problem solving activities preschool

By Audience

• Therapist Toolbox
• Teacher Toolbox
• Parent Toolbox
• Explore All

By Category

• Organization
• Impulse Control
• When Executive Function Skills Impair Handwriting
• Executive Functioning in School
• Executive Functioning Skills- Teach Planning and Prioritization
• Adults With Executive Function Disorder
• How to Teach Foresight
• Bilateral Coordination
• Hand Strengthening Activities
• What is Finger Isolation?
• Occupational Therapy at Home
• Fine Motor Skills Needed at School
• What are Fine Motor Skills
• Fine Motor Activities to Improve Open Thumb Web Space
• Indoor Toddler Activities
• Outdoor Play
• Self-Dressing
• Best Shoe Tying Tips
• Potty Training
• Cooking With Kids
• Scissor Skills
• Line Awareness
• Spatial Awareness
• Size Awareness
• Pencil Control
• Pencil Grasp
• Letter Formation
• Proprioception
• How to Create a Sensory Diet
• Visual Perception
• Eye-Hand Coordination
• How Vision Problems Affect Learning
• Vision Activities for Kids
• What is Visual Attention?
• Activities to Improve Smooth Visual Pursuits
• What is Visual Scanning
• Classroom Accommodations for Visual Impairments

How to Support Sensory Needs in the Cafeteria

• Free Resources
• Members Club
• Development , Executive Functioning Skills

Problem Solving Activities for Preschoolers

Colleen beck otr/l.

• by Colleen Beck OTR/L
• October 22, 2021

It can be frustrating when children act without thinking of the consequences. In this blog post, you’ll learn about the development of problem solving in specific parts of our brain, discover important aspects of executive functioning that impact problem solving abilities, how to teach problem solving to preschoolers, and problem solving activities for preschoolers and young children so they can use words instead of the preschooler’s behaviors  or tantrums.

Best of all, many of our favorite fine motor activities for preschoolers support problem solving skills in early childhood.

Problem Solving Activities for Preschoolers

Before we get into the problem solving activities for preschoolers, and specific strategies to use in early childhood, it’s important to understand the development of the problem-solving process in kids. Supporting small children by giving them the skills to be problem solvers takes time and practice. We’ll get to those specific strategies below.

But first, does this scenario sound familiar at all…

I just don’t understand why Johnny keeps throwing the ball in the house. Doesn’t he realized that he could break the window? Johnny is three and he loves to play with his tennis ball in the house. Even though I have told him over and over again that we don’t throw them in the house, I still catch him sneaking them indoors at least once a week. 

Before we can address problem solving by helping kids look at the big picture and coming up with creative solutions for problem solving issues, we need to understand what is happening developmentally. Self-reflection is a challenging cognitive skill, and for young learners! 

Let’s take a better look at the development of problem solving skills…

Development of Problem Solving Skills

It’s through play, observation of others, and practice that young learners are developing problem solving skills in early childhood .

Problem solving, rational thinking and reasoning are all skills that are controlled by a part of our brain called the prefrontal cortex. Our brains grow exponentially over the first five years of life, but not the part of our brain that helps us with critical thinking and problem solving skills. This part of our brain, called the prefrontal cortex, isn’t fully developed until we turn 25 years old! 

As babies, we are exposed every day to new experiences, but at this age we don’t comprehend how these experiences affect us and those around us. If only children could think through their problems. This resource on executive functioning skills offers more information.

Have you noticed that it can be a bit scary when teenagers get their drivers licenses? They don’t always think of “what might happen.” This is due to their prefrontal cortex not being fully developed. 

But what about our three and four year olds? We know they can count, ask questions and get the cookie off the counter in a very sneaky way when we aren’t looking. In the Early Years study of 2011 called Making decisions, Taking action , they describe the prefrontal cortex entering a rapid period of development, making critical interconnections with our limbic system. (link: )

This study states “The prefrontal cortex pathways that underlie these capacities are unique to human brains and take a long time to mature. Early connections begin in infancy. Between age 3 and 5 years, the prefrontal cortex circuits enter a rapid period of development and make critical interconnections with the limbic system. During adolescence and early adulthood, the neural pathways are refined and become more efficient.”

What is so great about this part of the brain anyway? 

As the prefrontal cortex (that is located behind out eyes) develops over the years, we are able to engage with situations differently, assessing our surroundings in a new way. As we develop these new executive functioning skills, we are able to keep ourselves safe, build friendships and become successful in our careers.

Related, these friendship activities for preschoolers offers ideas and strategies to support social emotional development.

This peer reviewed report competed by Merve Cikili Utyun, called Development Period of Prefrontal Cortex, discusses how amazing this part of our brain is, and how each of the three sections control different aspects of our functioning. It states that: 

“ PFC includes the following Broadman Areas (BA): 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 44, 45, 46, 47. “The dorsolateral frontal cortex (BA) 9/46 has been functioned in many cognitive process, including processing spatial information, monitoring and manipulation of working memory, the implementation of strategies to facilitate memory, response selection, the organization of material before encoding, and the verification and evaluation of representations that have been retrieved from long-term memory. 

The mid-ventrolateral frontal cortex (BA 47) has implicated cognitive functions, including the selection, comparison, and judgment of stimuli held in short-term and long-term memory, processing non-spatial information, task switching, reversal learning, stimulus selection, the specification of retrieval cues, and the ‘elaboration encoding’ of information into episodic memory.

BA 10, the most anterior aspect of the PFC, is a region of association cortex known to be involved in higher cognitive functions, such as planning future actions and decision-making. BAs 44 and 45, include part of the inferior frontal and these regions’ functions are language production, linguistic motor control, sequencing, planning, syntax, and phonological processing.

Finally, the orbitofrontal cortex mostly (BA 47, 10, 11, 13) in the orbitofrontal cortex has been implicated in processes that involve the motivational or emotional value of incoming information, including the representation of primary (unlearned) reinforcers such as taste, smell, and touch, the representation of learnt relationships between arbitrary neutral stimuli and rewards or punishments, and the integration of this information to guide response selection, suppression, and decision making.” 

Wow! No wonder it takes so long for this part of our brain to fully develop. Problem solving skills in preschoolers take time to develop!

When Johnny is throwing the ball inside the house, he is thinking about what is happening now, in the present. Not what has happened in the past (when he broke the window at grandmas house a year ago) or that breaking a window might happen in the future. 

What are some problem solving techniques?

Solving problems is a skill that all preschoolers need support with. This critical skill doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time and practice to become second nature.

It’s hard for us, as adults, to remember that children ages 3-5 (preschool-aged) don’t yet have the brain capacity to problem solve on their own, or remember what they learned from a situation a week ago. 

Just like when Andrew was painting at the easel and his paintbrush got stuck in the container. Instead of asking for help or trying to “unstick” the brush, he screamed.  Or when Sally and Samantha ran outside to grab the red bouncy ball, Samantha screamed when Sally grabs it first. She didn’t see the other red bouncy ball in the bucket next to the bikes. 

Try some of these problem solving activities for  kids :

Observation- Children need problem solving strategies that they can observe, and then practice in their everyday lives. Let kids see you talk through problems as you “figure out” a solution. This gives children a chance to see a problem-solving approach in real life situations. They get to see problem solving scenarios in action.

Repetition- Repetition supports brain growth in every area of development including problem solving, executive functioning, motor development, language skills and social development.

Multisensory Activities- Children learn best with multi-sensory cues, learning new skills through seeing, touching, hearing and experiencing the skills they are learning. In 2013, the US National Library of Medicine published an article titled  Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat.  stating “The prefrontal cortex acquires information from all of the senses and orchestrates thoughts and actions in order to achieve specific goals.” (link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3621648/)

Creative Activities- Solving problems is a skill that all preschoolers need support with. It’s hard for us, as adults, to remember they don’t yet have the brain capacity to problem solve on their own. The best way to teach children how to problem solve, it to create activities that support these new skills in a positive way, that their developing brain understands. This letter to future self is one activity to work on goal achievement even at a young age. Preschoolers can draw a picture of what they would like to do or be as an older child or as a teenager or adult.

Problem Solving Activities for Preschool

Here are 3 Simple Ways to Teach Preschoolers to Solve Problems

1.Teaching executive functioning and problem solving skills in everyday situations will support the growth of a child’s prefrontal cortex. For example, these activities that teach executive functioning at the beach show how much thought and preparation goes into building a simple sand castles.

• Children have to think about how much sand to use, how to keep it standing, how to prevent sand from getting into their eyes and how to create another one if the one they are building falls down.
• They must create, plan ahead, problem solve when things get tough and communicate to adults and peers for help.

What other activities does your child do on a regular basis that requires all areas of the prefrontal cortex to activate?

2.When children become upset, their emotions become so overwhelming that they can’t think. In order to calm down and problem solve, they need to access a multi sensory way to help them remember how to do that.

Soothing Sammy gives children tactile and visual cues that remind them how to calm down and problem solve in a developmentally appropriate way. They can be reminded of this positive reinforcement with two words “Sammy Time!”

By reading the book about the sweet golden retriever, who understands that everyone feels upset sometimes, children are encouraged to use all of the sensory strategies to calm down. They can talk to Sammy about what is happening and think through their problem to create a solution.

Ashlie’s four year old daughter did just this. She reports: “When Molly was having some big emotions about coloring a picture and needed to calm down, she visited Sammy and returned with a solution to the problem she came up with all on her own (well with Sammy’s help).”

Click here for more information on the Soothing Sammy resources .

3.Problem solving requires us to remember what just happened, what is happening now and what do we want to happen next. A preschoolers brain tends to blend all three of these situations together, not able to communicate any of them until prompted by an adult. And as an adult, we are left “guessing” what our children are thinking about. Visual cues are a wonderful sensory communication tool to support both children and adults in the realm of solving problems.

Using tools like “First/Then” cards to support routine and common situations like transitions and completing tasks. Using visuals clearly communicates what needs to be done, especially if using pictures of real children doing these tasks.

A Final note about problem solving skills in preschool

Solving problems are hard for young children, even teenagers, as their prefrontal cortex isn’t fully developed yet. Using multisensory teaching tools to support brain development, practicing tasks that teach executive functioning skills and using developmentally appropriate tools to help children calm down, will help even the most frustrating moments become a bit less stressful for children and adults. 

As we learn to be more patient with children, understanding that the part of their brain needed to solve problems is just beginning to develop, repeating the same directions over and over again may not be so frustrating. Our children are doing the best they can. It’s up to us to provide them with experiences to help their brains grow and develop. 

Jeana Kinne is a veteran preschool teacher and director. She has over 20 years of experience in the Early Childhood Education field. Her Bachelors Degree is in Child Development and her Masters Degree is in Early Childhood Education. She has spent over 10 years as a coach, working with Parents and Preschool Teachers, and another 10 years working with infants and toddlers with special needs. She is also the author of the “Sammy the Golden Dog” series, teaching children important skills through play.

More Posts Like This

• eating , food aversion , Occupational Therapy , Self Regulation , Sensory , sensory food issues

• Occupational Therapy , Self Regulation , Sensory

What is Overstimulation Anxiety?

• Occupational Therapy , Sensory

Sensory Tooth Brushing Tips for Brushing Teeth

• Occupational Therapy

100 Things to do This Summer

Quick links, sign up for the ot toolbox newsletter.

Get the latest tools and resources sent right to your inbox!

Get Connected

• Want to read the website AD-FREE?
• Want to access all of our downloads in one place?
• Want done for you therapy tools and materials

Join The OT Toolbox Member’s Club!

Discovery Play with Littles

2:01 pm ·

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.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.  

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.

Reader Interactions

As a SLP trying to guide parents as I work with their child. I would like to know what toys to recommend to my parents as I assist in guiding their child’s development in cognition and expressive language.

Perseverance is the biggest predictor of success, even more than raw talent or aptitude.

Grab a FREE lesson to teach your kiddo one of the keys to perseverance...which is how we talk to our brains.

They'll learn what to say when they encounter something difficult, and why it's so important.

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

22 Problem Solving Activities for Preschool

Problem-solving activities can help children build resilience, think critically, and develop confidence in their ability to tackle challenges.

But it can be challenging to find engaging and age-appropriate activities that promote problem-solving skills in preschoolers.

We will share Problem Solving Activities for Preschool at home or in the classroom.

From simple puzzles to complex challenges, these activities will help your child develop problem-solving skills that will serve them well throughout their lives.

Shape Sorters :

Shape sorters are one of the best problem-solving activities for preschoolers. They are simple yet effective tools that help children develop their critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Shape sorters come in different shapes and sizes, and they are designed to help children sort and match different shapes and colors.

Playing with shape sorters helps children develop their hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, and cognitive abilities. As they fit the different shapes into the corresponding holes, they learn about shape recognition, spatial awareness, and cause-and-effect relationships.

Related: Free Printable Math Worksheets for Preschoolers

Building Towers with Blocks:

Building towers with blocks is a classic activity that encourages children to problem-solve as they work to create a stable structure. Children must figure out how to balance and stack the blocks to create a tower that won’t topple over. This activity helps children develop their spatial reasoning, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills as they adjust their approach to create a more stable structure.

Related: 20 Best Pre-Writing Activities for Preschoolers

Treasure Hunts:

Treasure hunts are an exciting way to encourage children to solve problems and work collaboratively. Parents or caregivers can create a series of clues and riddles that lead children to a hidden “treasure.” Children must use their problem-solving skills to decipher the clues and find the treasure. This activity promotes critical thinking, spatial awareness, and teamwork.

Memory Games:

Memory games are a great way to challenge children’s cognitive abilities and improve their problem-solving skills. These games involve laying out a set of cards face down and having children flip over two cards at a time to try and match pairs. This activity helps children develop their memory, focus, and attention to detail.

Related: 20 Winter Math Activities for Preschoolers

Puzzles are a fantastic way to promote problem-solving skills in young children. These activities require children to use their critical thinking and spatial reasoning skills to fit puzzle pieces together. Puzzles can range in difficulty from simple shapes to more complex scenes, and they can be adjusted to fit the child’s developmental level.

Obstacle Courses:

Obstacle courses are a fun and engaging way to encourage children to solve problems and work on their motor skills. Parents or caregivers can create a series of obstacles that children must navigate to reach a specific goal. This activity promotes critical thinking, spatial awareness, and coordination. Obstacle courses can be adjusted to fit the child’s age and developmental level, making them a versatile and effective tool for promoting problem-solving skills in young children.

Storytelling:

Storytelling is an excellent way to promote problem-solving skills in preschoolers. By listening to stories, children are exposed to different scenarios and situations that require problem-solving skills. Parents or caregivers can encourage children to think about how the story’s characters solve their problems and ask them to come up with solutions to hypothetical problems.

Cooking is a fun and interactive way to promote problem-solving skills in preschoolers. Children must follow recipes, measure ingredients, and work collaboratively with others to create a finished dish. This activity helps children develop their critical thinking, math skills, and ability to follow instructions.

Role-playing is an excellent way to encourage problem-solving skills in young children. Children can pretend to be doctors, firefighters, or police officers and work together to solve problems and complete tasks. This activity promotes critical thinking, teamwork, and imagination.

Guessing Games:

Guessing games, such as “I Spy” or “20 Questions,” is an excellent way to encourage problem-solving skills in young children. These games require children to use their critical thinking and deductive reasoning skills to guess the answer correctly. This activity promotes memory, concentration, and attention to detail.

Science Experiments:

Science experiments are an engaging way to encourage problem-solving skills in young children. These activities require children to observe, hypothesize, and test their theories. Parents or caregivers can conduct simple science experiments, such as mixing baking soda and vinegar, to teach children about cause and effect. This activity promotes critical thinking, experimentation, and curiosity.

Sensory Play:

Sensory play is an excellent way to promote problem-solving skills in young children. By playing with different textures and materials, children can explore cause-and-effect relationships and develop their critical thinking skills. Parents or caregivers can set up sensory bins with materials such as rice, sand, or water to encourage children to explore and problem-solve.

Board Games:

Board games are a great way to promote problem-solving skills in preschoolers. These games require children to use their critical thinking and strategic planning skills to win the game. Games like Chutes and Ladders, Candy Land, and Connect Four are excellent choices for young children.

Scavenger Hunts:

Scavenger hunts are a fun and interactive way to encourage problem-solving skills in young children. Parents or caregivers can create a list of items for children to find and encourage them to work collaboratively to solve clues and find the items. This activity promotes critical thinking, teamwork, and spatial awareness.

Creative Building:

Creative building activities, such as using play dough, clay, or craft materials, are an excellent way to promote problem-solving skills in young children. Children can use their imagination and creativity to problem-solve and create their structures and designs. This activity promotes critical thinking, spatial awareness, and creativity.

Sensory Bins:

Sensory bins are a fun and interactive way to promote problem-solving skills in preschoolers. Parents or caregivers can set up a bin filled with different materials, such as sand, rice, or beans, and hide different objects or toys within them. Children have to use their problem-solving skills to find and identify the objects hidden within the bin. Sensory bins also promote fine motor skills, sensory exploration, and creativity.

Art Projects:

Art projects are a great way to promote problem-solving skills in young children. By encouraging children to create their art projects, parents or caregivers can help them develop their problem-solving skills by encouraging them to think creatively and find solutions to design challenges. This activity promotes critical thinking, creativity, and fine motor skills.

Cooking and Baking:

Cooking and baking are great activities to promote problem-solving skills in preschoolers. Children can measure ingredients, follow directions, and problem-solve how to mix ingredients together properly. This activity promotes critical thinking, math skills, and following directions.

