4 children, and a chubby snorting pug.
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10 Simple Activities to Teach Your Preschooler Problem Solving
By: Author Tanja Mcilroy
Posted on Last updated: 7 Nov 2022
Categories Cognitive Development
During the first years of a child’s life, an important set of cognitive skills known as problem-solving abilities are developed. These skills are used throughout childhood and into adulthood.
Find out what problem solving is, why it’s important and how you can develop these skills with 10 problem-solving games and activities.
What is Problem Solving in Early Childhood?
So, what exactly is problem solving? Quite simply, it refers to the process of finding a solution to a problem .
A person uses their own knowledge and experience, as well as the information at hand to try and reach a solution. Problem solving is therefore about the thought processes involved in finding a solution.
This could be as complex as an adult working out how to get out of a financial crisis or as simple as a child working out how two blocks fit together.
Problem Solving Skills for Kids
Problem-solving skills refer to the specific thinking skills a person uses when faced with a challenge. Some problems require the use of many skills, while others are simple and may only require one or two skills.
These are some examples of problem-solving skills for preschoolers , as listed by kent.ac.uk .
- Lateral thinking
- Analytical thinking
- Decision-making skills
- Logical reasoning
- Persistence
- Communication skills
- Negotiation skills
The Importance of Developing Problem-Solving Skills in Early Childhood
Problem solving is a skill that would be difficult to suddenly develop as an adult. While you can still improve a skill at any age, the majority of learning occurs during the early years.
Preschool is the best time for a child to learn to problem solve in a fun way. The benefits of learning early will last a lifetime and the beauty of learning anything at a young age is that it is effortless .
It is like learning to play an instrument or picking up a new language – it’s just much easier and more natural at an early age.
Of all the many things preschoolers need to learn , what makes problem solving so important?
There aren’t many situations in life, at work or at school that don’t require some level of problem resolution.
Child’s play itself is filled with opportunity upon opportunity to solve all kinds of tricky situations and come up with solutions to challenges.
Problem Solving in Preschool
During the foundational years, children are constantly solving problems as they play .
Here are just a few examples of problem solving in early childhood :
- Resolving a fight over the same toy
- Reaching a ball that’s stuck in the tree
- Forming a circle while holding hands
- Making a bridge to connect two block towers
- Tying or untying a shoe
- Making up rules for a new game
- Trying to get the consistency of a mud cake right so it stops falling over
The more creative play opportunities and challenges children are given, the more they get to exercise their problem-solving muscles.
During free play , there are non-stop experiences for this, and parents and teachers can also encourage specific problem-solving skills through guided activities .
Problem Solving for Older Children
During the grades, children experience problems in many forms, some of which may be related to their academic, social and emotional well-being at school. Problems may come in the form of dealing with life issues, such as:
- Problems with friendships
- Struggling to understand something during a lesson
- Learning to balance the demands of sport and homework
- Finding the best way to study for a test
- Asking a teacher for help when needed
Problems will also form a large part of academic life as teachers will be actively developing this skill through various activities, for example:
- Solving a riddle or understanding a work of literature
- Working on projects with a friend
- Finding solutions during science experiments
- Solving mathematical problems
- Solving hypothetical problems during lessons
- Answering questions and completing exam papers
Children who have had practice during preschool will be a lot more capable when facing these challenges.
Solving Problems in Mathematics
Mathematics needs to be mentioned separately as although it is part of schooling, it is such a huge part and it depends heavily on a child’s ability to solve problems.
The entire subject of mathematics is based on solving problems. Whether you are adding 2 and 3, working out how many eggs will fit into each basket, or solving an algebraic expression, there is a problem in every question.
Mathematics is just a series of problems that need to be solved.
What we refer to as problem solving in Maths is usually answering word problems .
The reason many children find these so difficult to answer is that the question is presented as a problem through a story, rather than just numbers with symbols telling you what operation to use (addition, division, etc.)
This means a child is forced to think carefully, understand the problem and determine the best way to solve it.
These problems can involve various units (e.g. mass, capacity or currency) as well as fractions, decimals, equations and angles, to name a few. Problems tend to become more and more complex over the years.
My experience in the classroom has shown that many, many children struggle with solving word problems, from the early grades right into the senior years.
They struggle to analyze the question, understand it, determine what information they’ve been given, and what exactly they are required to solve.
The good news is that exposing a child to regular problem-solving activities and games in preschool can greatly help him to solve word problems later on in school.
If you need one good reason to do these kinds of activities, let it be for a smoother experience in mathematics – a subject so many children unnecessarily fear.
Problem Solving in the Workplace
Adults in the workplace seldom thrive without problem-solving skills. They are required to regularly solve problems .
As adults, employees are expected to independently deal with the frequent challenges, setbacks and problems that are a big part of every working environment.
Those who can face and solve their own problems will go further and cope better than those who seek constant help from others or cannot show initiative.
Some career websites even refer to problem solving as a universal job skill. They also mention that many employees are not good at it.
Again, although it may seem far removed, learning this skill at a young age will help a child cope right into adulthood and in the working world.
How to Teach Children Problem-Solving Skills
If early childhood is the best time to grow these skills in your young children, then how does one go about teaching them to toddlers, preschoolers and kindergarteners?
Problem solving can be taught in such a way that you expose your child to various opportunities where they will be faced with challenges.
You would not necessarily sit your 3-year-old down and tell or “teach” him all about fixing problems. Instead, you want to create opportunities for your child to grow this skill .