Outdoor Exploration:

Outdoor exploration is an excellent way to promote problem-solving skills in young children. Parents or caregivers can take children on nature walks or hikes and encourage them to explore and problem-solve by finding different types of plants, animals, and natural landmarks. This activity promotes critical thinking, creativity, and nature appreciation.

Science Kits:

Science kits are a fun and interactive way to promote problem-solving skills in preschoolers. There are many science kits available that are age-appropriate and designed specifically for preschoolers. These kits provide children with hands-on opportunities to experiment and explore scientific concepts, which promotes curiosity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. Some science kits may include materials for making slime, growing crystals, or exploring the properties of magnets.

Dramatic Play:

Dramatic play activities provide opportunities for preschoolers to use their imaginations and problem-solving skills.

Related: Examples of Dramatic Play for Preschoolers

Parents or caregivers can set up a pretend play area with costumes, props, and toys that encourage children to use their problem-solving skills to navigate different scenarios and situations.

For example, children can play doctor and use problem-solving skills to diagnose and treat a patient, or they can play chef and use problem-solving skills to plan and prepare a meal. Dramatic play promotes creativity, social-emotional development, and problem-solving skills.

Recommended:

• 25 Pattern Block Activities for Preschool
• 25 Excellent Outdoor Games for 4 – 5 Year Olds
• 23 Matching Activities for Preschoolers

Sohaib Hasan Shah

Sohaib's journey includes 10+ years of teaching and counseling experience at BCSS School in elementary and middle schools, coupled with a BBA (Hons) with a minor in Educational Psychology from Curtin University (Australia) . In his free time, he cherishes quality moments with his family, reveling in the joys and challenges of parenthood. His three daughters have not only enriched his personal life but also deepened his understanding of the importance of effective education and communication, spurring him to make a meaningful impact in the world of education.

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Activities For Children

10 Steps to Creating Engaging Problem Solving Activities for Preschoolers

In the dynamic landscape of early education, the guide “10 Steps to Creating Engaging Problem-Solving Activities for Preschoolers” unfolds as a roadmap to cultivate critical thinking and resilience in young minds. These carefully curated problem-solving activities are more than challenges; they are opportunities for preschoolers to explore, question, and navigate through creative solutions. From simple puzzles that tickle the mind to interactive group activities that encourage collaboration, each step in this guide aims to build a foundation for effective problem-solving skills.

By integrating these activities into the preschool curriculum, educators foster cognitive development and emotional growth, instilling in children a sense of confidence and adaptability. As preschoolers embark on these engaging problem-solving journeys, they not only unravel solutions but also weave the threads of resilience and curiosity, laying a strong groundwork for lifelong learning.

Table of Contents

Understanding Developmental Levels: Tailoring Problem Solving Activities for Preschoolers

Problem-solving is a life skill that begins developing early in childhood. Preschoolers are naturally curious and eager to explore their world, making this the perfect time to cultivate their problem-solving abilities. However, tailoring Problem-Solving Activities for Preschoolers to their specific developmental levels is crucial for maximizing their learning and enjoyment.

Preschoolers’ Cognitive Development:

Problem-Solving Activities for Preschoolers are in the preoperational stage of cognitive development, characterized by egocentrism and limited logic skills. They struggle with abstract concepts and often rely on concrete experiences to understand the world. Their focus is on the present and immediate outcomes, making long-term planning and cause-and-effect relationships challenging.

Tailoring Problem-Solving Activities:

Keeping these developmental milestones in mind, here are ways to tailor problem-solving activities for preschoolers:

1. Focus on Concrete Activities:

Instead of abstract puzzles or games, use tangible objects like blocks, toys, or household items. This allows them to manipulate and experiment, leading to a deeper understanding of the problem and solution.

2. Short and Simple Tasks:

Preschoolers’ attention spans are still limited. Opt for Problem Solving Activities for Preschoolers with clear instructions and achievable goals. This prevents frustration and allows them to experience the satisfaction of successfully solving a problem.

3. Encourage Trial and Error:

Give preschoolers the freedom to experiment and explore different solutions. This fosters a creative approach to problem-solving and helps them develop critical thinking skills.

4. Offer Guidance and Support:

Provide gentle guidance and encouragement as needed. Avoid giving away the solution too quickly, but offer hints or scaffolding to help them through the process. This builds their confidence and self-efficacy.

5. Make it Fun and Engaging:

Turn problem-solving into a playtime activity. Incorporate games, songs, and storytelling to make the learning process enjoyable and engaging.

Examples of Tailored Activities:

• Building with blocks: Challenge preschoolers to build specific structures or solve spatial problems like creating a bridge or tunnel.
• Sorting and classifying: Provide objects of different shapes, colors, or sizes and ask them to sort them based on different criteria.
• Open-ended puzzles: Use puzzles with fewer pieces and familiar pictures to help them develop problem-solving strategies.
• Interactive games: Play simple board games or card games that require strategic thinking and decision-making.
• Storytelling prompts: Read stories with problem-solving themes and encourage children to discuss different solutions or create their endings.

By tailoring problem-solving activities for preschoolers to their specific developmental levels, we can equip preschoolers with the essential tools they need to navigate their world and become confident, independent thinkers. Remember, the goal is not to make them experts but to foster a love for learning and a lifelong passion for problem-solving.

Playful Puzzles: Integrating Hands-On Challenges in Problem-Solving Activities for Preschoolers

Preschoolers are natural explorers, constantly seeking new challenges and experiences. This innate curiosity makes them prime candidates for nurturing their problem-solving skills through engaging Activities for Preschoolers . Enter the world of playful puzzles: a captivating realm where hands-on challenges transform into a springboard for cognitive development.

Why Playful Puzzles?

Unlike traditional worksheets or drills, playful puzzles offer a unique learning experience. They engage multiple senses through tactile interaction and visual stimulation, making the process of tackling challenges both fun and rewarding. By manipulating pieces, building structures, and exploring different solutions, preschoolers develop essential skills like:

• Critical Thinking: Puzzles encourage children to analyze problems, consider various possibilities, and choose the most effective solution.
• Spatial Reasoning: Connecting pieces and figuring out how they fit together strengthens spatial awareness and problem-solving skills.
• Fine Motor Skills: Manipulating small pieces refines hand-eye coordination and dexterity, crucial for future learning activities.
• Problem-solving strategies: Through trial and error, children develop their approach to solving problems, building a foundation for future challenges.

Beyond the Traditional:

Playful puzzles extend far beyond the confines of a board. Here’s how to incorporate them into your preschooler’s daily routine:

• DIY Puzzles: Create simple puzzles using cardboard, magazine clippings, or even photos. This personalizes the experience and allows you to tailor the difficulty level.
• Sensory Play: Combine puzzles with sensory materials like sand, water, or slime to add an extra layer of engagement and tactile stimulation.
• Collaborative Challenges: Turn puzzles into a cooperative activity by working together to solve them as a team. This fosters teamwork, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Storytelling Integration: Create puzzles around familiar stories or characters. This encourages children to engage with the narrative and develop creative problem-solving strategies.
• Outdoor Adventures: Turn your backyard into a giant puzzle by hiding pieces and leading your child on a scavenger hunt to find them. This promotes problem-solving skills and physical activity.

By incorporating playful puzzles into your preschooler’s daily life, you’re doing more than just providing entertainment. You’re nurturing their curiosity, igniting their creativity, and equipping them with the essential tools they need to become confident, independent problem-solvers. So, embrace the playful chaos and watch your child blossom into a capable and resourceful individual through the power of puzzles.

Group Adventures: Fostering Collaborative Problem-Solving Activities for Preschoolers

Preschoolers are social creatures, thriving on interaction and collaboration. This natural tendency makes them perfect candidates for engaging in group problem-solving activities for preschoolers. These collaborative adventures offer more than just fun: they nurture essential skills that equip them for future success.

Why Collaborative Problem-Solving?

Working together on shared challenges fosters a unique learning environment for preschoolers. By tackling tasks as a team, they develop critical skills like:

• Communication: Effective communication is crucial for conveying ideas, collaborating on solutions, and navigating disagreements.
• Social-emotional Learning: Sharing, taking turns, and respecting individual strengths are key elements of any successful collaboration.
• Critical Thinking: Discussing different approaches, evaluating solutions, and compromising are all part of the collaborative problem-solving process.
• Problem-solving strategies: Children learn from each other’s perspectives and approaches, expanding their problem-solving repertoire.
• Teamwork: Recognizing individual strengths and working towards a common goal fosters a sense of belonging and community.

Beyond Individual Play:

Creating opportunities for collaborative problem-solving transcends the confines of a classroom. Here are some ways to incorporate them into your preschooler’s everyday routine:

• Building Adventures: Provide blocks, Legos, or other construction materials and challenge children to build a specific structure together. This encourages communication, planning, and problem-solving as a team.
• Creative Collaborations: Engage in group art projects, storytelling activities, or musical compositions. This promotes collaboration, creative thinking, and appreciation for individual differences.
• Outdoor Challenges: Turn your backyard into an obstacle course filled with puzzles, riddles, and physical challenges. This encourages teamwork, communication, and problem-solving in a dynamic environment.
• Interactive Games: Board games, card games, and collaborative puzzles provide structured opportunities for children to work together towards a common goal.
• Community Projects: Organize a neighborhood cleanup, create a community garden, or participate in a service-learning project. This allows children to apply their problem-solving skills to real-world issues and make a positive impact on their community.

By incorporating collaborative problem-solving activities for preschooler’s life, you’re fostering more than just cognitive development. You’re nurturing their social skills, building their confidence in teamwork, and cultivating a sense of compassion and community. So, encourage collaboration, celebrate individual strengths, and watch your child blossom into a capable and caring individual through the power of group adventures.

Everyday Dilemmas: Real-Life Problem-Solving Activities for Preschoolers

Preschoolers are inquisitive and brimming with curiosity, constantly exploring their world and encountering new challenges. Instead of simply offering solutions, we can empower them by turning these everyday dilemmas into opportunities for learning and growth. By engaging them in real-life problem-solving scenarios, we equip them with the tools they need to become independent, resourceful individuals.

Why Real-Life Scenarios?

Abstract activities and hypothetical situations often fall short of captivating preschoolers’ attention. By introducing real-life dilemmas, we connect learning to their immediate world, making it more meaningful and engaging. This approach offers several benefits:

• Enhanced Relevance: Preschoolers can readily connect the problem-solving process to their own experiences, making it more relatable and fostering a deeper understanding.
• Increased Motivation: The desire to solve real-life problems motivates children to think critically, explore different solutions, and persevere through challenges.
• Improved Decision-Making Skills: Navigating real-life scenarios allows children to practice analyzing situations, considering consequences, and making responsible decisions.
• Cultivating Confidence: Successful problem-solving in everyday situations boosts children’s confidence and self-efficacy, encouraging them to tackle future challenges with a sense of agency.
• Strengthening Social-Emotional Skills: Real-life dilemmas often involve navigating emotions, dealing with social conflicts, and demonstrating empathy. This provides opportunities to develop essential social-emotional skills.

Beyond Worksheets and Books:

Real-life problem-solving opportunities can be incorporated seamlessly into your preschooler’s daily routine:

• Mealtime Decisions: Let your child choose their meal from pre-selected options, encouraging them to consider their preferences and nutritional needs.
• Clothing Dilemmas: Allow your child to choose their outfit, helping them learn about weather-appropriate clothing and develop their sense of style.
• Toy Troubles: When facing disputes over toys, encourage children to communicate their needs, negotiate solutions, and find ways to share and compromise.
• Chore Challenges: Turn chores into collaborative problem-solving activities for preschoolers. Ask your child to suggest ways to tackle the task efficiently and effectively.
• Community Connections: Discuss real-world problems your community faces and brainstorm solutions together. This fosters a sense of civic responsibility and encourages active participation.

By embracing everyday dilemmas as opportunities for learning, we provide preschoolers with a powerful toolset for navigating life’s challenges. We nurture their critical thinking skills, empower them to make responsible decisions and instill a sense of confidence and self-efficacy. So, embrace the messy moments, encourage open communication, and watch your child flourish into a capable and independent individual by tackling everyday dilemmas head-on.

Story-Based Challenges: Narrating Engaging Problem-Solving Activities for Preschoolers

Preschoolers are natural storytellers, captivated by imaginative tales and vibrant characters. This inherent love for narratives can be harnessed to create engaging problem-solving activities for preschoolers that nurture their cognitive development and spark their creativity. By weaving stories around challenges, we can transform learning into a captivating adventure.

Why Story-Based Activities?

Storytelling holds a unique power to engage preschoolers and enhance their learning experience. By integrating problem-solving elements within a narrative, we achieve several benefits:

• Increased Motivation: Stories pique children’s curiosity and draw them into the challenge, motivating them to think critically and find solutions.
• Enhanced Comprehension: Narratives provide context and meaning to the problem, making it easier for preschoolers to understand and analyze the situation.
• Creative Expression: Integrating creative storytelling allows children to express their problem-solving strategies through imaginative solutions.
• Social-Emotional Development: Stories offer opportunities to explore different emotions, practice empathy, and develop social skills through role-playing and collaborative problem-solving.
• Enhanced Memory and Retention: The storytelling format helps children retain information and remember the problem-solving process more effectively.

Beyond Traditional Books:

Story-based problem-solving activities for preschoolers extend far beyond the pages of a book. Here are some ways to incorporate them into your preschooler’s daily routine:

• Interactive Storytelling: Read stories together and pause at key points where your child can suggest solutions or predict outcomes. This encourages critical thinking and active participation.
• Puppet Show Puzzles: Stage a puppet show with a problem-solving theme, allowing your child to control the characters and choose their actions.
• Story-Based Games: Design board games or card games based on familiar stories, incorporating challenges and obstacles for children to overcome.
• Collaborative Storytelling: Create stories together, alternating sentences and adding elements to create a narrative with embedded problems for your child to solve.
• Sensory Story Adventures: Use sensory materials like playdough, sand, or water to create props and reenact scenes from stories, incorporating problem-solving challenges within the narrative.

By embedding problem-solving within captivating stories, we create a dynamic learning environment that caters to preschoolers’ natural curiosity and love for imagination. This approach fosters their cognitive development, encourages creative expression, and equips them with the essential tools they need to become confident and resourceful problem-solvers. So, open the book of possibilities, narrate engaging challenges, and watch your child embark on a captivating journey of learning through story-based adventures.

Sensory Solutions: Incorporating Touch and Exploration in Preschooler Problem-Solving

Preschoolers are hands-on learners, absorbing knowledge through exploration and sensory experiences. This inherent need to touch, manipulate, and experiment makes them prime candidates for incorporating sensory elements into problem-solving activities for preschoolers. By engaging their senses, we can create a rich learning environment that fosters critical thinking, creativity, and a love for discovery.

Why Sensory Activities?

Sensory experiences offer a unique way to engage preschoolers in problem-solving. By incorporating touch, sight, smell, taste, and sound, we achieve several benefits:

• Enhanced Engagement: Sensory stimuli capture children’s attention, making them more receptive to learning and actively involved in the problem-solving process.
• Deeper Understanding: Sensory experiences provide a concrete foundation for learning, allowing children to grasp complex concepts through hands-on exploration.
• Creative Exploration: Sensory activities encourage trial-and-error learning, fostering creative thinking as children experiment with different solutions.
• Fine Motor Skill Development: Manipulating materials and exploring textures helps refine hand-eye coordination and dexterity, essential for future learning activities.
• Sensory Integration: Sensory activities promote sensory integration, which is crucial for cognitive development, emotional regulation, and overall well-being.

Beyond Worksheets and Drills:

Sensory problem-solving activities for preschoolers can be seamlessly integrated into your preschooler’s daily routine:

• Sensory Bins: Create sensory bins filled with different textures like sand, water, beans, or rice. Hide objects or puzzles within the bins for children to find and solve using their tactile senses.
• Playdough Puzzles: Make playdough puzzle pieces and encourage children to manipulate and connect them to solve the picture. This combines tactile exploration with problem-solving.
• Tastebud Challenges: Blindfold your child and let them taste different foods or drinks, asking them to identify them based on their sense of taste. This incorporates sensory exploration with problem-solving and vocabulary development.
• Musical Mazes: Create a music maze using instruments or sounds. Blindfold your child and let them navigate the maze by following the sounds, encouraging problem-solving and auditory processing.
• Nature Scavenger Hunts: Organize a scavenger hunt in your backyard or park, encouraging children to use their senses to find specific objects or solve riddles related to nature.

By incorporating sensory elements into problem-solving activities, we tap into the natural learning style of preschoolers. This approach fosters their cognitive development, ignites their creativity, and equips them with the essential tools they need to become confident and curious problem-solvers. So, embrace the mess, encourage sensory exploration, and watch your children discover the world around them through the power of touch and sensory solutions.

Creative Conundrums: Using Art and Play in Problem-Solving Activities for Preschoolers

Preschoolers’ boundless creativity and playful spirit offer a unique opportunity to cultivate their problem-solving skills. By incorporating art and play into their daily lives, we can create a stimulating environment where challenges become adventures and solutions are born from imagination.

Why Art and Play?

Both art and play offer distinct advantages for nurturing problem-solving skills in preschoolers:

• Fueling Creativity: Art and play encourage divergent thinking, allowing children to explore various solutions and express their ideas freely.
• Promoting Collaboration: Collaborative art projects and imaginative games foster teamwork and communication skills, essential for tackling problems together.
• Building Confidence: Exploring different materials and experimenting with solutions builds confidence and self-efficacy as children master new skills and overcome challenges.
• Enhancing Cognitive Development: Engaging in art and play stimulates critical thinking, spatial reasoning, and fine motor skills, all crucial for successful problem-solving.
• Making Learning Fun: The playful and engaging nature of art and play makes the learning process enjoyable and promotes a love for exploration and discovery.