Using the brain to think and find solutions is a bit like working a muscle over time. Eventually, your muscle gets stronger and can handle more “ weight. ” Your child will learn to problem solve in two ways:
- Incidentally – through free play
- Through guided opportunities provided by a parent or teacher
If you make a point of encouraging thinking through games and activities, your child will develop stronger skills than if you let it all happen incidentally.
Problem-Solving Strategies and Steps
If we take a look at the steps involved in solving a problem, we can see that there are many layers involved and different types of skills. Here are the problem-solving steps according to the University of Ken.
Step 1: Identify the problem
Step 2: Define the problem
Step 3: Examine the options
Step 4: Act on a plan
Step 5: Look at the consequences
Therefore, activities at a preschool level need not present complicated high-level problems.
- A simple activity such as identifying differences in a picture can work on the first skill needed – identifying a problem.
- Playing with construction toys can develop a child’s ability to try various solutions and examine the options when faced with a problem such as trying to find the best way to build something.
- Playing Tic-Tac-Toe would make a child predict the consequences of placing their mark in a particular square.
The most basic of activities can work on all these skills and make children competent solution finders.
How to Teach Problem Solving with Questions
The language you use around your child and your questioning technique will also greatly affect their understanding of a problem or challenge as merely something waiting for a solution to be found .
While your child is playing or when she comes to you with a problem, ask open-ended questions that will guide her in finding a potential answer independently. Use the steps listed above to formulate your questions.
Here are some examples of questions:
- What do you think made the tower of blocks fall down?
- If we build it again, how can we change the structure so that it won’t fall down next time?
- Is there a better way we can do it? If you think of a different way, we can both try it and see which works better.
- Did that work? The tower fell again so let’s try another solution.
Resist the temptation to fix every one of your child’s problems, including conflict with friends or siblings. These are important opportunities for children to learn how to resolve things by negotiating, thinking and reasoning.
With time, your child will get used to seeing a problem, understanding it, weighing up the options, taking action and evaluating the consequences.
Problems will be seen as challenges to be faced logically and not “problems.”
This post contains affiliate links for educational products that I personally recommend. If you purchase through one of them, I earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Read the terms and conditions for more details.
10 Problem-Solving Activities for Preschoolers
Here are 10 simple, easy games and problem solving activities for kids at home or at school. Many of them are the kinds of activities children should have daily exposure to.
Puzzles are one of the best thinking activities out there. Each puzzle is basically one big set of muddled-up things to be sorted out and put back together again. Find out why puzzles are important for development .
Children should have regular exposure to puzzles. They are great for developing thinking skills.
2. Memory games
Memory games will develop your child’s memory and attention to detail.
Get your own memory game cards by downloading the FREE set of printables at the end of the post.
Use pairs of matching pictures and turn them all face down, shuffled, on a table. Take turns choosing any two cards and turning them face up on the table. If you turn over a matching pair you keep the cards and if the pair doesn’t match, turn the cards back over until it is your turn to try again.
Encourage your child to concentrate and pay attention to where the pictures are and try to find a matching pair on each turn.
3. Building with Construction Toys
Construction toys such as engineering blocks , a proper set of wooden blocks or Legos should be a daily staple in your home.
Everything your child builds is a challenge because it requires thinking about what to build and how to put the pieces together to get a design that works and is functional.
Leave your child to construct freely and occasionally set a challenge and ask him to build a specific structure, with conditions. For example:
- Make two towers with a bridge joining them together
- Build a creature that stands on its own and has 3 arms.
Then watch your child wracking his brain until he finds a way to make his structure work.
4. Activity Books
These activity books are really fun and develop a child’s ability to identify problems and search for information.
5. Following Patterns
This simple activity can be played with a set of coloured blocks , shapes or counters.
Simply make a pattern with the blocks and ask your child to continue it. Vary the pattern by changing the colours, shapes or sizes.
This activity will train your child to analyse the given information, make sense of it, recognise the pattern and re-create it.
6. Story Time Questions
Get into the habit of asking questions during your daily story time that develop higher-order thinking skills . Instead of just reading and your child passively listening, ask questions throughout, concentrating on solving problems.
Here are some examples:
- Why do you think the bear did that?
- Do you think his friend will be happy? Why?
- What would you do if you were the monkey?
- How do you think Peter can make things better with his friend?
- If the crocodile had decided not to eat the rabbit, how could the story have ended?
7. Board Games
Board games are an excellent way to develop problem-solving skills.
Start off with simple games like Ludo and Snakes and Ladders to teach the skill of following rules and moving in a logical sequence.
Card games like Go Fish are also great for teaching young children to think ahead and solve problems.
8. Tic-Tac-Toe
This is a perfect game to teach decision-making skills , thinking before acting and weighing up the possible consequences.
Use a Tic Tac Toe Board or d raw a simple table like the one above on paper or a chalkboard. Take turns to add a nought or a cross to the table and see who can make a row of three first.
Your child will probably catch on in no time and start thinking carefully before placing their symbol. This game can also be played with coloured counters or different objects.
9. Classifying and Grouping Activities
This activity can be done with a tin of buttons or beads or even by unpacking the dishwasher. The idea is to teach the skill of classifying and categorizing information by learning with physical objects. Here are some other ideas for categorizing:
- Separate the washing – mom’s clothes, dad’s clothes, etc; or socks, tops, shorts, etc.
- Empty out the cutlery drawer for cleaning, mix all the utensils up and then sort into knives, tablespoons, teaspoons, etc.
- Classify and sort out the toys in your child’s bedroom together – all books, construction toys, soft toys, etc.
Here are more button activities for kids .
10. Building a Maze
This activity is lots of fun and suitable for any age. It is also going to be way more fun than doing a maze in an activity book, especially for younger children.
Draw a big maze on the paving with sidewalk chalk . Make passages, including one or two that end in a dead-end. Teach your child to find her way out .
As your child gets better at figuring out a route and finding the way out, make the maze more complex and add more dead-end passages.
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Friday 3rd of June 2022
hi maam , This Is Uma from India,Can i get this in pdf format or a book. Thank You
Tanja Mcilroy
Monday 6th of June 2022
Hi Uma, thanks for your message. These articles are not available in PDF, but you are welcome to copy and paste them from the website, as long as you add the reference: https://empoweredparents.co/problem-solving-activities-preschoolers/ Thanks for reading!
Wednesday 20th of May 2020
Very very useful content. Good work. Thank you.
Friday 22nd of May 2020
Thanks Ann.
Tuesday 19th of May 2020
Would like to download the free activity pack please.
Hi Kelly, Please download the activity pack on this page: www.empoweredparents.co
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Problem Solving Activities for Toddlers
Benefits of Problem Activities for Toddlers
No matter how hard we work to protect our children, there are always going to be challenges that they will have to work through and overcome. As adults, we problem solve every single day, using the tools we learned throughout our life to help us navigate our daily lives. Children also encounter many problems that need solving.
For example, your child may find themselves fighting with another classmate over the same tiara in dress up or they might run out of a specific paint color during arts and crafts. Problems are always around us! With this in mind, it’s important to help your child work on problem solving!
So, even if we can’t solve our kids’ problems, we can help them learn the skills necessary to solve and conquer the problems coming their way, setting them up for future success.
What are problem solving activities?
To help work on your child’s problem solving skills, it's important to know what a problem solving activity is! Essentially, a problem solving activity presents your child with a challenge they must solve using the knowledge provided within the activity or event. Your child uses their resources and current knowledge, along with potentially your help, to accomplish their goal.
Within a problem solving activity there is always one, if not more, solutions. Your child works on skills such as adaptability, creativity, resourcefulness, critical thinking, active listening, decision making, and even vulnerability.
Problem solving activities can be more than some of the immediate things that come to mind. You may immediately think of math problems or hypothetical situations that they could solve. These are great options! But there are plenty more out there.
Here are some examples that involve problem solving and activities ideas that go with them!
Simple problem solving activities for toddlers
- Building with toys around them : blocks are an easy first step into problem solving. Your child can build by themselves or with others, using the blocks as a tool to accomplish their goal and creation.
Even if you don’t have blocks, there are plenty of toys that can be stacked or objects that you have around your home! Playing cards, legos, shoes, toilet paper rolls, and plastic plates/utensils are some great and easy options!
With any toy, make sure your child is not at risk of choking or swallowing the toy parts. Check out our parent's guide to toy safety to help you feel safe and secure with the toys you have at home!
- Board games : board games are a great option for your child to work on problem solving and for you to feel nostalgic! Bring out your favorite board game as a kid and play it with your child.
The people behind board games put a lot of thought and effort into the rules and purpose of their game! Your child is being challenged appropriately for their age while having fun!
- Storytelling : storytelling is a great option to work on creativity! Play the sentence game where you each only say a sentence, building off of what the other person says while creating a fun and often hilarious story.
When creating a story, try to incorporate a conflict for your child to come up with a solution for. Perhaps without even realizing it, your child is working on problem solving while having fun!
Cognitive problem solving activities for toddler
- Scavenger Hunts : have your child find objects or places in your home or nearby that they must think about in order to find! A basic description can be given that will act as a guide for your toddler in coming up with an answer! They must use their memory and thinking in order to successfully find an object or place that fits the prompt!
- Word problems: usually used to help develop math skills, word problems force your child to conceptualize the problem in their head. They don’t necessarily have an image provided to help them solve the problem; rather, they might draw the factors of the problem or learn to organize the information in a way that makes the problem easily solvable!
- Memory Games : If you already have a matching memory game, great! If you don’t, create your own! In a memory matching game, your child must match two cards of the same image. Have your child create these cards, cut them out, and set them down so that they cannot see the image on the other side. We recommend using crayons as markers may bleed through the other side, ruining the mystery!
In order to win, your child must remember where the matching card lays!
Be Creative!
Problem solving occurs whether the environment is controlled or uncontrolled, meaning even if you don’t intend for a problem, it can happen anywhere and at any time. Use these moments as teaching moments! You don’t need a formal plan to help your child work on problem solving as a skill. Instead, use the world around you!
How can I help my toddler with problem solving?
Now, you may be wondering, “How exactly do I work on and/or teach problem solving?”. You now understand what a problem solving activity is, but you now need to actually try one out. Here are some ideas for you to use as inspiration!
Work alongside your child!
Having your support will help your child feel comfortable to ask questions and think through the problem in front of them. At times, it's important to allow your child to figure out a problem or toy on their own! Here at ToyVentive we highly recommend Montessori toys that emphasize independent play, but we also know the value of being a source of support for your child.
Prompt your child through questions
At times, the only thing standing between your child and a solution is the right question being asked. Communication is so important in problem solving at any age! Emphasize asking and answering questions to help your child understand the importance of talking out a problem.
Make sure they understand what the problem is
Similar to asking the right questions, make sure your child understands what the problem exactly is in front of them. If they don’t understand this, they’re likelihood of solving the activity is very low. Have them verbally identify the problem so you know they are on the right track for success!