Here are some ways to integrate art and play into your preschooler’s problem-solving activities:

• Open-Ended Art Projects: Provide materials like paint, clay, or recycled objects and encourage children to create solutions to open-ended challenges, such as building the tallest tower or constructing a bridge for their toys.
• Storytelling Through Art: Read stories together and then have children create artwork or act out scenes that depict the solutions to the characters’ problems.
• Musical Puzzles: Use music to create puzzles or challenges. For example, play a specific instrument sound and ask children to draw the object it represents.
• Imaginary Problem-Solving Activities for Preschoolers: Pretend to be explorers on a quest and create obstacles that require children to use their imagination and creativity to overcome them.
• Collaborative Challenge Box: Fill a box with various materials and challenges. Encourage children to work together to solve the challenges using their creative problem-solving skills and the materials provided.

By incorporating art and play into problem-solving activities, we unlock a world of possibilities for preschoolers. We nurture their creativity, encourage collaboration, and instill a love for learning that extends far beyond the classroom. So, unleash the inner artist and playful explorer in your child, embrace the creative conundrums, and watch them blossom into capable and resourceful individuals through the power of art and play.

Outdoor Explorations: Nature-Infused Problem-Solving Adventures for Preschoolers

Preschoolers are inherently curious and drawn to the wonders of the natural world. Harnessing this enthusiasm, we can transform outdoor playtime into a captivating realm where problem-solving becomes an adventure and learning happens under the open sky. By integrating nature into their daily routine, we cultivate essential skills that equip them for a lifetime of discovery.

Why Nature-Based Activities?

The outdoors provides a unique and enriching environment for nurturing problem-solving skills in preschoolers:

• Enhanced Sensory Experiences: Nature offers a wealth of textures, smells, and sounds, stimulating children’s senses and promoting holistic learning.
• Exploration and Discovery: The natural world encourages exploration and investigation, leading children to ask questions, experiment with solutions, and discover the world through hands-on experiences.
• Open-Ended Challenges: Nature presents endless opportunities for open-ended problem-solving. Building forts, navigating obstacles, and identifying creatures all require creativity and critical thinking.
• Physical Activity: Engaging in outdoor activities promotes physical development, which in turn enhances cognitive function and problem-solving skills.
• Environmental Connection: Nature fosters a sense of connection to the environment, instilling a deep appreciation for the natural world and encouraging responsible behavior.

Beyond the Playground and Slides:

Here are some ways to integrate nature into your preschooler’s problem-solving activities:

• Nature Scavenger Hunts: Create a scavenger hunt with clues related to natural objects, encouraging children to observe, analyze, and problem-solve to find them.
• Fort-Building Adventures: Provide materials like branches, leaves, and blankets and let children build their forts, fostering creativity, teamwork, and problem-solving skills.
• Water Play Adventures: Involve your child in water-based activities like dam building, creating water channels, or designing boats. These promote experimentation, problem-solving, and learning about water properties.
• Sensory Exploration Walks: Go on nature walks and encourage children to use their senses to explore their surroundings. Discuss their discoveries and brainstorm solutions to challenges encountered along the way.
• Gardening Challenges: Plant a garden together and involve your child in every step, from seed selection to pest control. This fosters responsibility, problem-solving, and an appreciation for the natural world.

By embracing the natural classroom and integrating nature into problem-solving activities, we create a dynamic learning environment that caters to preschoolers’ inherent curiosity and love for exploration. This approach fosters their cognitive development, promotes physical activity, and instills a deep respect for the environment. So, step outside, embrace the open air, and watch your child embark on a captivating journey of discovery through the power of nature-infused problem-solving adventures.

Building Resilience: Nurturing Emotional Growth Through Problem-Solving Activities for Preschoolers

Preschoolers are on a rollercoaster of emotions, navigating new challenges and experiences every day. While some challenges may seem trivial to adults, they can be overwhelming for young children. This is where problem-solving activities come in – not just to teach them critical thinking skills, but also to nurture their emotional growth and build resilience.

Why Problem-Solving for Emotional Growth?

By engaging in problem-solving activities, preschoolers develop essential skills that help them navigate the emotional landscape:

• Frustration Tolerance: When faced with challenges, children learn to persevere, try different strategies, and cope with frustration effectively.
• Self-Regulation: Problem-solving activities require children to manage their emotions and stay calm under pressure, fostering self-regulation skills.
• Emotional Awareness: Through trial and error, children learn to identify and recognize their emotions, helping them understand their inner world and respond appropriately.
• Problem-Solving Strategies: Developing problem-solving skills empowers children to face challenges with confidence, knowing they have the tools to find solutions.
• Growth Mindset: Problem-solving activities encourage children to see challenges as opportunities to learn and grow, fostering a growth mindset and resilience.

Here are some ways to incorporate problem-solving into your preschooler’s daily routine for emotional growth:

• Collaborative Play: Encourage cooperative play through games and activities that require teamwork and communication. This helps children develop social skills and learn to solve problems together.
• Emotion Charades: Act out different emotions and ask your child to guess what you’re feeling. This helps them understand and recognize different emotions in themselves and others.
• Creative Problem-Solving: Present your child with open-ended challenges like building a tower or completing a puzzle. This encourages creativity, critical thinking, and perseverance.
• Storytelling and Role-Playing: Read stories together and discuss how characters solve problems and manage their emotions. Engage in role-playing activities to practice different scenarios and emotional responses.
• Calming Techniques: Teach your child relaxation techniques like deep breathing or visualization exercises to help them manage stress and anxiety when facing challenges.

By integrating problem-solving into your preschooler’s daily life, we equip them with the emotional tools they need to thrive. We help them build resilience, develop healthy coping mechanisms, and navigate the ups and downs of life with confidence and grace. So, create a supportive environment, embrace challenges as opportunities for growth, and watch your child blossom into an emotionally intelligent and resilient individual through the power of problem-solving.

Celebrating Success: Reflection and Reinforcement in Preschooler Problem-Solving Journeys

Preschoolers are on a remarkable journey of discovery, constantly encountering new challenges and learning to solve problems. While encouraging them to tackle obstacles is crucial, celebrating their successes is equally important. Through reflection and reinforcement, we can solidify their learning, boost their confidence, and cultivate a lifelong love for problem-solving.

Why Celebrate Success?

Celebrating successes offers several benefits for preschoolers’ development:

• Boosted Confidence: Recognizing their achievements instills a sense of accomplishment and self-efficacy, motivating them to continue trying and persevere through challenges.
• Positive Reinforcement: Highlighting their efforts reinforces the positive association with problem-solving, making it a more enjoyable and rewarding experience.
• Enhanced Learning: Reflecting on their solutions allows children to analyze their process, identify strengths and weaknesses, and improve their problem-solving strategies.
• Motivation for Growth: Celebrating their successes fuels their inner fire and motivates them to tackle even more challenging problems in the future.
• Development of a Growth Mindset: Recognizing effort and progress, rather than just achievements, fosters a growth mindset, encouraging children to view challenges as opportunities to learn and grow.

Beyond “Good Job”:

Here are some ways to celebrate your preschooler’s successes and reinforce their problem-solving skills:

Verbal Praise: Provide specific and genuine praise that highlights their effort, creativity, and perseverance. Focus on Process: Celebrate not just the outcome, but also the steps they took to solve the problem. Discuss their strategies and encourage them to explain their thought process. Creative Celebrations: Make celebrating fun and engaging! Have a “problem-solving party” with games, songs, and activities that reinforce their new skills. Interactive Reflection: Encourage your child to reflect on their experience. Ask questions about what they learned, what they found challenging, and what they would do differently next time. Visual Reminders: Create a “problem-solving wall” where you display pictures, drawings, or other reminders of their achievements. This helps them visualize their progress and stay motivated.

By celebrating successes and fostering reflection, we create a positive learning environment where preschoolers thrive. We equip them with the confidence, skills, and motivation they need to become independent, resourceful problem-solvers who embrace challenges with enthusiasm and perseverance. So, let’s celebrate every milestone, big or small, and watch our children blossom into confident and capable individuals ready to conquer the world, one problem-solved at a time.

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

🎨 Free Coloring Book for Kids Get your copy  →

• Why Kokotree?
• Learning App for Toddlers
• Learning App for Preschoolers
• Download Kokotree App
• About Kokotree

EduTech Award Winner

Kokotree Early Education App

• Preschool Games and Activities

Problem Solving Activities for Preschoolers

Written by: Kokotree

Last updated: October 16, 2022

H ere are a bunch of great problem solving activities for preschoolers. Actions like these can help your child learn how to think critically and come up with solutions to problems. Plus, they’re lots of fun too!

What are problem solving activities?

What is problem-solving, choosing the right problem-solving games for kids., how to engage preschoolers in problem-solving activities., promoting problem-solving skills in childcare., incorporating problem-solving tasks into daily routine., general problem-solving strategy for preschoolers., problem solving games for kids and preschoolers. problem solving activities for kids., how do you teach preschoolers problem-solving skills, encourage creativity., encourage collaboration and cooperative play., provide opportunities for exploration., model and discuss problem-solving strategies., encourage critical thinking and trial and error., provide opportunities for reflection and self-evaluation., encourage persistence., model problem-solving behavior., encourage communication., help children understand emotions., help children develop resilience., 1. the ability to define a problem., 2. the ability to generate possible solutions., 3. the ability to evaluate possible solutions., 4. the ability to select the best solution., 5. the ability to implement the solution., 1. sorting., 2. patterning., 3. classifying., 4. counting., 5. comparing., 6. inventing stories., 7. creative drawing., 8. role-playing., 9. making connections., 10. asking questions., 11. sequencing., 12. analogies., 13. illusions., do puzzle games help preschoolers with problem-solving, do video games help preschoolers with problem-solving, problem-solving activities for preschoolers..

Problem-solving activities are interactive games or tasks designed to challenge children and promote their critical thinking, creativity, and decision-making skills. They often involve puzzles, matching games, pattern recognition, or role-playing scenarios. These activities encourage children, including toddlers and preschoolers, to identify problems, think of solutions, and test their ideas, ultimately enhancing their cognitive abilities and resilience.

Problem-solving is the process of reducing or eliminating the cause of a problem. When faced with a problem, your priority is determining whether it can be solved and, if so, how. You can then address the underlying cause(s) and restore order to your life.

Kids learn best when they’re having fun. Introducing them to problem-solving games like Shape Sorter, Traffic Jam, True or False Questions , or Feed the Monster is a great way to combine entertainment and learning. These games teach children about shapes, spatial reasoning, and matching, developing their problem-solving skills along the way.

Teaching preschoolers problem-solving skills can start with small, everyday choices like picking out their clothes or deciding on lunch. Open-ended questions like, “What do you think would happen if…?” can help them think through situations and explore possible outcomes.

Childcare providers can develop problem-solving abilities by promoting creativity and collaborative play. Materials like blocks, puzzles, and art supplies encourage kids to think creatively. Facilitating group preschool activities allows children to negotiate, communicate, and solve problems together. Outdoor play and exploration can also help kids learn from experiences, develop resilience, and embrace problem-solving.

Regular practice can turn problem-solving into a habit for kids. Include problem-solving tasks in their daily routine, such as figuring out how to clean up toys fastest or deciding the best order to do their homework. This practice will make them comfortable with problem-solving and help them apply these skills in other areas of their life.

Here’s a quick refresher on some critical steps to follow when you are trying to solve a problem:

• Identify the cause of the problem. If you can determine what caused the situation in the first place, it will be much easier to find a solution.
• Consider all possible solutions before making any decisions or taking action. This will help you avoid rash decisions and ensure that you are solving the root cause of the problem rather than simply addressing its symptoms.
• Take action and implement your solution as quickly as possible. Once you have identified a viable solution, don’t hesitate to take action and put it into practice right away. This will help you focus on finding a resolution and restoring order to your life.
• Evaluate the outcome of your solution and make any necessary adjustments. Even if you take action immediately, it is essential to step back and evaluate your results before moving forward. This will help you identify areas where further improvement is needed to solve problems effectively and efficiently.

If you follow these steps, you can effectively solve any problem that comes your way. Whether it’s a minor issue or something more complex, by taking the time to understand and address its underlying cause, you can restore order to your life and get back on track.

Here’s a list of problem-solving games for preschoolers:

Shape Sorter — This game involves a container with different shaped holes and a set of blocks with different shapes. The child must figure out which shape block fits into which hole.

Traffic Jam —This game involves a set of cars and a board with a picture of a traffic jam. The child must figure out how to move the cars around to clear the traffic jam.

Feed the Monster —This game involves a board with a picture of a monster and a set of different shaped food pieces. The child must figure out which food pieces the monster will eat by matching the shape of the food to the shape of the monster’s mouth.

Puzzle matching —This game involves a set of puzzles with different pictures, the child must match each puzzle piece to complete the picture

Color Mixing —This game involves a set of color cards, the child must mix and match the cards to form new color

Memory Match —This game involves a set of cards with pictures or patterns on one side and a blank on the other. The child must remember the location of the cards and match the pairs.

Connect the dots —This game involves a picture with numbers on it. The child must connect the dots in numerical order to reveal the picture.

Tangram —This game involves a set of seven flat pieces that can be arranged to form a square or other geometric shapes. The child must figure out how to arrange the pieces to form the correct shape.

These games are designed to be fun and engaging while helping preschoolers to develop problem-solving skills.

Provide opportunities for your child to practice making decisions, such as choosing between two choices, asking them open-ended questions, giving them simple tasks, being a role model, and identifying different parts of a problem. Reading books is also a great way to strengthen problem-solving skills.

Ask your child to choose between two outfits or what to have for lunch . As your child ages, expand on these experiences by having them choose between more than two options.

Another way to help your preschooler learn problem-solving skills is to ask open-ended questions . Questions like “What do you think would happen if…?” or “How could you fix that?” give your child an opportunity to explore options and come up with a solution.

Providing your child with simple tasks to complete independently is another way to help her build problem-solving skills. Ask your child for help picking out a shirt for school or deciding what’s for dinner, and then allow him to try it on his own or figure out how to prepare the meal.

Besides providing opportunities for your child to practice problem-solving skills, you can also help by being a role model . Show your child how to take on challenges or look at things from new perspectives. Thinking through problems and navigating solutions is a valuable skill that will serve your child well throughout life.

You can also help your child to develop problem-solving skills by teaching them how to identify different parts of a problem and brainstorm possible solutions . As your child gains experience with solving problems, they will become more confident and better equipped to handle whatever life throws their way.

How do you promote problem-solving in childcare?

As a parent, you want to ensure that your child has all the tools to succeed. One of the most critical skills is problem-solving, and here are a few ways to promote problem-solving for preschoolers.

One way to promote problem-solving in childcare is to encourage creativity . This can be done by providing materials that can be used in various ways, such as blocks, puzzles, and art supplies. It is also essential to allow children the time and space to explore and experiment with these materials.

Another way to promote problem-solving in childcare is to encourage collaboration. This can be done by planning activities that require children to work together, such as building towers out of blocks or putting together puzzles. Providing opportunities for children to practice communication and negotiation skills is also essential.

Another critical aspect of promoting problem-solving in childcare is to provide opportunities for exploration and discovery. This can be done by encouraging children to play outside, engage with nature, or explore different materials and textures. It is also essential to allow children the space and freedom to experiment, make mistakes, take risks, and learn from their experiences.

It is also important to model and discuss different approaches to solving problems to promote problem-solving in childcare. You can do this by providing real-life examples of children’s challenges, such as conflicts with friends or frustrations with a difficult task.

It is also essential to talk with children about different ways they could explore and approach these situations, such as brainstorming possible solutions or taking a break to regroup.

Additionally, you can provide children with tools for reflection and self-evaluation, such as journaling prompts or goal-setting exercises. By providing these opportunities and resources, you can support children in developing problem-solving skills and strategies they can use throughout their lives.

Ask open-ended questions, such as “What do you think will happen if we put this block on top of that one?”

Providing opportunities for children to experiment and make mistakes is also essential. For example, you could encourage children to try a new activity or game and then talk with them about how it went and how they might change their approach next time. This can help children get in the habit of learning from their experiences and thinking creatively about ways to solve problems.

In addition to encouraging critical thinking and trial and error, it is vital to provide opportunities for reflection and self-evaluation. Set aside quiet time for children to think about their experiences or journal about them.

You could also encourage children to set goals for themselves and reflect on how they are progressing toward them. By providing these opportunities, you can help children build the skills to recognize problems, evaluate possible solutions, and develop creative approaches that work best for them.

Praise effort and encourage children to keep trying when they encounter difficulty. Providing opportunities for children to practice problem-solving skills in a safe and supportive environment is also essential.

Demonstrate how to solve problems calmly and patiently by offering help when needed but not doing the work for the child. It is also essential to provide opportunities for children to see adults solving problems in their everyday lives.

Model positive communication skills and encourage children to share their ideas and feelings with others. Providing opportunities for children to work together on tasks or projects is also essential.

Teach them about different emotions and how they are expressed. Provide opportunities for children to practice recognizing and managing emotions.

Teach them about setbacks and how to cope with them. Providing opportunities for children to practice problem-solving skills in a safe and supportive environment is also essential.

What are the five problem-solving skills?