Offer alternative solutions!
Oftentimes, there are multiple solutions to a single problem. After your child has taken the time to come up with a solution, consider throwing out other options! This will help them see the problem in new ways and that there isn’t always one way to approach a problem. This creates conversation between you and your child!
Make the activity fun and lighthearted!
Problem solving can be scary. Your child is working on their vulnerability and confidence by offering up a solution to a newly presented problem. If they get it wrong, encourage them to try again and emphasize that it's okay to be wrong. If they feel comfortable, they are more likely to offer up answers and try out new solutions.
Allow them to fail!
As harsh as it sounds, failing is inevitable. However, it's an important lesson that can be applied to many aspects of life. Oftentimes failing leads to a new and better solution. Talk to them about why that solution didn’t work so they can learn from the moment. If you see them working in a way that won’t lead them to success, don’t intervene. Rather, watch, assess, and use this failure as motivation to keep trying.
How do you teach preschool problem solving?
In teaching anything, it's important to engage your child in the lesson. Customize your activity to your child’s interests. Food is a great tool. If your child loves bananas, consider talking about bananas in your activity. For example, think about a simple math problem. You could ask your child if they had three bananas and they ate one, how many would be left? This will help your child be interested and want to learn.
Also, make the activity relevant to what your child is learning about. Your little one may be working on feelings and understanding many different emotions. Create an activity with hypothetical situations and ask your child what they would do and how they would feel. They can incorporate their knowledge on emotions while working on figuring out how to solve certain situations.
If your child is in school, ask them about what they are learning. Not only do you show interest in their life, but you are also gaining valuable knowledge that you can use at home!
Consider purchasing premade toys that emphasize problem solving! We know you don’t always have the time to come up with activities and lesson plans. Check out our products for some great options! With each of our toys , your child is faced with a unique set of challenges.
With our wooden activity cube , your toddler has a variety of problems to solve. Each side offers a new challenge.
With our puzzles , your child begins to understand and conceptualize size and shape. Check out this article for new ways to play with puzzles!
Even if you don’t use our products or want to clutter your house with a new toy, your environment is full of options for your child to problem solve. If you use your creativity, your child will also work on their own!
Emphasize patience
In problem solving, the answer is not always an easy solution, especially for children still learning so much about the world around them. For your toddler, it can be easy for feelings of frustration and anger to take over. Let them feel whatever they feel. It’s so important to validate and affirm feelings; however, use this as an opportunity to teach patience as well!
Tell them that even you as an adult struggle with frustration. It’s a lifelong struggle! However, just like anything, practice makes perfect. As long as you put in the effort, you’ll get a result.
At any age, problem solving is no easy task. But, the younger you start to work on problem solving, the easier it will be to solve challenges as you grow. When your child is an adult, they will need to problem solve in their workplace and in their personal life. The younger you start teaching them, the stronger and more effective their skills will be!
We hope you found this blog helpful and as a great starting point in helping your 2-3 year old solve their current or future problems! Comment down below any challenges or successes you have found!
Works Referenced:
https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/resumes-cover-letters/problem-solving-skills
https://empoweredparents.co/problem-solving-activities-preschoolers/
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ADAM & Mila
The Ultimate List of Creative Problem Solving Activities for Toddlers
We will explore problem solving skills, milestones and creative problem solving examples for kids that you will have fun trying with your little one.
Let’s Define Problem Solving
It’s simple. Problem solving is a skill set used by your baby that incorporates his or her ability to perceive, think, and gain understanding about his or her world; including remembering and decision-making. All of these problem solving skills are also known as cognitive skills .
Purposeful Problem Solving
Problem solving is a skill that begins early in your baby’s life. But there is a difference between simple problem solving and purposeful problem solving. Let’s explain.
Purposeful problem solving involves an intended action to achieve a desired result. Your child will use a specific problem solving approach to achieve this. They may include:
- Manipulating objects
- Learning about different properties of objects
- Learning how to get things done in the easiest way
Overcoming Obstacles
Overcoming obstacles is a necessity in becoming good at problem solving . There are times when you will be convinced that your child is a genius with the clever ways he can overcome the obstacles that stand in his way!
Everyday Problems and Solutions
Make way for your little creative thinker! Overcoming obstacles in clever ways is what your little one does best. These clever ways are not always verbal (especially at a younger age), it is important to practice nonverbal problem solving activities. So, what will your baby’s creative problem solving abilities look like? Take a look at two examples of problem solving life skills activities:
Life Problem: Your child sees her bottle sticking out of the diaper bag that is slightly out of reach. Solution: Your child pulls at the strap of the diaper bag to pull it closer to her.
Life Problem: Your child sees his favorite toy on the other side of the laundry basket. Solution: He crawls around the laundry basket to get his toy.
Understanding Cognitive Development
Cognitive development is your child’s ability to communicate, think, and problem solve. As your child grows, his or her brain is growing as well. As your child’s cognitive skills become more developed, the more he or she will begin to explore their world and test things in his or her environment. Understanding your baby’s cognitive development is key to chosing the best activities to help your baby master his or her problem solving skills.
Resist Coming to the Rescue
One great tip for parents is to not be so quick to come to the aid of your child when he or she faces small everyday problems. By allowing your baby the time and space to figure things out for himself, you help him build confidence and grow his ability to problem solve.
Tips for Easy Creative Problem Solving Activities
We at ADAM & Mila wish to provide practical and easy to apply ideas for fun and educational activities. There is a variety of easy brain boosting activities to stimulate your baby’s brain, increase his or her critical thinking skills , and help your little one become a great problem solver. There are a lot of activities that you can do with your child.
Problem Solving Activities For Infants
- Sing to your baby
- Read to your baby every day
Problem Solving Activities For Toddlers
- Play peek-a-boo
- Play hide-and-seek with objects
- Play with puzzles, blocks, or drawing materials
Problem Solving Activities For Children Age 2-3
- Sort objects by color, size, and shape
- Help your child “write” his own book by writing his words while he or she draws the pictures
- Teach the words; on, under, behind, around by playing games like Simon Says
- Provide a “dress-up” box for your child for imaginative play
The Milestones of Developing Methodical Problem Solving Skills
Below we have collected all the milestones your child will go through month-by-month as he or she acquire these critical problem solving skills.
That Second Reach
Development Milestone emerges from age 5 to 7 months.
At about 5 months old, your child will begin to purposely reach for second objects while still holding on to the first one. For example, while holding one toy in his hands, he may use his other hand to reach for a second toy. He does not, however, have to necessarily pick it up.
Works for It
Development Milestone emerges from age 5 to 9 months.
Now, your baby’s movements start to demonstrate clear purpose, intention, and persistence while repeatedly reaching for objects. This is when your child will try and try again to get that ball he really wants that is out of his reach. He may reach, stretch, or even wiggle to get it.
Drops Object to Pick Up New Object
Development Milestone emerges from age 6 to 8 months.
At this age, if your little one is holding an object or toy in each of her hands, she may drop one of them to pick up a new object without even thinking about it. She isn’t yet purposefully trying to think of a way to hold all three, which is why she will drop one toy to get the new one.
Reaches for New Object While Holding Two
Development Milestone emerges from age 8 to 10 months.
Unlike the stage before, this time when your child is holding an object in each of his hands, he will attempt to pick up a third one without dropping the ones he is already holding. There is a thought process of how to hold the third item, whether it is by adjusting his grasp on the current two items, reaching with his mouth for the third item or coming up with another way.
Pulling It Closer
Now, when your child sees his favorite toy resting on a towel or sheet out of reach, he will simply purposely pull the towel or sheet with the toy on it closer to him. Observe this milestone on your child by simply placing a toy on a towel on the floor and see what your child does.
Development Milestone emerges from age 8 to 11 months.
Nothing is going to stop your little one from getting to the toy he wants! Not a box, laundry basket, or pillow. At this age, your baby will figure out a way to get that toy he wants, even if he has to push, reach above, or move around something to get it.
Getting in Motion to Grab an Object
Development Milestone emerges from age 9 to 12 months.
Now, your child is ready to crawl, creep, scoot, roll, climb, or walk to get to that toy she wants! You can test to see if your child has mastered this milestone by placing a toy that has multiple pieces like a stacking toy around the room. Place the base of the stacking toy by your child and the rings around the room and watch as your child problem solves to find the rings and bring them back to the base.
Pulling Toy Horizontally by a Handle or Strap
This stage shows your child’s understanding of how two objects are connected and how one can influence the movement of the other. So, you may see your child pull at a shoestring to get her shoe or the strap of a diaper bag to get her bottle or sippy cup.
Pulling Toy Vertically by a Handle or Strap
Development Milestone emerges from age 13 to 15 months.
Now that she has mastered pulling horizontally at a string or strap of an object to bring it closer to her, she will begin to pull at strings or straps that are hanging to pull an object up to her. For example, she may pull a string or plastic chain link of a toy dangling from her high chair.
Flips Over Container to Get to Small Objects
Development Milestone emerges from age 12 to 18 months.
When trying to get at a small object inside of a container, your baby will likely try to get at it by poking his finger in it or shaking it. However, after showing him how, your baby will flip over the container and begin to shake it until the desired object falls out.
Simple Problem Solving with Tools
Development Milestone emerges from age 17 to 24 months.
At this stage, your child will use an unrelated object to get the object she actually wants. For example, she may grab a nearby stick (or spatula) to get her favorite toy out from underneath the couch or she may invent other ways to solve her problem of getting her favorite toy out.
Turning Doorknobs
Development Milestone emerges from age 21 to 23 months.
Now, the fun begins (depending on your idea of fun) because your toddler has figured out that he or she can get to the other side of the door by simply turning the doorknob. This means you need to do another round of baby proofing. A door is no longer an obstacle.
These are some of the many milestones that your child is mastering as he or she is growing from infant to toddler. Your baby’s ability to problem solve is an important one. It can also be a lot of fun to help them along the way as that skill continues to develop. It is important to note that every baby learns at his or her own pace. So, don’t worry if your baby isn’t doing what your neighbor’s kid was doing at that age. Always speak to your pediatrician for serious concerns. Otherwise, try out some fun activities with your baby that we know will benefit both you and your child. Oh, and remember to have fun!
We hope that this article was helpful to you. We would love to know what you think! Please share our article with others who might benefit from it.
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Grand ma Iris says
April 3, 2019 at 6:27 pm
Enjoyed reading your article on early childhood growth and thinking process for problem solving. Helpful
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You Can Do It: Teaching Toddlers Problem-Solving Skills
Problem-solving skills are necessary for early childhood development
Problem-solving skills build upon how toddlers sense, think, and understand the world around them, making them vital for early childhood development. By being active participants in exploration, toddlers learn to make connections they can apply to other areas of life through new experiences.