Like most parents, you want to see your child succeed in everything they do. One crucial way to help them succeed is to give them the skills they need to solve problems. Here are five problem-solving skills that every child should learn: 

One of the most critical skills in problem-solving is the ability to define the problem clearly. This may seem simple, but it cannot be easy. People will frequently try to solve a problem before taking the time to understand the problem. This can lead to a lot of wasted effort and frustration.

Once you have a clear understanding of the problem, the next step is to generate possible solutions. This requires creative thinking and brainstorming. It is crucial to come up with as many possible solutions as possible, even if some seem far-fetched or impossible. The goal is to get your creative juices flowing so that you can eventually find a workable solution.

After you have generated a list of possible solutions, it is time to evaluate each one. This evaluation should be based on criteria specific to the problem at hand. For example, suppose you are trying to solve a financial situation. In that case, you will want to evaluate solutions based on their economic feasibility. Suppose you are trying to solve a personal relationship issue. In that case, you will want to consider solutions based on their potential impact on your relationship.

Once you have evaluated all possible solutions, it is time to select the best one. This selection should be based on the criteria you established in the previous step. Choosing a solution you are confident will solve the problem at hand is essential. Otherwise, you will end up with another issue that needs to be solved.

The final step in problem-solving is implementation, which means putting the chosen solution into action. This step will require some planning and effort, but it is necessary for the answer to work. If you do not implement the solution properly, the problem will likely persist or worsen.

Thirteen problem solving activities for preschoolers.

One problem-solving activity for preschoolers is sorting. This can be done with various materials, such as buttons, blocks, or food.

You could give your child a mixture of colored buttons and ask them to sort them by color. This activity helps to develop critical thinking skills by requiring the child to identify similarities and differences.

Patterning is another critical thinking activity for preschoolers . This can be done with various materials, such as beads, blocks, or crayons.

You could give your child a string of beads and ask them to create a pattern. This activity helps to develop critical thinking skills by requiring the child to identify patterns and replicate them.

Classifying is another critical thinking activity for preschoolers. This can be done with various materials, such as rocks, leaves, or toys.

You could give your child a selection of rocks and ask them to classify them by size, shape , or color. This activity helps to develop critical thinking skills by requiring the child to identify similarities and differences.

Counting is another critical thinking activity for preschoolers. This can be done with various materials, such as pennies, pieces of candy, or even cars on the street.

You could ask your child to count how many cars are parked on your street. This activity helps to develop critical thinking skills by requiring the child to identify quantities.

Comparing is another critical thinking activity for preschoolers. This can be done with various materials, such as apples, oranges, or crayons.

You could ask your child to compare two apples and identify which one is larger or redder. This activity helps to develop critical thinking skills by requiring the child to identify similarities and differences.

Inventing stories is another great critical thinking activity for preschoolers. This can be done with various materials, such as playdough , crayons, or stuffed animals.

You could give your child a few items and ask them to invent a story about what they might be doing or where they might have come from. This activity helps to develop critical thinking skills by requiring the child to use their imagination and think creatively.

Subscribe to Kokotree!

Get free parenting tips, news, updates, and content from Kokotree.

Creative drawing is another tremendous critical thinking activity for preschoolers. This can be done with various materials, such as drawing paper, markers, or even chalk on the sidewalk.

You could give your child a piece of drawing paper and ask them to draw whatever they want. This activity helps to develop critical thinking skills by requiring the child to think creatively and express themselves artistically.

Role-playing is another tremendous critical thinking activity for preschoolers. This can be done with various materials, such as dolls, stuffed animals, or household items like pots and pans.

You could give your child some dolls or stuffed animals and ask them to act out a scene from their favorite book or TV show together. This activity helps develop critical thinking skills by requiring the child to think critically about situations and develop creative solutions.

Making connections is another critical thinking activity for preschoolers. This can be done with various materials, such as books or movies.

You could give your child a book and ask them to connect it to something they’ve read or seen in the past. This activity helps to develop critical thinking skills by requiring the child to think critically about different topics and make connections between them.

Asking questions is another great critical thinking activity for preschoolers . This can be done with various materials, such as toy people or stuffed animals.

You could give your child some toy people and ask them to create their own story about what might have happened before the toys came in from the playground.

This activity helps develop critical thinking skills by requiring the child to think critically about different situations and ask many questions.

Another way to help your child develop critical thinking skills is to have them put things in sequence.

You could give them a stack of cards with numbers and have them put the cards in order from smallest to largest. This activity will help your child learn to order objects according to a specific criterion.

Analogies are another great way to help your child develop critical thinking skills. An analogy is when two things are compared because they share similar characteristics.

You could say that “a cat is like a dog because they are both animals” or “a chair is like a table because they are both furniture items.” This activity will help your child learn to see relationships between different things and understand how some of them might be similar to one another.

Illusions are another great way to help your child develop critical thinking skills. An illusion tricks the senses, such as a picture that looks moving or an object that looks bigger than it is.

For example, you could show your child a pencil and paper bag and ask them why they think the pencil seems to disappear when it goes inside the pack. This activity will help your child learn to pay attention to details and notice when things seem out of place or don’t quite make sense.

Yes. Puzzle games help preschoolers develop essential skills such as pattern recognition, planning, and spatial awareness. As they play, preschoolers learn to think creatively and persevere when facing challenges.

Puzzle games can also help to improve fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. And because they are enjoyable to play, puzzle games can help to motivate preschoolers to keep practicing and improving their skills.

Preschoolers should have at most 1 hour of screen time a day. If you allow them to play video games, make sure they are high-quality and age-appropriate educational games. Playstation, Xbox, and other popular gaming consoles may be challenging since they have many buttons. Ideally, you can find mobile games for iPhone, iPad, and android devices.

If they are not educational, your child probably isn’t getting much benefit from them at this age other than entertainment and giving you a break. Games requiring fast reactions or flashy graphics and loud music aren’t appropriate for preschoolers.

Consider playing the game with your preschooler to help them understand it better and to offer guidance when needed.

Overall, preschoolers have many great critical thinking activities that can help them develop essential skills. These activities include role-playing, making connections, asking questions, sequencing, analogies, illusions, and many others.

By engaging your child in these activities regularly, you can help them develop critical thinking skills that will serve them well throughout their life.

Stay Up to Date with Kokotree!

Be the first to know about new content launches and announcements.

Kokotree News

Coloring and Visual Discrimination Skills for Toddlers

Building Blocks Fun for Kids

Featured posts.

Sign Up for Kokotree! Start Now!

Already have an account? Sign in

By continuing, you agree to the Terms of Use .

Join over 100,000 educators for tips & tricks in the Facebook group .

• Back to School

Teaching Tips

Social emotional, problem solving with little learners (preschool, pre-k, and kindergarten), share this post:.

• Share on Twitter Share on Twitter
• Share on Facebook Share on Facebook
• Share on Pinterest Share on Pinterest
• Share via Email Share via Email

Problem solving is challenging for young students (and many adults too)! To support my little friends, I teach them problem solving strategies that they can use when they encounter a problem. We want our students to become independent thinkers who can solve problems, control their emotions, express empathy, and help others.

I introduce the problem solving techniques a few at a time during a class meeting. Each week, I introduce three new problem solving techniques.  We then end up with nine to twelve techniques total based on what my students need that year.  I explain the technique to the students in concrete terms so they will understand what the technique is and what it can look/sound like.

We usually start with these four skills:  “please stop”, ask, get help, and say how you feel.  Many problems can be solved with those solutions, which is why I always start with those. Then, the following week, I introduce take turns, play together, trade, and share. Then, the last four solutions the next week.

Problem Solving Techniques

Singing with puppets is a fun and active way to practice the problem-solving techniques .  Preschoolers LOVE puppets!  This technique also allows students to role play.  Some students will be more verbal if they can pretend to be someone else.  At the end of each verse, students act out the problem-solving technique with a buddy using the puppets!As a transition activity to lunch, students took turns sharing a way they have solved a problem. You can also play, “What would you do if….”. State a real problem that could happen and have students pick a problem-solving solution to solve the problem. Some examples would be, “What would you do if your friend took your book?”, “What would you do if you got sticky glue on your hands?”, or “What would you do if you needed the red marker and your friend was coloring with it?” Once they have learned the strategies, stand back and let students try solving their own problems independently. Just a warning: this can take some time with lots of practice and support. As long as the student isn’t frustrated, let them try before you jump in to help. You will be amazed at the problems your child can solve given the opportunity to.

At first, you will be giving students lots of support and giving them the words to use to solve a problem.

• Always approach students at their level, in a calm supporting way.
• Ask, “what’s the problem?” If they don’t respond, comment on what you see such as “I see you have glue all over your hands and it looks sticky.”
• Restate the problem. “So the problem is ….”
• Brainstorm solutions and choose one together. This is the perfect time to use problem solving card visuals! “How can we solve this problem?” Flip through the solution cards and ask “Could we ….?”
• Praise and observe! Cheer on the students for solving the problem and stay close just in case they need more support.

Throughout the day, try to make EVERYTHING a problem to solve.  Then model, talk through your thinking out loud, and use visuals to support students as they try to solve a problem. For example, I may put out a big ball of playdough in the center of the table as a small group activity. Students have to problem solve so each student has play dough to play with. It only takes few extra minutes to sneak in problem-solving situations throughout the day. Each time students help solve a problem or observe a friend solve a problem, they learn to self-regulate, express emotions appropriately, develop empathy, and develop problem-solving skills.

State problems for students who look stuck. If a student is just standing there, they need support, but don’t solve the problem for them! It’s so easy to do. Simply state their problem or what you see and ask a probing question. For example, if a student is standing with an empty bowl in their hand, you could say “Your snack spilled on the floor. How can you solve the problem?”

Problem-Solving Necklace or Mini Book!

I hole punched the small cards, put them on a book ring and keep them on a lanyard I wear every day.  This way I can support students’ solving problems without having to go to the safe place where they are posted.  I can just show the picture cards as a visual on my necklace.  The mini book in the safe place works the same way.

Safe Place!

I keep my techniques posted in my circle area at the beginning of the year AND in my safe place. My safe place is a small spot in my classroom where students can go when they are upset, need to calm down, want to be alone, or have a problem.

Once I see students using the problem-solving techniques independently, I remove them from my circle area.  They are posted in my safe place ALL YEAR LONG for students to use when they are struggling to solve a problem.  In my safe place, you will find a mirror, feeling chart, bean bag, sensory bottles, calm down choices, a stuffed animal, problem solving mini book and problem-solving techniques chart. You can read all about how to set up a safe place in your classroom HERE . Children’s Books!

These are some of my FAVORITE children’s books to teach all about problem-solving.  As we read the book, we talk about how the character is or isn’t solving the problem, how it makes the character and others feel, any natural consequences that could occur, and which one of our problem-solving strategies the character could use to solve the problem.

Do you want to use them in your classroom?  You can!  I did the work for you.  Grab them from my TPT store HERE .

LOVE it? Pin this image!

hey, i’m jackie!

I’m Jackie, your go-to girl for early childhood inspiration and research-based curriculum. 

Similar Posts

How to Set up the Dramatic Play Center in an Early Childhood Classroom

The Dramatic play center is a place students can go to pretend, imagine, and be creative.  Students can pretend to be anyone and do anything! This is powerful for our…

Preschool Reading Logs & Parent Letter (homework for preschoolers)

My preschoolers ASK for homework.  They want to be just like their big brother or sister and do homework.  They have also figured out that when their brothers or sisters…

How to Set Up the Blocks Center in an Early Childhood Classroom

Hands down, the favorite center in my classroom (with the boys) is the blocks center.  If I would let them, they would go to the blocks center each and every…

Curriculum Map for Preschool, Pre-k, and Kindergarten

Planning for the entire year can be overwhelming and stressful! I’m here to help. I’ve created a year-long Curriculum Map for preschool, pre-k, and kindergarten. You will find a Year-at-a-Glance,…

Student Portfolios and Assessments Organization HACKS

I LOVE it when things are organized and colorful!  Student portfolios and assessments can create PILES of paperwork and student work sample pages.  Managing all the papers can be so…

All About Small Group Time – FREE Printable Idea List

Small group time is a meaningful and important part of any Preschoolers’ day.  It’s a time when you work with a small group of students and individualize instruction based on…

Follow On Instagram

©2023 Pocket of Preschool. All Rights Reserved. Designed by Ashley Hughes

Review Cart

No products in the cart.

Dramatic Play

Atlas Mission

Navigate to...

8 problem solving games to play with your preschooler.

Want to Improve Your Child's Problem Solving Skills?

Enroll your child for the Atlas Mission – the ultimate learning companion for kids.

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.

Facebook Pinterest Google+

Related Articles

A Parent Primer on Preschool Problem Solving Skills

10 Kindergarten Problem Solving Skills for your Little Champ

Fun Preschool Problem Solving Games to Encourage Independence

More Preschool and Kindergarten Problem Solving Articles...

Popular Articles

10 Sneaky Ways to Trick Your Kids into Learning Math

First Steps Towards Coding for Preschoolers: Understanding Instructions

5 Ways to Kill Your Child’s Creativity

10 Ways to Supercharge Your Child’s Science Skills

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.

Liked this article? Don’t miss our next one.

Our blog publishes free tips for busy parents like you to help you improve your child’s Reading, Math, Science and 21st century skills.

Follow us and get weekly updates containing some of our most exclusive content.

26 Fun Cognitive Games and Activities for Preschoolers

By: Author Tanja McIlroy

Posted on Last updated: 7 April 2024

Categories Activities for Preschoolers & Kindergarteners

A child’s cognitive development is just one part of their holistic development, along with their social, emotional and physical growth. As with all skills, the best way to boost cognitive development in childhood is through play.

Here are 26 simple cognitive games and activities for preschoolers. Many of these games can be played with kindergarteners and older children, or simplified for younger kids.

1. I Spy With My Little Eye

I Spy With My Little Eye is the perfect game for young children as it teaches them to listen and think. 

Give clues for children to guess the object you have spotted, such as:

• I spy with my little eye something round that we use to tell the time.
• I spy with my little eye something wooden that we eat our lunch on.
• I spy with my little eye something that starts with a “b”.

Use this game to teach children concepts like colours, shapes and initial sounds of words.

2. Matching Cards Memory Game

A picture memory game helps children develop visual memory , which is the brain’s ability to remember what it sees. It’s an important pre-reading skill . 

Place pairs of matching picture cards face down on a table and shuffle them. Take turns to turn over two cards at a time. If they match, you keep them, if they don’t match, turn them back over. 

The point is to try and memorize the placement of the cards to find more matches.  

3. Hopscotch

Physical games like Hopscotch can also be a great way to build number skills. 

Draw a basic Hopscotch court with 8 to 10 blocks and get children to hop into the blocks, calling out the numbers as they go. 

4. Kim’s Game

Build cognitive abilities with a brain game like Kim’s Game . This game also builds visual memory.

Place a few toys or household items onto a tray and challenge kids to remember the items on the tray. Then, remove one of the items and see if they can identify the missing item. 

5. Magic Cup Game

This simple game will teach kids to maintain their focus.

All you need is three cups – turned upside down – and a small coin or other object. While the child is watching, place the object under one of the cups and shuffle the cups around on the table. Can they identify which cup the object is under?

6. Shape Hunt

Teach kids about shapes while playing a game. Get them to explore the environment, finding and naming different shapes. They can also point out shapes of objects indoors, such as a round clock, rectangular rug or square window.

Puzzles are one of the best cognitive activities. They build problem-solving skills , fine motor skills and visual perception . 

Offer age-appropriate puzzles, starting with simpler puzzles with larger pieces and gradually increasing in complexity. The right puzzle is challenging but doable.

8. Sorting and Categorising

Matching , sorting and categorising are important cognitive skills to learn and can be practised in a fun way.

Provide a variety of objects (blocks, beads, toys, etc.) and get kids to sort them by colour, shape or size. Or find the match with matching pairs of socks while packing away the laundry.

9. The Telephone Game

One of the best ways to build attention span is with a listening game such as the Telephone Game , also called Broken Telephone .

Kids sit in a circle and the first person (or adult) whispers a short phrase into the next person’s ear. The phrase gets passed around the circle until the last person calls it out, to see if the correct message was delivered around the circle.

Here are some fun Telephone Game phrases .

10. Make Patterns

Teach children to make simple patterns using items such as building blocks, coloured leaves, beads threaded onto a lace, or pegs around a paper plate. 

Start with simple A/B patterns like red block, blue block, red block, blue block , etc. Then move on to more complex patterns such as two red blocks, one blue block, two red blocks, one blue block , etc. 

Teach pattern recognition skills by laying out a pattern of blocks or objects and asking children to tell you what the “rule” or pattern is. 

You could also try clapping patterns and have children copy the simple patterns that you clap.

11. Telling Riddles

Telling riddles is an excellent way to build thinking skills . 

Here are a few examples of animal riddles:

• I am a large animal and I drink water with my trunk. What am I?
• I am tall and pink and I like to stand on one leg. What am I?
• I have spots, I run fast and I sometimes sleep high up in trees. What am I?

You can make these basic or complex, depending on the age of the children.

12. Parking Cars

Parking Cars is a fun number recognition game . Label toy cars with the numbers 1 to 5 and create numbered parking garages out of boxes. Kids can race their cars and park in the garage with the corresponding number.

13. Simon Says

Simon Says is a wonderful educational game for the preschool years. It’s a listening game that also builds language and concentration.

Give a series of instructions for children to follow, each time beginning the command with “Simon says”. When you don’t begin with “Simon says”, the children must not follow the command. 