Luckily, curiosity and play-based activities come naturally to toddlers. But you can encourage them to develop problem-solving skills by showing them exercises and activities that will inspire them to think creatively and critically.
Identify the problem
Problem-solving means finding solutions to a problem. And the ability to solve problems requires mental development, which toddlers need to think, communicate, and take action.
In terms of cognitive development, problem-solving skills include the following:
- Analytical thinking, breaking down a problem into manageable parts
- Lateral thinking, solving problems creatively
- Decision-making
- Logical reasoning
- Persistence
- Communication
- Negotiation
Toddlers are like little scientists constantly experimenting with cause and effect, socially and physically. This interest is a marker for the development of problem-solving skills, so keep their natural efforts focused to encourage their problem-solving.
Determine the solution
Although as adults we are inclined to help toddlers, letting them solve problems on their own helps them learn better problem-solving skills. Independence will also encourage them to develop the confidence needed for more advanced problem-solving.
The language you use to address a toddler or answer their questions also presents an opportunity to teach problem-solving. Ask a toddler for their opinion on or interpretation of a problem, and make an effort to guide them toward their own solution. Ask questions that start with what , why , how , when , where , and who , and look to them for answers.
Aside from giving a toddler independence to play and learn, consider the following simple activities to promote their problem-solving:
- Working with blocks, nesting boxes, or stacking rings
- Putting together puzzles
- Playing hide-and-seek with objects
- Grouping like items together
- Engaging in imaginative play with household objects
- Playing games such as Simon Says, Tic-Tac-Toe, or spot the difference between two similar pictures
- Playing dress-up
- Drawing in their own book
- Doing simple chores such as wiping counters or sweeping
- Stringing macaroni, cereal, or chunky beads
- Building forts from boxes or sheets
- Matching animals with their sounds
- Playing memory games
- Answering story-time questions
Challenging a toddler to solve problems doesn’t need to be difficult or expensive, but you should do so while they’re still young. Investing time and effort into helping them learn these skills now will give them a foundation to overcome obstacles independently throughout life. The VA Infant & Toddler Specialist Network helps improve the quality of care for infants and toddlers through extensive resources, services, and education for caregivers. Learn more about how we can help you improve the standard of care.
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The Military Wife and Mom
Parenting and motherhood in the midst of military life
50+ Best Simple Games for 2 Year Olds and Up
The ultimate list of games for 2 year olds includes board games, DIY games, classic games, free online games and apps, learning games. All of these can help boost your child’s focus, memory, problem-solving, teamwork and critical thinking skills.
Post may contain affiliate links which means if you make a purchase, I may earn a small commission.
“For a small child there is no division between playing and learning; between the things he or she does ‘just for fun’ and things that are ‘educational.’ The child learns while living and any part of living that is enjoyable is also play.” ~ Penelope Leach
On This Page…
What are the best games for 2 year olds, benefits of games with toddlers..
- Best board games, learning puzzles and toys.
- Fun DIY games (things you already have at home!).
- Top picks for classic games.
- Free online toddler games and apps.
When I’m looking for a toddler game, I’m looking for a couple of things:
1. Is it easy to set up and put away? If you have a 2 year old not listening , you don’t want a huge mess to clean up.
2. Is it taste safe? If your child likes to put things in their mouths, this is something to consider.
3. Is it something your child can be successful with? No need to purposely instigate a toddler tantrum .
4. Does it involve some fine motor or gross motor movement? Young children want to move , not sit still for periods of time.
At first glance, a game seems like a simple way to occupy your child and maybe have a moment of peace.
Surprisingly, you are accomplishing so much more when playing ANY kind of game with a child!
In just twenty minutes of game play with your kids, you can help your child develop:
- color, shape, number, letter recognition
- hand-eye coordination
- increased attention span
- fine motor skills
- gross motor skills
- problem-solving
- social-emotional skills
- imagination
- language skills
- self-control
- critical thinking
- planning skills
- memory skills
- focus ability
- cooperation
- ability to follow instructions
That’s some pretty serious parenting multi-tasking if you ask me!
The Center for the Developing Child at Harvard University shares that when you play many kinds of games with your kids, you help them develop executive function skills.
Translation: Playing games develops the awesome brain skills listed above.
Let’s dive into the many types of awesome games for 2 year olds!
Best board games and learning puzzles and toys.
1. Coogam Wooden Magnetic Fishing Game
2. Haba First Orchard Cooperative Board Game
3. Interactive Pound a Mole Game
4. Think Fun Roll and Play Game
5. Stepping Stones Obstacle Course Coordination Game
6. Bean Bag Toss Game for Kids
7. Montessori Shape Sorting Puzzle
8. Animals Sorting and Stacking Game
9. Peaceable Kingdom Monkey Around Game
10. Ladybug Montessori Memory Game (So much fun!)
11. Farm animals barn set board game
12. Stepping Stones Active Movement Game
13. Daniel Tiger’s Welcome to Mainstreet
14. The Elephant Stacking Tower Game
15. Peaceable Kingdom Where’s Bear?
16. Eric Carle Brown Bear, Brown Bear Puzzle Pairs
17. CozyBomB Magnetic Wooden Fishing Game
18. Seek-a-Boo
19. Acorn Soup
20. Gamewright Hiss Card Game
21. The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game
22. Mollybee Toddler Scavenger Hunt Cooperative Game
23. Montessori Magnetic Worm Toy
Find a comprehensive list of best board games for 2 year olds here .
Fun DIY Games (Using things you already have at home!)
Many of these are educational games that you can create at home, and most of the time, they are created using things you already have on hand. No need to head to the store.
Bonus: I often find that my kids love a homemade game better than a traditional board game. And they like to help set it up too! When kids help create what they play with, they are naturally more inclined to use it and enjoy it.
Skills often learned during these games include:
- learning different colors / color recognition
- letter and number recognition
- social-emotional skills like taking turns
- imaginative play
1. Montessori Games for 2 Year Olds
2. Sorting Games for Toddlers
3. Alphabet Matching Game
4. Pool Noodle Fishing Game
5. Straw Sorting Game
6. Feed the Bunny Color Game
7. Matching Game with Socks
8. 40+ Painters Tape Games
9. 10 Games Using Only Hands / Voice / Body
10. DIY Emotion Card Games
11. Printable Roll-A-Shape Game
12. Sidewalk Chalk Game
13. Flashlight Games
14. Car-Parking Numbers Game
15. Post It Name Game for Kids
16. DIY Rainbow Game (Printable Board Game)
17. Indoor Scavenger Hunt Game
18. Construction Pom-Pom Sort Game (Super cute!)
19. Fishing Fun Number Recognition Game
20. Pom-Pom Color Match Game
21. Ball Games for 2 Year Olds
22. DIY Printable Dice Game for Toddlers
Top Picks for Classic Games
These are great for preschoolers too!
1. Simon Says
One person is Simon or Elmo or Dora or Spiderman or Teacher or Whoever, and this person is the “leader.” Simon gives a set of instructions and everyone else follows. The person who doesn’t follow the instructions is “out.” And the person who follows the instructions throughout the game, wins Simon Says.
2. Red Light, Green Light
One person is the leader who calls out “Red Light” or “Green Light.” When the leader calls out “Red Light,” everyone stops. When the leader calls out “Green Light,” everyone goes. Anyone who doesn’t stop or freeze during “Red Light” is out.
3. Follow the Leader
Take a walk around your house or outside and whatever you (or the leader) does, everyone else must follow. This is a great game to allow your child to be the leader and have you follow your child. It’s a perfect opportunity to model following directions for your child!
4. Visual Direction “Games”
With kids, visual directions are so important! You can make life simpler and fun using visual directions for your kids, such as a printable daily schedule for kids .
- Bedtime routine cards
- Morning routine cards
- Mealtime routine cards
5. Scavenger Hunt
You can do a verbal version of this and just tell your child what you’ll be looking for next, or you can find some pictures of items, print it out, and have your child look for these items around the house, and mark them off as they find each item.
6. Dance Party
Turn up the music and have a dance party. 2-year-olds have a lot to teach us when it comes to unhindered dance moves!
7. Count and Clap
Clap for certain number of times while counting aloud. Have your child repeat the claps the same number of times. Keep going with different numbers 1-10.
8. Draw on Back
Draw letters or numbers on your child’s back and have them guess the letter. Then have the child draw a letter or number on your back and you have to guess what it is.
9. Hide and Seek
Have your child hide while you count to 10. Find your child. Then have your child count (if they can’t, it’s okay. Have them pretend) and come find you.
10. Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes
Music games for 2 year olds are my favorite because they keep a toddler engaged and happy!
You and your child sing the song while pointing to your heads, shoulders, knees, and toes. Speed it up to make it more challenging, and throw in some different body parts—eyes, elbows, mouths, and nose—to mix it up. Or leave out one of the body parts to see your child is paying attention.
Other song games include:
- The Hokey Pokey
- Ring Around the Rosie
- I’m a Little Teapot
- Motorboat, Motorboat
- Punchinella, Punchinella
11. Freeze Dance
Find a great dance song and and your child dances. Stop the music at various intervals and your child has to freeze in whatever crazy dance position they’re in.
12. Sleeping Lions (or Bears)
Ask the kids to lie on the floor as still as they can possibly be. Each person that moves is out. And the person who stays the most still wins.
13. Pretend to Be Animals
Turn on some fun songs and have the kids pretend to be different animals.
14. Keep the Balloon Up
Blow up a few balloons and have your child try to keep them in the air.
Free Online Toddler Games and Apps
I try to avoid screens as much as possible with a 2 year old. But the reality is this: Sometimes technology comes in real handy when your child is “on the verge” and you need to wait for a long period of time.
Keep these apps as a backup if you need it!
1. PBS Kids Games | iPhone | Android
2. ABC Mouse (Free for first 30 days) | iPhone | Android
3. LEGO® DUPLO® World | iPhone | Android
4. Peek-a-Zoo | iPhone
5.Toca Kitchen Monsters | iPhone
6. Balloon Pop | iPhone | Android
Games Keep Kids Happy and Mom Sane
While I wouldn’t say that games for 2 year olds are my favorite time of day (I prefer naptime ☺️), they are a fantastic way to help your child develop awesome brain skills, break up the day, keep kids engaged, moving and happy.
This is all a huge stress relief to me as a parent.
“Play is the work of the child.” – Maria Montessori
Want more on parenting?
- Frustrated with Disciplining Your 2 Year-Old? Try These Ideas!
- 2 Year Old Sleep Schedule That Works Every Time
- 2 Year Old Sleep Regression Explained: Why It Happens and How to Fix It
- 5 Sample Daily Toddler Schedules From Real Moms
- 10 Empowering Ways to Improve Toddler Listening
- How to Get Your Toddler to Follow a Routine Without Reminders
- 2 Year Old Not Listening? Try This Remarkable Tip
I've created a free email series just for you!