They therefore have to pay attention to what the instruction is, as well as deciphering whether or not they should do it.

Some examples: 

• Simon says turn around three times.
• Simon says jump and clap your hands twice.
• Run and touch the door. 

For the last command, children should remain still. Here is a list of Simon Says commands .

14. Hide and Seek with Objects

Play a game of Hide and Seek by hiding toys or other objects around the room and giving clues about where they are hidden. Whoever finds the object can hide it in the next round.

Use preposition words like over , inside , next to and beside .

15. Categories Game

The categories game is a fun way to build vocabulary and auditory memory . 

With younger children, choose an easy category like food or animals. Kids sit in a circle and go around, taking turns to add one word that fits into the category. A word may not be repeated.

Words in the animal category could be, for example, different kinds of animals (lion, monkey, cow) or even words associated with animals (food, farm, zoo, claws). Here is a list of categories for ideas.

16. Make up a Story

This is a challenging creative activity for preschoolers but they can give it a try. Let them go at their own pace and don’t worry if the story gets very off track!

Tell the children you are going to make up your own group story. Start with an opening line, introducing one character, and then prompt them, one at a time to add what they think happens next. The story should change direction and become very interesting as they add their ideas.

With older children, they go in order and each child adds just one line to the story, taking it in any direction they choose.

17. Would You Rather?

Play a game of Would You Rather to build children’s critical thinking and logical reasoning.

Ask a series of questions with a choice of two alternatives and they must choose one and explain their choice.

A few examples:

• Would you rather be an ant or an elephant?
• Would you rather have a holiday at the beach or in a new city?
• Would you rather be a superhero or a villain?

Young children might find it challenging to put their reasons into words. Coax them to think about their reasons by asking them questions and guiding them.

18. Numbered Bean Bag Toss

Build number recognition skills at the same time as hand-eye coordination while playing with bean bags . 

Use large boxes or laundry baskets as the targets and place a large label on each one, with numbers up to 5. Children must aim and throw their bean bags into each basket, starting from basket number 1 and continuing up to basket number 5.

19. Nature Scavenger Hunt

Send kids outdoors on a fun nature scavenger hunt. 

Draw a few simple pictures on paper of items found in nature, such as a leaf, stone, twig, flower, blade of grass, etc. Challenge kids to find all the items and place them onto their page, over the corresponding images. They can work in teams or individually.

20. Odd One Out

Play a game of Odd One Out to teach children the concept that items can be grouped according to characteristics or that they can share a “rule”.

With younger children, play this game with physical objects. You can play the game verbally with older children.

Place four or five items on a tray, such as an orange, a banana, a strawberry, a carrot and a pear. Ask children to identify the odd one out (the carrot) and then ask them “What’s the rule?” (It must be a fruit).

21. Card Games

Teach kids to play simple card games like Snap , Slap Jack or Go Fish .

Here are the rules of Snap !

Playing card games improves concentration, number concepts and thinking skills.

22. Dominoes

Playing with Dominoes is a great way for children to learn the numbers, and develop their concept of one-to-one correspondence . 

Younger children don’t need to play strictly by the rules and can simply take turns with an adult, adding a tile with a matching number of dots on it.

23. Charades

Charades is an enjoyable game for all ages. Play a simple version with preschoolers by having cards with images on them. They choose a card and have to act out the image on their card.

Pick words that are easy to portray, such as animals or people at work. Whoever guesses the word, chooses a card to act out in the next round. 

24. Number Hunt

Practise number recognition by hiding number cards (with numbers 1 to 5 or 10) around the room or class, and having children search for them. 

Once the group have found all the numbers, they need to place them into the correct order.

25. Songs and Rhymes

One of the best ways to develop language skills in early childhood is through singing songs and nursery rhymes . Learning songs builds vocabulary, memory, auditory perception and more.

Children should be exposed to songs and rhymes every day. Here’s a great list of 40 classic preschool songs .

26. Board Games

Build intellectual as well as social skills by playing board games with kids. Preschoolers should start with simple games such as Snakes and Ladders , and be guided by an adult. It can take a while for them to get used to things like following set rules, moving counters the correct number of spaces or waiting their turn. 

Here are some suitable board games for preschoolers .

These are just a few cognitive games and activities that preschoolers will enjoy and learn from.

Are you a preschool teacher or working in Early Childhood Education? Would you like to receive regular emails with useful tips and play-based activity ideas to try with your children? Sign up for the newsletter!

For more ideas, here is a list of classic games for kids .

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

• How To Get Pregnant
• Infertility
• Pregnancy Week by Week
• Second Pregnancy
• Giving Birth
• Post Pregnancy
• Breastfeeding
• Development
• Browse Names
• Play & Activities
• Coloring Pages
• Food & Nutrition
• Health & Fitness
• Style & Beauty Care
• Collaborations
• New Parents
• Single Parenting
• Relationships
• Baby Eye Color Calculator
• Online Pregnancy Test
• Chinese Gender Predictor
• Implantation Calculator
• hCG Calculator
• Period Calculator
• ovulation calculator
• pregnancy due date calculator
• Child Height Predictor
• Pregnancy Weight Gain Calculator
• Breast Milk Calculator
• Child Growth Percentile Calculator
• Baby Cost Calculator
• BMI Calculator For Kids & Teens
• Contraction Calculator
• Immunization Scheduler and Chart
• C-Section Checklist
• Online Twin Pregnancy Quiz
• Numerology calculator
• Child Blood Type Calculator
• Nakshatra Calculator
• Diaper Bag Checklist
• Baby Name Combiner

Home • Toddler • Play And Activities

13 Problem-Solving Activities For Toddlers And Preschoolers

Intriguing ideas to boost their analytical and rational thinking skills.

Elisabeth Daly is a state-certified high school English teacher. Over her two decade career, she has taught students in grades 9-12 at both public and private high schools, and worked as an adjunct professor at her local community college. ... read full bio

Kavita has a diverse background in finance, human resources, and teaching. She did her MBA in Finance and HR at Solapur University, and bachelor in Education at Pune University. After working for thre... read full bio

Rohit Garoo is a writer-turned-editor with over 9 years of experience in content writing, editing, and content marketing. He did his bachelors in Science at St. Xavier's College, Hyderabad, and master... read full bio

Vibha is a coder turned content writer. She holds a Masters degree in Computer Applications from Osmania University, Hyderabad and a certificate in 'Introduction To Child Psychology'. Her passion for ... read full bio

MomJunction believes in providing reliable, research-backed information to you. As per our strong editorial policy requirements, we base our health articles on references (citations) taken from authority sites, international journals, and research studies. However, if you find any incongruencies, feel free to write to us .

Image: Shutterstock

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?

Image: IStock

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 and aid in their character development.

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 storytelling 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. Problem-based learning will stick with them forever.
• Make them do simple household chores in their own way. And, there is no right or wrong style to it. Kitchen experiments are a great way to learn.
• Every kid is unique and has a different pace of learning. A teacher/ parent will have to be observing to 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.

13 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. See how good they are at classifying the objects.

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 coloring 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.

13. Stacking rings

Stacking rings is an effective problem-solving activity for children as it enhances their cognitive skills, spatial awareness, and fine motor abilities. The task requires careful consideration of size, shape, and balance, fostering critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Children must strategize the order and orientation of the rings to successfully build a stable tower. This activity encourages creativity as they experiment with different stacking techniques. Give children a set of rings in varying sizes and materials for this activity. Ask the children to construct the tower and be watchful to prevent it from collapsing, as it offers them valuable insights into cause-and-effect relationships. Challenge them to create the tallest tower possible to promote teamwork and perseverance as they refine their approach through trial and error.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are the stages of problem-solving?

Problem-solving is a cognitive skill that works through six stages – searching and 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. Children learn problem-solving through exploration between zero to two years, whereas, by three years of age, they learn problem-solving through experimenting 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. Indulging toddlers in critical thinking activities by asking open-ended questions or engaging in activities such as block constructing 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

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.

Image: Stable Diffusion/MomJunction Design Team

• You Can Do It: Teaching Toddlers Problem-Solving Skills. https://va-itsnetwork.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
• Fact-checker

Elisabeth Daly MSEd

Kavita kankani mba, bed, rohit garoo bsc, mba, vibha navarathna mca, latest articles, 11 fun things to do on a friday night with your teens.

Plan a campfire, go bowling, eat a pizza - the idea is to have a relaxed weekend with your teen.

12+ Fun Weekend Activities To Do With Your Family

Amp up your weekend vibes with your family and spend quality time bonding over fun activities.

11 Cool Teen Birthday Party Ideas And Games

Make your teen’s birthday celebration unique, happening, and rave-worthy.

16 Engrossing Drama And Improv Games For Teens

These games can encourage teens to express themselves with confidence.

24 Fun-Filled Sleepover Games And Activities For Teens

Bond with friends over an exciting sleepover party with these novel games and activities.

100+ Clean And Funny School Jokes For Kids

Crack up your class into bursts of laughter by sharing school jokes with them.

95 Naughty And Funny Jokes For Kids To Laugh Out Loud

Leave your little one in splits with these puns, jokes, and one-liners.

Top 11 DIY Diwali Greeting Cards And Gift Ideas For Kids

Because the joy of preparing something yourself is out of the world.

22 Learning Activities And Games For Your 7-Month-Old Baby

Exciting ideas to advance the development and skills of your little one.

17+ Exciting And Interesting Games For 4-Year-Olds To Have Fun

Keep your little one engaged with games and watch them forget about everything else.

10 Interesting French Games And Activities For Kids 

Not only are French art and fashion popular, but so are French children's games.

10 Cute ‘Frosty The Snowman’ Coloring Pages For Toddlers

Get Your ALL ACCESS Shop Pass here →

50 Easy Preschool Science Experiments

Curious kids turn into junior scientists with these fun and easy preschool science experiments . This collection of  preschool science activities is doable and uses simple supplies for home or in the classroom. Plus, you can also scale any of these activities to use with Kindergarten through elementary-age students!

Science Projects for Preschoolers and Beyond

So many of these science experiments below can be adapted to your kids’ current level. Also, many of these preschool science activities are perfect for kids of multiple ages to work together in small groups.

ARE SCIENCE ACTIVITIES EASY TO DO WITH YOUNG KIDS?

You bet! You will find science activities here that are inexpensive, as well as quick and easy to set up! These activities can be used as easily in the classroom as at home.

Many of these awesome kinder science experiments use common ingredients you may already have. Just check your kitchen cupboard for excellent science supplies.

You will notice that I use the wording preschool science quite a bit, but these activities and experiments are absolutely perfect for kindergarten-age kids as well as early elementary-age kids .

It all depends on the individual kid or group you are working with! Depending on age, you can add more or less of the science information or create science journals!

Make sure to check out…

• STEM for Toddlers
• STEM for Kindergarten
• STEM for Elementary

Benefits of Preschool Science Activities

Enhances Critical Thinking: Science activities in preschool involve observation, exploration, and problem-solving. These activities prompt children to think critically, make connections between cause and effect, and develop reasoning skills.

Fosters Creativity: Science is not just about facts and formulas; it also encourages creativity. Engaging in hands-on activities and experiments allows children to think outside the box, come up with unique solutions, and express their ideas creatively.

Promotes Hands-on Learning: Preschoolers learn best through hands-on experiences. Science activities provide the perfect platform for them to touch, feel, observe, and experiment with the world around them, making learning more tangible and memorable.

Cognitive Development: Science activities stimulate various aspects of cognitive development, including problem-solving, memory, attention span, and language skills. Children learn to think logically, analyze information, and make predictions – all crucial academic and life success skills.

Language Development: Science activities involve communication, encouraging children to describe their observations, ask questions, and discuss their findings. This enhances language development, vocabulary, and verbal expression.

Social Skills: Science activities often involve group work and collaboration. Working together on projects fosters teamwork, cooperation, and social skills. It also teaches children to respect each other’s ideas and value diverse perspectives.

Emotional Development: Science activities can be both exciting and challenging for preschoolers. As they explore and experiment, they experience various emotions, such as curiosity, excitement, frustration, and joy. These experiences contribute to emotional development and self-awareness.

Motor Skills: Many science activities require fine motor skills like pouring, measuring, and manipulating objects. Engaging in these activities helps refine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and dexterity.

Confidence Building: As preschoolers engage in science activities and witness successful outcomes, their self-confidence and self-esteem grow. The sense of accomplishment gained from completing experiments encourages them to take on new challenges.

Preschool Science Activities Engage the Senses

Preschool science encourages making observations with the 5 senses, including sight, sound, touch, smell, and sometimes even taste. When kids are fully able to immerse themselves in the activity, the greater the interest they will have in it!

Kids are naturally curious creatures, and once you have piqued their curiosity, you have also turned on their observation, critical thinking, and experimenting skills.

These science activities are perfect for the senses, allowing play and exploration without adult-led directions. Kids will naturally start to pick up on the simple science concepts presented just by having a fun conversation about it all with you!

• 5 Senses Exploration Station
• 5 Senses Coloring Book (Free)
• 5 Senses Discovery Bags
• Apple Taste Test with the 5 Senses
• Pop Rocks and 5 Senses

How to Teach Science to Preschoolers

Teaching science to preschoolers is a wonderful way to spark their curiosity about the world around them. Making the learning process fun, engaging, and age-appropriate is essential.

Begin by incorporating hands-on activities and experiments that encourage exploration and observation. Use simple and relatable examples from their everyday lives, such as observing plants grow, mixing colors, or exploring the properties of water.

Encourage questions and provide simple explanations that align with their level of understanding. Picture books can also be valuable tools for teaching science concepts. Add fun themes and colors for the holidays and seasons!

Additionally, fostering a sense of wonder and excitement about the natural world will lay a strong foundation for their future scientific learning. Remember that patience, repetition, and a nurturing environment are key to helping preschoolers develop a lifelong love for science.

Getting Started with Science

Check out the links below to prepare yourself, your family, or your classroom for these easy preschool science experiments and activities. The key to success is in the preparation!

• Preschool Science Center Ideas
• Sensory Science Activities
• Preschool Math Activities
• STEAM Books with Activities for Kids
• Make a homemade science kit that’s inexpensive!

Awesome Science Activities for Preschoolers

Here are some science activities you can do with your preschooler. Click on each of the links below for the full instructions.

Check out how different materials with this simple Preschool Water Science activity absorb water .  Explore how much water a sponge can absorb . Or you can try the classic walking water science activity .

ALKA SELTZER CHEMICAL REACTIONS

Make an Alka Seltzer Rocket , try Alka Seltzer Experiment or a homemade Lava Lamp to check out this neat chemical reaction.

BAKING SODA AND VINEGAR EXPERIMENTS

Who doesn’t like a fizzing, foaming eruption? From an erupting lemon volcano to our simple baking soda balloon experiment. . Check out our list of baking soda science activities to get started!

BALLOON RACE CARS

Explore energy, measure distance, build different cars to explore speed and distance with simple balloon cars . You can use Duplo, LEGO, or build your own car.

BALLOON ROCKETS

Gas, energy, and power! Make Go power! Set up a simple balloon rocket . All you need is a string, a straw, and a balloon!

BURSTING BAGS

Definitely take this bursting bags science activity outside! Will it pop? This science activity will have you on the edge of your seat!

BUTTER IN A JAR

The science you can spread with a tasty homemade butter , after a good workout for the arms anyway!

BUTTERFLY LIFE CYCLE

Explore the butterfly life cycle with a free printable pack and sensory bin idea. Or create an edible butterfly life cycle instead!

Explore the simple fun of bubbles with these easy bubble experiments ! Can you make a bubble bounce? We have a recipe for the perfect bubble solution too.

Check out even more bubble fun with 2D bubble shapes or 3D bubble shapes , bubble painting , and bubble snakes !

BUILDING BRIDGES

This bridge building activity is an easy engineering project for young kids. It starts with the planning and designing process and ends with the building process. Construct your own bridge from simple supplies.

BUILDING TOWERS

Kids love building and building structures is a great activity that incorporates many skills. Plus it is a great frugal activity. Check out a variety of building activities .

CANDY SCIENCE

Play Willy Wonka for a day and explore candy science with floating m&m’s, chocolate slime, dissolving candy experiments, and more!

CELERY AND FOOD COLORING

Watch how water moves through a plant with a simple celery food coloring science experiment !

CHICK PEA FOAM

Have fun with this taste-safe sensory play foam made with ingredients you probably already have in the kitchen! This edible shaving foam, or aquafaba as it is commonly known, is made from the water chickpeas are cooked in.

COLOR MIXING

Color mixing is a science. Learn colors through play with these preschool color activities .

CRYSTAL GROWING

Growing crystals is simple! You can easily grow your own crystals at home or in the classroom with our simple recipe. Make a rainbow crystal , a snowflake , hearts , crystal eggshells , and even crystal seashells.

DENSITY {LIQUIDS}

Can one liquid be lighter than the other? Find out with this easy liquid density experiment!

DINOSAUR FOSSILS

Be a paleontologist for a day, make your own homemade dinosaur fossils , and then go on your own dig . Check out all our fun preschool dinosaur activities .

DISCOVERY BOTTLES

Science in a bottle. Explore all kinds of simple science ideas right in a bottle! Check out a few of our easy science bottles or these discovery bottles for ideas. They are perfect for themes, too, like these Earth Day ones!

Test how strong an egg is with this easy eggshell strength experiment. Find out what happens to an egg in vinegar , and try our mess-free egg drop challenge for young kids.

Have you ever changed the color of a flower? Try this color-changing flower science experiment and learn about how a flower works! Or why not try growing your own flowers with our list of easy flowers to grow .

What goes up must come down. Have young kids explore concepts in gravity around the house or classroom with simple objects you already have.

FIZZING LEMONADE

Explore the senses and a little chemistry with our fizzy lemonade recipe!

ICE CREAM IN A BAG

Homemade ice cream is yummy edible science with only three ingredients! Don’t forget the winter gloves and sprinkles. This gets cold!

ICE MELT SCIENCE

An ice melt activity is a simple science you can set up in many different ways with many themes. Ice melting is a wonderful introduction to a simple science concept for young kids! Check out our list of ice activities for preschool .

Try classic expanding ivory soap experiment ! One bar of ivory soap can be very exciting! Also see how we experimented with one bar of soap and turned it into either soap foam or soap slime !

Another must try science experiment using oil and water, a lava lamp experiment is always a favorite!

LETTUCE GROWING ACTIVITY

Set up a lettuce growing station . This is fascinating to watch and pretty quick to do. We watched the new lettuce grow taller each day!

Magic milk is definitely one of our most popular science experiments. Plus, it is just plain fun and mesmerizing!

What’s magnetic? What’s not magnetic? You can set up a magnet science discovery table for your kids to explore and a magnet activity !

MIRRORS AND REFLECTIONS

Mirrors are fascinating and have wonderful play and learning possibilities plus it makes for great science!

NAKED EGG OR RUBBER EGG EXPERIMENT

Ah, the egg in vinegar experiment . You need a little patience for this one {takes 7 days}, but the end result is really cool!

OOBLECK {NON-NEWTONIAN FLUIDS}

Oobleck is 2 ingredient fun! A simple recipe using kitchen cupboard ingredients, but it is the perfect example of a non-newtonian fluid. Also makes for fun sensory play. Make classic oobleck or colored oobleck.

Take the penny boat challenge and find out how many pennies your tin foil boat will hold before sinking. Learn about buoyancy and how boats float on water.

Make a simple pulley that really works, and test out lifting loads.

Learn about the science of rainbows as well as fun rainbow-themed science experiments. Check out our fun selection of simple-to-set-up  r ainbow science experiments . 

We use cars and balls all the time with our rain gutters! Even flat pieces of wood or stiff cardboard work! Check out toy car friction experiment ! Newton’s laws of motion really come alive with simple toy cars and homemade ramps.

ROCK CANDY (SUGAR CRYSTALS)

Another tasty science activity as you explore how sugar crystals form !

FOUR SEASONS

What’s the reason for the seasons , perfect for kids?

SEED GERMINATION

Planting seeds and watching plants grow is the perfect spring preschool science activity. Our simple  seed jar science activity  is one of our most popular science activities for preschoolers. It is an excellent way to see how a seed grows!

THE 5 SENSES

Let’s explore the senses! Young kids are learning to use their senses every day. Set up a simple 5 Senses Science Table for exploring and learning how their senses work! Our candy taste test and senses activity are fun, too.

SHADOW SCIENCE

Explore shadows in several ways! Make shadows with your body (fun outdoor play and learning idea) and animal shadow puppets to check out!

Slime is one of our favorite activities, and our simple slime recipes are perfect for learning a little bit about non-Newtonian fluids. Or make slime for fun sensory play! Check out our fluffy slime !

Every kid should build a volcano! Build a sandbox volcano or a LEGO volcano !

Young kids learn by exploring, observing, and figuring out the way things work with hands-on activities. This volume activity encourages all of the above and is simple to set up.

WATER EXPERIMENTS

There are all kinds of fun science activities you can do with water. Use your STEM design skills to build your own water play wall , observe refraction of light in water , explore what dissolves in water or even try a simple solid liquid gas experiment . Check out more easy water science experiments .

WATER XYLOPHONE

Learn a little bit about the science of sound with a simple water xylophone .

WEATHER SCIENCE

Explore wet weather with rain clouds and tornados or even make a water cycle in a bottle!

TORNADO BOTTLE

Create a tornado in a bottle and study the weather safely!

We made both an indoor and outdoor zip line this year. Explore science concepts through play.

Printable Preschool Pack

Get ready to explore this year with our growing Preschool STEM Bundle ! Or grab the individual packs.

What’s Included:

There are ten fun preschool themes to get you started. This is an ” I can explore” series! You’ll find both seasonal and non-seasonal themes appropriate to preschool learning throughout the year.

Each unit contains approximately 15 activities, with instructions and templates  as needed. Hands-on activities are provided to keep it fun and exciting. This includes sensory bins, experiments, games, and more! Easy supplies keep it low cost, and book suggestions add the learning time.

22 Comments

Hi, this sounds like a neat activity for young toddlers to explore for texture. Could u please share the ingredients. My profession is in childcare. The children would like this activity I believe. Again, please share your slime recipe. Thank you!! LaTonia Jackson Armstrong

Hi! You simply need to click through the liquid starch slime link or get your recipe here box. However, I would suggest one of our taste safe slime recipes for toddlers as regular slime contains borax, sodium borate, or boric acid. These slimes should not be tasted!

• Pingback: Make Homemade Butter Science Activity an Edible Science Recipe
• Pingback: Halloween Candy Science Activities And Experiments For Fall STEM
• Pingback: Valentines Day Heart Slime Science Activity for Kids
• Pingback: STEM Activities That Will Get Your Kids Thinking – More Than a Mommy
• Pingback: Quick Water Science Activities for Kindergarten and Preschool Science
• Pingback: Magic Milk Classic Science Experiment Kids Science
• Pingback: Science Activities for Grade Schoolers (Part 2): A Guide for Kids

It’ fun for kids to experiment and science activities of any kind are a great way to encourage kids to explore. I will encourage my son about this hope so he will enjoy it. Thanks for the sharing such a interesting article.

• Pingback: Fizzy Lemonade Science Project for Kids Summer Science
• Pingback: Halloween Science Experiments STEM Activities for Kids
• Pingback: Christmas Science Experiments, STEM Activities, and Slime Recipes
• Pingback: Dissolving Gingerbread Men Cookie Christmas Science
• Pingback: Fake Snow Slime Recipe for Winter Science Activities
• Pingback: Ice Fishing Winter Science Experiment: Fishing for Ice!
• Pingback: Science Valentine Cards In A Test Tube FREE Printable for Kids
• Pingback: Walking Water Science Experiment for Kids STEM and Rainbow Science
• Pingback: Erupting Lemon Volcano Chemistry for Kids Science Activities
• Pingback: Fizzing Moon Rocks Activity | Little Bins for Little Hands
• Pingback: Fun Dinosaur Activities for Preschoolers | Little Bins for Little Hands
• Pingback: 40 Science Websites to Keep Kids Engaged and Entertained at Home – Educare Info

Comments are closed.

~ Projects to Try Now! ~

During Covid19, we are taking extra steps to keep our children, families and staff safe. To watch the safety video Click Here

   All staff and parents wear masks in/around the facility; Children aged 2 and above are encouraged to wear masks

   Only staff and children permitted inside the classroom; Parents pick up/drop off children at the entrance

   Entrance marked with 6ft separation for parents dropping off their children

   Touchless check in/out OR GPS signing though Parent App in place

   Temperature checks for children and staff daily

   COVID questionnaire taken for each family every day

   Children are placed in smaller stable cohorts groups to minimize mingling

Inquire Now T

Get free registrations.

4.5 /5 Star Rated Preschool in Yelp

Join our Newsletter

Blog title here....

5 Simple Activities to Teach Your Preschooler Problem Solving

During the foundational years, children are constantly solving problems as they play. Here are just a couple of samples of everyday situations that would require some level of problem-solving for resolving a fight over an equivalent toy with a classmate or reaching a ball that’s stuck within the tree. Many kids form a circle with a gaggle of friends to play, making them friendly towards others. Also, making a bridge to attach two-block towers, tying or untying a shoe, making up rules for a replacement game and trying to urge the consistency of a mud cake right so it stops falling over can be some of the very basic but interesting activities in Infant Care San Diego that happen naturally. Let’s discuss some of the problem solving activities for preschoolers.

Problem Activity Solving for Kids:

During the grades, children experience problems in many forms, several of which can be associated with their academic, social, and emotional well-being at college. Problems may are available the shape of handling life issues, such as:

• Problems with friendships
• Struggling to know something during a lesson
• Learning to balance the stress of sport and homework
• Finding the simplest thanks to studying for a test
• Asking an educator for help when needed
• Problems also will form an outsized part of academic life as teachers are going to be actively developing this skill through various activities, for example:
• Solving a riddle or understanding a piece of literature
• Working on projects with a good 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 tons more capable when facing these daily life challenges. Know these 5 points of problem solving activity for kids.

Problem Solving Activities for Preschoolers that can be very easy to perform:

1. story time questions:.

Get into the habit of asking questions during your daily story time that develop higher-order thinking skills. Rather than just reading and your child passively listening, ask questions throughout, concentrating on solving problems.

Here are some examples:

Why does one think the bear did that?

Do you think his friend is going to be happy? Why?

What would you be doing if you were the monkey?

How does one think Peter can make things better together with his friend?

If the crocodile had decided not to eat the rabbit, how could the story have ended?

2. Board Games:

Board games are superb thanks to developing problem-solving skills.

Start with simple games like Ludo and Snakes and Ladders to show the skill of following rules and occupying a logical sequence.

Then, introduce games that need some planning and deeper thinking, like Monopoly Junior. 

Although Monopoly Junior suggested from 5 years old, it can still be played with a younger child if a parent is explaining and playing alongside the kid.

Card games like Go Fish also are great for teaching young children to think ahead and solve problems.

3. Tic-Tac-Toe

This is an ideal game to show decision-making skills, thinking before acting, and weighing up the possible consequences. Use a Tic Tac Toe Board or draw an easy table just like the one above on paper or a chalkboard. Alternate to feature nought or across to the table and see who can make a row of three first.

Your child will probably catch on in no time and begin thinking carefully before placing their symbol. This game also can be played with coloured counters or different objects.

4. Classifying and Grouping Activities

This activity is often through with a tin of buttons or beads or maybe by unpacking the dishwasher. The thought is to show the skill of classifying and categorizing information by learning with physical objects. Here are other ideas for ordering: 

Separate the washing – mom’s clothes, dad’s clothes, etc.; or socks, tops, shorts, etc.

Empty the cutlery drawer for a clean, mix all the utensils up, then sort into knives, tablespoons, teaspoons, etc. Classify and type out the toys in your child’s bedroom together – all books, construction toys, soft toys, etc.

5. Building a Maze

This activity is a large amount of fun and suitable for any age. it’s also getting to be far more fun than doing a maze in an activity book, especially for younger children.

Draw an enormous maze on the paving with sidewalk chalk. Make passages, including one or two that end during a dead-end. Teach your child to seek out her way out!

As your child gets better at deciding a route and finding the answer, make the maze more complex and add more.

Conclusion:

These activities might sound simple to all the parents, but they considerably affect kids’ motor and cognitive development. Pre K San Diego suggests you do these activities with your kids daily, and you will surely be able to notice their effect and smartness towards things.

Meet Our Staff

Joanie Deksnys

Sarah, our owner and director, began A Brighter Future Preschool and Child Development Center because she recognized the need for quality infant, toddler, preschool, and small kindergarten programs that make learning an active process. She provides on-site supervision at the center.

I love leading the staff team and providing support to parents/children in my role as Director of Golden Poppy. Prior to that, I have been teaching at Golden Poppy for over 15 years, starting as an aide, then a teacher in the Bear Room. I became the lead teacher of the Lion Room in 2005, Leopards in 2009, and the Tigers in 2010, where I have been teaching ever since.

I am proud to have had both of my sons graduate from Golden Poppy and be able to step so seamlessly into grade school. Consistent support and guidance between home and school provide the ideal environment for our children to thrive and become caring, inquisitive, young adults. I have a special interest in the unique temperaments of children and their language development (and therefore a passion for reading that I hope is contagious).

Golden Poppy San Diego

Golden poppy corte madera.

Fun activities for developing critical thinking skills in preschoolers

Inside: Critical thinking preschool worksheets to download for free!

Problem-solving and critical thinking are important skills children in preschool need to develop in order to succeed in school.

Include these critical thinking preschool worksheets in your curriculum to give them enough opportunities for practice.

You might also like my brand new Things that don’t belong worksheets !

Critical thinking preschool worksheets

Whether you are taking a walk outside or reading a book together with your child, there are always opportunities to practice critical thinking.

For instance, encourage your child to look for repeating patterns, for similarities and differences between objects and so on. The more they understand the world around them the better they will be able to generalize and utilize the knowledge in more complex situations.

To provide you with some pen and paper exercises, I’ve created these critical thinking preschool worksheets.

Feel free to use them in the classroom or at home.

And make sure to expand on your child’s answers. Ask her more about each group of pictures, why they belong/don’t belong together, and so forth.

To download, just click on the download link at the very end.

Similar: Things that go together worksheets

Feel free to use these worksheets in the classroom or at home. But please remember that any other re-distribution or altering are not allowed. Thank you. 

Critical thinking skills

7 thoughts on “Fun activities for developing critical thinking skills in preschoolers”

Hey Kristina, thanks. My 5 years old found it really interesting. Do you have more?

Not the same kind of activities. But it’s a good idea to create more like these, I will add them to my to-do list!

Hey Kristina, Thank you so much for the resources. I have a 1st grader with special needs and am always at a loss for what to do to supplimet our schools amazing special ed departments at home. Your worksheets are life savers!

I am happy to help!

Kristina, thanks for saving our kids from non-stop TV and boredom thanks to your great print-outs these days!!!

Lol, you’re welcome! I know it’s hard to constantly entertain them at home. My two boys are the same. All the best to you!

Very interesting Kristina..Thank you for this Materials I used them with my 4 year old daughter!!!!☺💖

Comments are closed.

• Math for Kids
• Parenting Resources
• ELA for Kids
• Teaching Resources

How to Teach Number Formation in 5 Easy Steps

13 Best Resources for Math Videos for Kids: Math Made Fun

How to Teach Skip Counting to Kids in 9 Easy Steps

10 Best Math Intervention Strategies for Struggling Students

How to Teach Division to Kids in 11 Easy Steps

How to Cope With Test Anxiety in 12 Easy Ways

Developmental Milestones for 4 Year Olds: The Ultimate Guide

Simple & Stress-Free After School Schedule for Kids of All Ages

When Do Kids Start Preschool: Age & Readiness Skills

Kindergarten Readiness Checklist: A Guide for Parents

How to Teach Letter Formtaion to Kids in 9 Easy Steps

15 Best Literacy Activities for Preschoolers in 2024

12 Best Poems About Teachers Who Change Lives

6 Effective Ways to Improve Writing Skills

40 Four Letter Words That Start With A

60 Fun Animal Facts for Kids

12 Best Behavior Management Techniques for the Classroom

13 Best Online Teaching Tips for Teachers

How to Teach Kids to Write in 9 Easy Steps

13 Challenges for Teachers and How to Address Them

15 Best STEM Activities for Preschoolers

1. Homemade Sundials

2. online math games, 3. diy lava lamps, 4. gummy bear osmosis, 5. crystal shapes, 6. pattern play with nature, 7. color changing flowers, 8. making rain clouds, 9. build a bug hotel, 10. slinky sound waves.

Introducing STEM activities for preschoolers is a fantastic way to spark curiosity and enthusiasm for learning from a young age. These activities lay the foundation for problem-solving skills and a deep understanding of the world’s workings. By starting early, we help children develop a love for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics that can last a lifetime.

SplashLearn: Most Comprehensive Learning Program for PreK-5

SplashLearn inspires lifelong curiosity with its game-based PreK-5 learning program loved by over 40 million children. With over 4,000 fun games and activities, it’s the perfect balance of learning and play for your little one.

15 Fun STEM Activities for Preschoolers

Materials Needed: Stick, stones, sunny day

Concepts Learned: Sun’s position, time-telling

How to Do It: Place a stick vertically in a flat, sunny area. Use stones to mark the shadow of the stick every hour. This is one of the simplest pre k STEM activities to teach kids how to tell time and understand the sun’s movement across the sky.

Teaching time-telling can be challenging. Try these fun math worksheets that make learning time telling a breeze:

If you’re looking for mess-free ways to explore math STEM activities for preschoolers, online math games are a fantastic start. SplashLearn offers an engaging and hands-on approach to learning that brings STEM concepts to life. It turns mathematical concepts into hands-on learning experiences through interactive games that teach counting , basic arithmetic, pattern recognition , and more. 

Children manipulate virtual objects to solve problems, making abstract concepts tangible and engaging. SplashLearn effectively introduces preschoolers to essential math skills in a practical, interactive format that feels more like play than education.

Begin with these activities:

Materials Needed: Water, oil, food coloring, Alka-Seltzer tablet

Concepts Learned: Liquid density and chemical reactions

How to Do It: Fill a clear bottle about halfway with oil. Add water until the bottle is nearly full. Next, add a few drops of food coloring. The color will sink through the oil and mix with the water. Finally, drop in an Alka-Seltzer tablet and watch your lava lamp come to life. This activity is a great introduction to preschool STEM activities focusing on scientific observations.

Materials Needed: Gummy bears, water, salt water, vinegar

Concepts Learned: Osmosis and properties of solutions

How to Do It: Place gummy bears in three separate cups filled with water, salt water, and vinegar respectively. Leave them overnight and observe the next day. Children will see how gummy bears expand or contract, demonstrating osmosis in a fun and easy STEM activity for preschoolers.