If you are struggling with feeling happy in motherhood, let me help you streamline your family's daily routines so you can enjoy your family life without the stress. Yes, really. I've seen my routines work time and time again for parents. I know it can work for you too.
This free email series will help you:
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About Lauren Tamm
I'm Lauren, a military spouse and Language of Listening® master parent coach. I write about my crazy parenting adventures, discovering happiness in motherhood and navigating the ups and downs of military life. I spend my days re-heating coffee while chasing my kids around the house. Hang around for a bit and join the fun!
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8 pre-K games to teach problem-solving skills
If you're looking for some great problem-solving activities for toddlers and pre-K kids, look no further. These games can bring them all those benefits and more.
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You want to build your child’s problem-solving skills, but you aren’t sure how. Although talking about hypothetical problems may seem like the obvious choice, consider using a game instead.
“Games are fun and bring joy to the child and give them a sense of accomplishment,” says Barbie Gallini, who has over 20 years’ experience working with children and is the co-founder of Robots and Mud Pies Preschool . “Games also provide bonding time with parents, family and friends.”
Pre-K games that involve problem solving can bring you and your child together — if you give them a chance.
“Many parents shy away from problem-solving games,” says Darla Hutson, creator of The Preschool Toolbox blog and family child care owner with 34 years’ experience, “as they are not sure exactly how to play them or what kinds of games enhance critical thinking.”
If you’re looking for some great pre-K games and activities that will build your child’s problem-solving skills, look no further. Here are eight games that can bring them all those benefits and more:
1. Off the Ground
This game is perfect for a cluttered playroom or a small living room. Challenge preschoolers to work together to create a way to walk around the entire room without touching the ground. That might mean stretching from a chair onto a trampoline, then walking across a pool noodle to reach a small table. Encourage children to be creative, and then to try out their plans.
2. Treasure Hunt
Not only is a treasure hunt a great way to build problem-solving skills, it can also teach kids how to work together, an integral part of most preschool activities. Decide on 5 to 10 locations around the house and write out one clue to place at each location. Each clue should lead to the next clue. At the end of the clue trail, leave something exciting like a snack or the next fun activity.
Putting together a puzzle teaches preschoolers how to use trial and error, as well as fine motor skills and visual cues, to create the final picture. You can play a game with puzzles by challenging preschoolers to try to beat their best time to complete one. Alternatively, let preschoolers make their own puzzles out of crayons, paper and scissors. Then they can swap with a friend and race to see who can complete each other’s puzzle first.
4. Paper Airplane Race
Preschoolers can learn how to create a basic paper airplane with practice. You can challenge them to take it a step further, however, by asking them to create an airplane that can fly the farthest. They’ll need to use their problem-solving skills to figure out how each change slightly affects the way the plane flies.
5. Dotted Squares
This classic game is fun for preschoolers to play with each other or an adult. Make rows of dots — five dots in each of five rows, for starters — and then take turns drawing one line to connect the dots horizontally or vertically. Players who complete a box can write their initials in the box and take another turn. The goal is to claim as many boxes as possible.
6. Skyscraper
Does your preschooler love to build? If so, hold a contest to see who can build the tallest skyscraper in a given amount of time. You can use whatever building materials you have available — blocks, Legos or other building toys — but emphasize that the “skyscraper” needs to stand independently. Children will realize that they need to think before they begin in order to create a sturdy structure.
7. Engineering Games
Gallini has several engineering games on her preschool’s website that can be helpful for nannies or babysitters of preschoolers. For example, she suggests providing children with blocks, a piece of wood, balls and colored tape. Challenge students to use the blocks to build a ramp for the ball to roll down that will make the ball reach a given line of tape. Alternatively, you can challenge children to create a building using pipe cleaners. Can they make it stable enough to remain standing?
8. Commercial Games
While homemade games are always fun, many commercial games can teach problem-solving skills as well. Cooperative games, such as Max , Harvest Time or Richard Scarry’s Busytown , can teach kids to work together to solve problems.
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12 Problem-Solving Activities For Toddlers · 1. Simon Says · 2. Tic–tac–toe · 3. Treasure hunt · 4. Puzzles · 5. Hide and seek · 6. Sorting together.
Powerful Activities that Teach Problem-Solving Skills to Toddlers & Preschoolers · Puzzles · Doing Simple Chores · Stacking Rings · Playing Hide-and-Seek.
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10 Problem-Solving Activities for Preschoolers · 1. Puzzles · 2. Memory games · 3. Building with Construction Toys · 4. Activity Books · 5. Following Patterns · 6.
Building with toys around them: blocks are an easy first step into problem solving. · Board games: board games are a great option for your child
Problem Solving Activities For Children Age 2-3 · Sort objects by color, size, and shape · Help your child “write” his own book by writing his words while he or
Activities for 2 year olds to do that are age appropriate aren't always easy to find, but we've got them! Your little one will love these fun
Jun 26, 2014 - These problem solving exercises for toddlers will help your child learn important thinking and social skills through fun activities and
Determine the solution · Working with blocks, nesting boxes, or stacking rings · Putting together puzzles · Playing hide-and-seek with objects · Grouping like items
Ultimate list of games for 2 year olds - board games, DIY games, classic games. Boost your child's focus, memory, problem-solving, teamwork.
2. Treasure Hunt. Not only is a treasure hunt a great way to build problem-solving skills, it can also teach kids how to work together, an