Materials Needed: Epsom salts, water, containers

Concepts Learned: Crystal growth and effects of temperature

How to Do It: Dissolve Epsom salts in hot water and pour the solution into different containers. As the solution cools, crystals will form. Observing the crystal shapes teaches about how temperature affects the growth of crystals.

Materials Needed: Leaves, flowers, pebbles

Concepts Learned: Symmetry, patterns in nature

How to Do It: Gather natural items like leaves, flowers, and pebbles. Arrange them on the ground or a flat surface to create symmetrical patterns or simple mosaics. This activity is perfect if you are looking for STEM crafts for preschoolers helping them recognize natural patterns and symmetry.

If you are looking for more fun ways to teach kids pattern, here are some activities to try:

Materials Needed: White carnations, colored water

Concepts Learned: Capillary action and water absorption

How to Do It: Fill multiple jars with water and mix in different colors of food dye. Place a white carnation in each jar. Over several days, the flowers will absorb the colored water and change color, showing how plants drink. This visually engaging demonstration is perfect for STEM activities for 3-4 year olds .

Materials Needed: Jar, shaving cream, food coloring

Concepts Learned: Water cycle and precipitation

How to Do It: Fill a clear jar with water nearly to the top, then spray shaving cream to form a cloud layer. Drop food coloring onto the shaving cream and watch the “rain” filter through to the water below. This simple setup is an excellent STEM activity idea for teaching the water cycle in a tangible way.

Materials Needed: Natural materials like sticks, leaves, hollow STEMs

Concepts Learned: Insect habitats and ecology

How to Do It: Collect various natural materials and pile them into a structure that provides spaces and tunnels. Place your bug hotel in a garden and observe which insects check in. This activity is a great way to engage kids in hands-on STEM activities that explore insect life and environmental impact.

Materials Needed: Slinky

Concepts Learned: Sound waves and vibrations

How to Do It: Stretch a slinky between two people, then quickly push and pull one end to create waves. Watch how the waves travel through the slinky. This is a fantastic demonstration of sound waves and vibrations.

11. Static Electricity Butterflies

Materials Needed: Paper butterflies, balloon

Concepts Learned: Static electricity

How to Do It: Cut butterfly shapes out of paper. Rub a balloon against your hair or sweater to build static electricity, then hold it near the butterflies. Watch as the butterflies move towards the balloon. This activity demonstrates static electricity in a magical way that delights young learners.

12. Ice Excavation

Materials Needed: Colored water, toys, small tools

Concepts Learned: States of matter and physical changes

How to Do It: Freeze small toys in layers of colored ice within a container. Give children small tools to chip away at the ice and excavate the toys. This activity teaches about states of matter and the properties of ice as a solid.

13. Marble Run Maze

Materials Needed: Cardboard box, marbles

Concepts Learned: Gravity, angles, and physics

How to Do It: Cut sides from a cardboard box to create various slopes and paths. Assemble these pieces inside the box to form a maze. Place marbles at the top and watch them navigate the maze, teaching concepts of gravity and angles through playful experimentation.

14. Cotton Ball Catapult

Materials Needed: Popsicle sticks, spoon, cotton balls

Concepts Learned: Force, simple machines

How to Do It: Attach a spoon to a stack of Popsicle sticks to build a simple catapult. Place a cotton ball in the spoon, pull it back, and release it to see it fly. This demonstrates the principles of force and trajectory using simple machines.

15. Plant Growth Observation

Materials Needed: Seeds (such as beans or sunflowers), soil, pots, water, sunlight

Concepts Learned: Plant biology, growth processes, and environmental needs

How to Do It: Help the children plant seeds in pots filled with soil. Water them regularly and place them in a sunny spot. Over time, observe and record the growth of the plants, noting changes in height, number of leaves, and any flowering. Discuss the importance of water, sunlight, and soil nutrients in helping plants grow. 

5 Benefits of STEM Activities for Preschoolers

• Engaging with STEM activities helps preschoolers develop critical thinking and problem-solving abilities from an early age.
• These activities spark interest in how things work, fostering a natural curiosity about the world around them.
• STEM introduces basic concepts in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, laying a strong educational foundation.
• Many STEM activities involve hands-on tasks that improve coordination and motor skills.
• Completing tasks successfully can boost self-esteem and confidence in young learners.

Integrating STEM activities into early childhood education can greatly enrich a preschooler’s learning experience, making it both fun and foundational. These activities prepare them for future educational challenges and cultivate a lifelong love for learning and exploration.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is a stem project in preschool.

A preschool STEM project is designed to introduce young children to the concepts of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics through play-based learning. These STEM activities for preschoolers are typically hands-on and exploratory, catering to preschoolers’ developmental levels .

What are the 5 C's of STEM education?

The 5 C’s of STEM education are Creativity, Collaboration, Critical Thinking, Communication, and Curiosity. These skills are essential for successful STEM learning, helping students solve problems, work together, and explore new ideas.

How do you incorporate STEM in preschool classrooms?

Incorporating STEM in a preschool classroom can be done by integrating simple, age-appropriate experiments and building projects that encourage exploration and inquiry. STEM activities for preschoolers should utilize everyday materials and focus on playful learning, such as constructing simple machines or exploring natural phenomena.

12 Best Activities for Kinesthetic Learners

15 best speech therapy activities for toddlers.

12 Best Communication Activities for kids of All Ages

Most Popular

15 Best Report Card Comments Samples

117 Best Riddles for Kids (With Answers)

40 best good vibes quotes to brighten your day, recent posts.

10 Best Online Homeschool Programs

Math & ELA | PreK To Grade 5

Kids see fun., you see real learning outcomes..

Watch your kids fall in love with math & reading through our scientifically designed curriculum.

Parents, try for free Teachers, use for free

• Games for Kids
• Worksheets for Kids
• Math Worksheets
• ELA Worksheets
• Math Vocabulary
• Number Games
• Addition Games
• Subtraction Games
• Multiplication Games
• Division Games
• Addition Worksheets
• Subtraction Worksheets
• Multiplication Worksheets
• Division Worksheets
• Times Tables Worksheets
• Reading Games
• Writing Games
• Phonics Games
• Sight Words Games
• Letter Tracing Games
• Reading Worksheets
• Writing Worksheets
• Phonics Worksheets
• Sight Words Worksheets
• Letter Tracing Worksheets
• Prime Number
• Order of Operations
• Long multiplication
• Place value
• Parallelogram
• SplashLearn Success Stories
• SplashLearn Apps
• [email protected]

© Copyright - SplashLearn

Make study-time fun with 14,000+ games & activities, 450+ lesson plans, and more—free forever.

Parents, Try for Free Teachers, Use for Free

• Skip to main content
• Skip to after header navigation
• Skip to site footer

Preschool.org

The one-stop resource for preschool parents, teachers, directors, and owners!

How to Teach Problem Solving in Preschool

Problem solving is the way in which we find solutions to difficult issues. For young children, it is often social problems that they are needing to solve. Effective problem solving skills tend to lead to better outcomes, which make it possible for children to have positive interactions with their peers.

Preschoolers are beginning to seek out playful interactions with their peers, but those interactions are still a bit clumsy at times. This can lead to issues with effectively communicating, sharing, and playing cooperatively. As your preschoolers are learning how to interact with their peers and exploring how things work they will need strong problem solving skills. The best way to teach problem solving in preschool is through play because it offers many meaningful opportunities for them to solve problems.

USE STORIES

Stories are a very useful tool in teaching preschoolers problem solving. You can read relatable stories, or tell stories with puppets or dolls, in order to show different scenarios. Ask your preschoolers for suggestions on how the characters in the story can solve their problem. Write their responses down and then talk about what would be the most fair solution that everyone could agree to if it were them.

ENCOURAGE CREATIVE THINKING

When you provide your preschoolers with open-ended materials you are encouraging them to think creatively. Whether it is in the building, blocks, and loose parts center or the art and easel center, open-ended materials allow your preschoolers to come up with their own creations. This requires a lot of forward thinking for planning and experimenting with what will work and what will not.

LET THEM FIND THEIR OWN SOLUTIONS

It is important not to solve preschoolers problems for them. They need opportunities to find solutions to their own problems through trial and error. Finding solutions on their own have a more meaningful impact and therefore will reinforce their learning. Of course, if they appear to be struggling you can do things such as ask questions or make observations to help guide them towards a potential workable solution.

ALLOW FOR NATURAL CONSEQUENCES

With natural consequences, you do not have to interfere at all. Natural consequences are the naturally occurring effects of something that your preschoolers do. Natural consequences make for great teachable moments, as their peers or even nature determine the outcome.

For example, a preschooler may leave a toy that they are playing with on a table while they go to the bathroom. When they come back they find that it is gone and one of their friends is now playing with the toy. Now the child is unable to play with the toy that they were playing with before using the bathroom. Natural consequences showed that leaving the toy on the table was not a good solution. Next time, the child will most likely try leaving their toy somewhere else or asking someone to save it for them.

ACTIVITIES THAT PROMOTE PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS

Play allows for many naturally occurring problem solving opportunities. Here’s a list of activities that will help build problem solving skills in preschoolers.

• Memory games
• Construction toys
• Pattern blocks
• Sort by color, shape, or size
• Working with patterns
• Trains & train tracks
• Process art

Teach your preschoolers problem solving skills through their natural play experiences and they will be better able to solve problems independently. These skills help them with their social interactions and build their confidence and resiliency.

Reader Interactions

Leave a reply cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

You are here

Mastery motivation is persistence—continuing to do or to try to do something that is difficult—at mastering challenging tasks or activities.

Problem solving is natural for preschoolers. As teachers know, everyday routines can bring difficult challenges, like learning how to zip up a coat or ask for help before frustration sets in. Each challenge builds children’s skills in different areas of development: language, social and emotional, cognitive, and physical. But sometimes a problem can seem too challenging.

You may have seen this scenario play out in your classroom: Two preschoolers are trying to solve the same puzzle. Both make a mistake, but while one child gives up, the other child keeps trying different ways to solve the puzzle. Early childhood researchers call this persistence at mastering challenging tasks  mastery motivation , and it plays a key role in children’s learning and in their later academic achievement. Early childhood teachers are in a great position to help children foster this important skill.

Here are five ways to support mastery motivation:

• Provide lots of different types of challenging activities, like math games that have more than one way to solve a problem.
• Support children’s independence and let them make their own choices in activities or during play.
• Try to resist the urge to fix the problem—it can take away children’s sense that they are capable problem solvers.
• Do provide gentle guidance when frustration starts to set in, such as holding the puzzle board steady while a child adds a puzzle piece or offering a well-timed, “What if you turned that piece the other way?”
• Give children positive feedback by praising the problem-solving process and encouraging them to keep trying.

We know that children who are not provided with challenging activities or who receive negative or harsh feedback tend to show less mastery motivation. The same holds true for children receiving praise like “You’re so smart” and children whose environment is overly controlling.

When teachers appreciate children’s efforts, children learn that working hard and persisting are positive behaviors. As children grow, they will face more and more difficult problems. They need to know that it’s okay to struggle—it’s part of the learning process.

Photo © EDC

Jessica Mercer Young  is a research scientist and developmental and educational psychologist specializing in early learning at Education Development Center.

Kristen E. Reed,  project director at EDC, has worked as a teacher, curriculum developer, professional development facilitator, and researcher. For more ways to make math engaging, challenging, and fun, visit ym.edc.org .  [email protected]

Vol. 11, No. 1

Print this article

10 Ways to Strengthen Your Preschooler’s Problem-Solving Skills

As an adult, you make many decisions throughout your day without even thinking twice about some– from setting up the coffee machine at home to avoiding the long line at the drive-thru that can make you late to work to having a difficult but necessary conversation with your partner about finances. These are just a few examples of problem-solving skills and how you adapt to the situations around you and use your skills to exist on personal, professional, and social levels. 

While some problem-solving skills are innate, your ability to access a situation and take a course of action is based on the fact that when you were a child, the adults around you taught you problem-solving skills. Our Raleigh early-childhood development center is sharing our best advice for anyone looking to strengthen their pre-schoolers problem-solving skills. 

What is Problem Solving in Early Childhood?

Problem-solving refers to the ability to find a solution to a problem. For preschool-aged children, this can be difficult to learn if not modeled for them through the appropriate ways to react to the issues they face. 

For instance, if two children are playing with a toy and one pushes the other in an effort to take the toy, this is clearly an inappropriate way to react to the problem. Furthermore, screaming or yelling for the child to give them the toy is also not a proper way to solve the issue. To model mature and proper problem-solving skills, adults around the child should be practicing the concept of sharing, patience, and communication while avoiding physical and emotional reactions when they don’t get what they want.

When the child learns that they can ask the other child, “Can I play with the toy next?” or understand the concept that another child was playing with the toy first, they are exhibiting the ability to problem solve. 

Why is it Important to Develop Problem Solving Skills in Early Childhood?

Children aged 3 to 5 are developmentally experiencing growth in the following areas: 

• Cognitive 
• Emotional 
• Language 
• Sensory 
• Motor 

Because this time for preschoolers is so substantial to their intellectual, emotional, and social development, the world around them can seem overwhelming, unfair, intimidating, and even confusing. By modeling and teaching problem-solving skills to preschoolers , they can learn how to react logically, think creatively, communicate their needs, and assess how best to react to a situation at hand. 

How Can You Teach Problem Solving Skills to Your Children?

It is the responsibility of the adults who raise and teach children to provide kids with opportunities to strengthen their problem-solving skills in early childhood. If you are a parent, guardian, childcare provider, or early-childhood educator, it’s important to consider the best strategies for helping little ones adapt to the world around them and learn problem-solving skills. And remember, it can be frustrating when things do not work out as expected for anyone at any age, particularly for preschool-aged children who are just learning to adapt to their surroundings. 

When teaching your preschool-aged child how to problem solve, consider these four steps that are used in early-childhood classrooms : 

• Identify the problem
• Brainstorm solutions to the problem
• Choose and implement one of the solutions
• Evaluate how that solution resolved the problem

Following this four-step guideline can help the adults in a preschooler’s life address how a child acquires problem-solving techniques to help them navigate through the difficult and everyday situations that arise. 

When teaching problem-solving, focus on developing these key skills that relate to problem-solving: 

• Lateral thinking
• Decision-making
• Communication
• Persistence
• Negotiation
• Logical thinking
• Analytical thinking

10 Problem-Solving Activities for Preschoolers

You know that you want to guide your child through developing and strengthening strategies for problem-solving, but where do you begin? Our early-childhood development school is sharing some of our favorite ways to incorporate problem-solving activities into your life so that you can teach your child to grow on a personal and social level. 

#1 – Use Everyday Moments

You do not need a textbook or outline of how to teach your preschooler problem-solving. Simply using everyday moments to demonstrate problem-solving techniques is more useful than any “how to” book or homework assignment can teach your child. 

Going to the grocery store, driving in the car, making dinner at home, and cleaning the house are all everyday opportunities to present your child with decisions related to problem-solving. Having your child put ingredients away in the pantry while you cook, asking your child what aisle at the supermarket they think you can find a particular item, or seeing that there is a mess of toys and supplies and directing the child to initiate where they should be placed prior to starting a new activity are ways to integrate problem-solving into everyday moments. 

#2 – Look to the Child for the Solution

As your child grows up, they will not always have you by their side to solve each and every problem that arises. From issues with friends, future relationships, and future careers, the child you raise will one day become an independent adult who needs to problem-solve on their own. 

Asking children to weigh in for solutions to problems as they arise is one way to get them thinking critically early on in life. When a child is taught to not only assess an obstacle but to trust their own decision-making abilities to resolve a problem, they will be better equipped for success as they get older. 

#3 – Solve Mathematical Problems

Mathematics is a great way to engage children at an early age in problem-solving and solution-making activities. Math is logical and non-emotional, having very clear set rules and boundaries with a single solution is one prime example of problem-solving. When children are given age-appropriate mathematical problems and math word problems, they are given opportunities to troubleshoot and follow an order of operation that leads to a solution.

#4 – Ask Open-Ended Questions

As adults, we often find that the most convenient way to get through the day when caring for a preschooler is to complete tasks for them so that we can get on with our busy day. However, it’s important to pause and present your child with the opportunity to find their own solutions to problems they are faced with by using open-ended questions. 

For instance, your child cannot find their favorite pair of shoes. Rather than tear the house apart on your own looking for them, present the child with a question: “Where did you last wear those shoes?” or “When did you last see your shoes?” This requires your child to consider where they last may have placed them. Additionally, a question like, “If we can’t find those shoes right now, you’ll need to choose a different pair to wear so we aren’t late.” guides them toward finding an alternative solution to the problem. 

Giving children the opportunity to find their own solutions to issues that arise by asking open-ended questions equips them with problem-solving skills they will need throughout life when things do not always go as planned. 

#5 – Puzzles and Board Games

Puzzles and board games, much like math equations, allow children to use their cognitive problem-solving abilities to complete tasks in a fun and unique way. Pre-schoolers are often drawn to images and visual learning components as well as interactive play. Putting puzzles together allows for pattern recognition, while board games allow for interactive problem-solving techniques to be utilized through a set of rules. Incorporating puzzles and games into the lives of children are excellent ways to get them to think critically and find solutions that offer immediate results. 

#6 – Read Books and Tell Stories

Books and storytelling are always exceptional ways to build vocabulary and introduce kids to characters and situations outside of their own. When children are given the opportunity to relate to characters and situations, and then address how those characters can react and engage in their conflicts and interpersonal relationships, it not only fosters imagination and creativity but also problem-solving skills. 

#7 – Center Emotions

As adults we understand that while reacting emotionally to a situation is sometimes natural, it does not get us very far when it comes to solving a problem. Children should be taught how to center those emotions, without shame or guilt by providing an alternative to emotional responses. This is often in the form of learning communication and language. 

If your son’s best friend hurt his feelings, he should not be made to feel that he shouldn’t feel how he is feeling. Having your feelings hurt, particularly by a friend, is, well, hurtful, and there should be no shame attached to that feeling. However, when it comes to addressing those hurt feelings to the friend, it would be inappropriate to shout, “I hate you!” or “I don’t want to be your friend anymore!” Rather, providing your preschool-aged child with words and phrases for when their feelings are hurt is essential to emotional and social development. 

Teaching your son to tell his friend, “It hurts my feelings when you say that” or “I get sad when you are mean to me” are great ways to help children not only process their emotional feelings but express them in appropriate ways that lead to a resolution. 

#8 – Model Problem-Solving Behaviors

Children look to the adults in their lives for how to handle the problems they face in the world. If your child sees you politely ask a waiter to return a plate of food that was incorrectly served, they will learn that proper communication, respect, and patience lead to resolution. In contrast, if a child sees their parents speak rudely and blame a waiter for an incorrect order, they will learn that emotional reactions are the way to address problems. As a parent and caretaker, it is your responsibility to use mistakes, obstacles, and hardships as learning opportunities passed on to your preschool-aged children, demonstrating first-hand that non-emotional responses, kindness, and communication are the keys to getting most issues resolved. 

#9 – Break Down Problems into Chunks

As an adult, one of the ways to get through major projects at work is to set up a schedule that breaks down a large-scale project into smaller portions. Using this technique in childhood education and development is a successful way to teach children how doing one small task can lead to an overall greater, larger picture in the long run. Since a large task can seem overwhelming or even impossible, breaking it down into smaller, easily achievable pieces that will eventually lead to the full, complete picture is a wonderful way to help children of any age, but particularly preschool-aged, tackle large issues without feeling the weight of the big picture.

#10 – Utilize Natural Curiosities and Interests 

Using natural, organic opportunities for learning and problem-solving is always one of the best ways to foster creativity as well as logical and analytical thinking. All children are naturally drawn to some interest– whether it’s unicorns, dinosaurs, airplanes, trucks, or the color blue… every child has something that they become naturally drawn to, often to the surprise of their parents. 

For example, maybe every time your daughter sees the mailman drop off the mail, she is fascinated. Maybe her face lit up with interest and excitement to check what was left in the mailbox today. This is an opportunity to ask questions that lead to analytical thinking and problem-solving. Inquiring, “what does the mail carrier drop off at other houses?” or teaching the concept of writing a letter to grandma and how it goes through the mail can continue to foster interests while teaching logical steps, planning, and problem-solving techniques. 

Enroll Your Child in an Interactive Preschool Care System 

It’s no secret that when a child is at preschool age they are naturally curious and soak up all the information around them. By teaching your child problem-solving skills, they are better equipped to handle the everyday struggles the world has to face. However, the professionals at our preschool development center understand that busy working schedules, multiple children, and life’s responsibilities do not always make it easy for parents to dedicate time to fostering and strengthening problem-solving skills in their children. 

If you have a preschool-aged child who will benefit from emotional, social, and personal development related to problem-solving, contact Primary Beginnings to enroll your child in our 5-star preschool program in Raleigh. 

Contact us today at 919-790-6888 for our Spring Forest Rd. location or 919-785-0303 for our North Hills Dr. location, or fill out our contact form below. 

• Our Philosophy: Foster a Healthy Learning Environment
• 5 Star Rated
• Testimonials
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Submit Your Resume
• RPG People Solutions Access
• Infant Care
• Toddler Care
• Pre-Kindergarten
• After School Care
• Learning Opportunities
• Special Events
• Extracurricular Activities
• Summer Camp Activities
• Spring Forest Road
• North Hills Drive
• Falls of Neuse Road
• Procare Connect
• Photo Gallery
• Preschool Calendar

Cognitive Activities for Preschoolers: Enhancing Learning and Development

Preschoolers are at an age where they are learning and developing rapidly. Their brains are like sponges, soaking up new information and experiences. Cognitive activities for preschoolers can help them develop important skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking, and memory retention.

These activities can be fun and engaging for preschoolers, while also providing valuable learning opportunities. By engaging in cognitive activities, preschoolers can develop a love for learning and set a strong foundation for future academic success.

Examples of cognitive activities for preschoolers include puzzles, memory games, and matching games. These activities not only help with cognitive development , but also improve fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. By incorporating these activities into a preschooler’s daily routine, parents and educators can help support their growth and development.

Importance of Cognitive Activities

Preschoolers are at a crucial stage of their development, and it’s important to engage them in cognitive activities that promote learning and growth. Cognitive activities help children develop their problem-solving skills, critical thinking, memory, attention, and creativity. These skills are essential for their academic success and overall development.

Research has shown that engaging preschoolers in cognitive activities can have a significant impact on their cognitive development . Children who are exposed to a variety of cognitive activities tend to have better language skills, improved memory, and better problem-solving abilities. They are also more likely to succeed academically and have a positive attitude towards learning.

Moreover, cognitive activities help children develop their social skills. Many cognitive activities involve working in groups, which helps children learn how to communicate, share ideas, and work together towards a common goal. These skills are essential for their social and emotional development and help them build positive relationships with their peers and adults.

Types of Cognitive Activities for Preschoolers

Preschoolers have a natural curiosity and eagerness to learn about the world around them. Cognitive activities can help to develop their thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making skills. Here are some types of cognitive activities that are suitable for preschoolers:

• Puzzles: Completing puzzles can help preschoolers develop their problem-solving and critical thinking skills. Simple jigsaw puzzles with large pieces are a great place to start.
• Matching Games: Matching games can help preschoolers develop their memory and concentration skills. For example, they can match pictures of animals or shapes.
• Building Blocks: Building blocks can help preschoolers develop their spatial awareness and creativity. They can build towers, houses, or other structures using different shapes and sizes of blocks.
• Sorting and Classifying: Sorting and classifying activities can help preschoolers develop their logical thinking and categorization skills. For example, they can sort objects by color, shape, or size.
• Memory Games: Memory games can help preschoolers develop their memory and concentration skills. For example, they can play a game where they have to remember a sequence of colors or numbers.

These are just a few examples of the types of cognitive activities that preschoolers can engage in. It is important to choose activities that are age-appropriate and that match the child’s interests and abilities. By engaging in these activities, preschoolers can develop their cognitive skills and prepare themselves for future learning and academic success.

Benefits of Cognitive Activities for Preschoolers

Cognitive activities are essential for the overall development of preschoolers. These activities help children to develop their thinking, reasoning, and problem-solving skills. Below are some benefits of cognitive activities for preschoolers:

• Improves Memory: Cognitive activities such as memory games, matching games, and puzzles can help preschoolers to develop their memory skills. These activities require children to remember information and recall it later, which can be helpful in their academic and personal lives.
• Enhances Creativity: Cognitive activities such as drawing, painting, and storytelling can help preschoolers to enhance their creativity. These activities allow children to express themselves and their ideas, which can be helpful in developing their imagination and critical thinking skills.
• Develops Problem-Solving Skills: Cognitive activities such as sorting games, maze games, and building blocks can help preschoolers to develop their problem-solving skills. These activities require children to use their critical thinking skills to solve problems and find solutions.
• Increases Attention Span: Cognitive activities such as reading, listening to stories, and playing memory games can help preschoolers to increase their attention span. These activities require children to focus on the task at hand, which can be helpful in their academic and personal lives.

Overall, cognitive activities are beneficial for preschoolers as they help to develop their thinking, reasoning, and problem-solving skills. These skills are essential for their academic and personal lives and can help them to become successful in the future.

Examples of Cognitive Activities for Preschoolers

Preschoolers are at a stage of rapid development and cognitive activities can help them develop their thinking, reasoning, and problem-solving skills. Here are some examples of cognitive activities that can be used for preschoolers:

• Puzzles: Puzzles are a great way to develop problem-solving skills. Children can start with simple puzzles with a few pieces and gradually move on to more complex puzzles with more pieces.
• Memory Games: Memory games can help preschoolers improve their memory and concentration. Simple games like matching pairs of cards can be a good start.
• Sorting and Classifying: Sorting and classifying objects based on their shape, size, color, or texture can help preschoolers develop their classification skills.
• Sequencing: Sequencing activities like putting events in order or arranging pictures in a sequence can help develop a preschooler’s logical thinking skills.
• Counting and Number Recognition: Counting games and activities can help preschoolers learn to count and recognize numbers.
• Storytelling: Storytelling activities can help preschoolers develop their imagination, creativity, and language skills.

These are just a few examples of cognitive activities that can benefit preschoolers. It is important to choose activities that are age-appropriate and engaging for the child. By incorporating these activities into a child’s daily routine, they can help to develop a strong foundation for learning and problem-solving skills that will benefit them throughout their lives.

Tips for Incorporating Cognitive Activities into Daily Routine

Preschoolers are constantly learning and developing new cognitive skills. As a parent or caregiver, it is important to incorporate cognitive activities into their daily routine to help them continue to grow and learn. Here are some tips for incorporating cognitive activities into your preschooler’s daily routine:

• Play games that involve problem-solving and critical thinking, such as puzzles or memory games.
• Encourage imaginative play, such as playing dress-up or pretending to be different characters.
• Read books together and ask your child questions about the story to promote comprehension and critical thinking.
• Engage in activities that require following directions, such as cooking or building with blocks.
• Encourage your child to ask questions and explore their curiosity about the world around them.

It is important to remember that cognitive activities should be fun and engaging for preschoolers. These activities should not feel like work or be too challenging for their developmental level. By incorporating these tips into your preschooler’s daily routine, you can help them develop important cognitive skills while also having fun and spending quality time together.

Preschoolers have a natural curiosity about the world around them, and cognitive activities can help them develop their problem-solving, critical thinking, and memory skills. By engaging in activities that challenge their minds, children can develop a love of learning that will serve them well throughout their lives.

There are many different types of cognitive activities that are appropriate for preschoolers, from puzzles and memory games to storytelling and imaginative play. Parents and caregivers can help support children’s cognitive development by providing a variety of activities that are both fun and educational.

It is important to remember that every child is unique, and what works for one child may not work for another. Parents and caregivers should observe their child’s interests and abilities, and tailor activities to meet their needs. By providing a supportive and engaging environment, parents and caregivers can help children develop the cognitive skills they need to succeed in school and in life.

Ideas for Problem-Solving Activities for Preschoolers

• Laurie Patsalides
• Categories : Preschool crafts and activities for hands on learning
• Tags : Early education information for teachers, parents & caregivers

Problem-Solving in Preschool

When looking for preschool problem-solving activities, remember the preschoolers’ developmental level. They are at the Pre-operational stage of human development (ages 3-7), meaning that they can only think of one dimension of a problem at a time. The activities here have been chosen for that premise and are ones that will help your preschool students to mature. Let’s cover problem-solving in preschool, starting with workbook ideas and then hands-on activities to practice these skills.

Workbooks to Purchase for Practice

Teachers should have a collection of workbooks to build problem-solving skills for preschool students. Although it is not recommended to use just skill books, when used periodically these engaging books are a powerful tool for learning and Kindergarten preparation.

Hidden picture skills- PreK children enjoy finding hidden pictures, which increases their problem-solving skills. There are a few types of hidden picture books to try. One style is to

have the preschooler circle or color the hidden picture and the other is for the child to cover the hidden picture with the matching sticker. Preschoolers enjoy the sticker style, but practically speaking it is more economical to purchase a book and photocopy the number of pages needed. Certainly the sticker style can be put on the list of recommended books to practice at home. The one shown here reinforces nursery rhymes.

Dot-to-Dot books- Preschool students will wonder what the picture is going to be when they connect the dots. These can be used with numbers or alphabet letters and the pages are reproducible. Be sure to review them before selecting because some are more complicated than others.

Maze books- Preschool students build problem-solving skills when they follow the mazes.

What is Wrong with the Picture books - students discern the problem in the picture and circle or color it.

Book cover is courtesy of Amazon.

Extension Activities and Games

In addition to using practice books, try these hands-on extension activities to build problem-solving skills in the preschool classroom. For best use, provide repetitive practice.

Puzzles- offline and online, jigsaw puzzles are a favorite for this age group.

Jigsaw puzzles are very easy to make. Download a printable (relate the printable to a theme or a book character the kids love to read about); glue the picture to card stock and laminate. Cut the picture into 6 pieces. Place the puzzles into storage bags to use again and again.

The Kidz Page offers a load of puzzles online for young students. Be sure to click on the number six for 6 puzzle pieces as opposed to 12 puzzle pieces, because 12 will likely be too high for this age group at first. Also, refresh the number 6 each time the student does a new puzzle.

Patterning- use blocks, beads and other manipulatives to build spatial reasoning and patterning skills.

• After reading Strega Nona glue noodles to start a pattern onto card stock. Create different patterns. Give the students the rest of the colored noodles to finish the patterns. Have them glue the pattern down or use the cards again and again as a center game.

Same and different- teach children to learn the terms “same” and “different” by providing objects that are alike or different by color, shape or size.

• Trace four shapes on to cardstock; three that are the same and one different. Laminate the cards. Have the student place an X over the one that is different with a dry erase marker. This can then be done for color and size. So, three colors the same, one different. Three shapes the same, one different. A sample on shapes, which can be downloaded in the Bright Hub media file titled, Which One Is Different , can be used to make some cards or as an assessment.

More Thinking Activities

Estimation- show students a set number of objects, for example 7 beads. Ask them; is the number closer to 5 or 10? Repeat with different numbers.

Mazes- once a week build your own classroom maze with chairs. One or two students are selected to get from point A to point B. Have the students carry an object, say a teddy bear. Tell them that they have to help teddy bear find the block. Be sure to include a point C so they have to think about the correct path to take. This maze can be set up with building blocks if enough chairs are not available. Instead of walking through the maze, students can pretend to drive a car to the right destination.

Tic Tac Toe- can be done in small groups on dry erase boards.

Directions- have the students practice following two directions. For example, give the students a group of four pictures in a row (such as in the picture shown). Tell them to draw a circle around the truck. Draw an X on the pie. This can be done with manipulatives as well. Say, “turn the truck over”. “Put the block on the chair.” Practice with different classroom objects. Be sure to have four objects in front of the child.

Memory games- cause students to think it through before making selections. Provides hours of fun both online and offline. The Kidz Page (above) has a few that a preschooler can do.

Online practice- PBS has several problem-solving games to play online for the preschool age. There are so many problem-solving games to choose from, but selecting one per day will help to reinforce the skills they are learning in class. Also, preview them as some are more difficult than others. This is a great opportunity to reach students of different ability levels.

Preschool teachers have the unique opportunity to develop critical thinking skills in their students through problem solving activities. These were chosen to meet their developmental needs.

Image: Laurie Patsalides, all rights reserved

Piaget’s Stages: https://faculty.weber.edu/tlday/HUMAN.DEVELOPMENT/piagetstages.htm

Building Problem-Solving Skills for Preschoolers

Definition and significance of problem-solving skills in preschoolers, overview of typical problem-solving scenarios for preschoolers, math problem-solving activities for preschoolers, creative problem-solving games and activities, utilizing problem-solving cards for interactive learning, how to teach problem-solving to preschoolers effectively, incorporating problem-solving steps into everyday activities, role of adults in facilitating problem-solving skills, recommended problem-solving books for preschoolers, reputable online resources, using problem-solving worksheets as a learning tool, real-life problem-solving scenarios for preschoolers to navigate.

In the early years of childhood development, problem-solving skills are foundational to cognitive growth and practical learning. This article explores engaging activities, scenarios, and resources designed to foster these critical skills in young learners. Through a variety of methods, including interactive games, math activities, and educational books, preschoolers can develop the ability to navigate challenges, leading to enhanced learning experiences and a solid foundation for future academic success.

To cultivate these essential skills in your preschooler and lay a strong foundation for their future, explore the wealth of problem-solving activities, games, and resources available. Embrace the joy of learning together and watch as your child’s problem-solving abilities flourish. Begin this exciting journey now and open a world of possibilities for your little learner!

Understanding Problem-Solving for Preschoolers

Problem-solving skills in preschoolers refer to their ability to understand a problem, think through solutions, and execute a plan to overcome it. This capability is vital for their cognitive development and helps in navigating daily challenges. Preschoolers encounter problem-solving scenarios in various forms, such as puzzles, social interactions, and play activities, where they learn to make decisions, analyze outcomes, and adapt to new situations. Engaging them in targeted problem-solving activities and games can significantly enhance these skills, preparing them for future more complex tasks and decision-making processes.

Preschoolers encounter various problem-solving scenarios daily, which are crucial for their cognitive, social, and emotional development. These scenarios typically involve challenges or situations that require them to analyze, make decisions, and find solutions. Here’s an overview of common types of problem-solving situations preschoolers might face:

• Social Interactions: Learning to share toys, taking turns, and resolving conflicts with peers are common problems requiring negotiation and empathy.
• Self-care Tasks: Dressing themselves, tying shoelaces, or managing basic hygiene tasks demand practical problem-solving skills and fine motor coordination.
• Academic Challenges: Simple puzzles, building blocks, and age-appropriate educational games encourage critical thinking, pattern recognition, and logical reasoning.
• Emotional Regulation: Identifying and managing their feelings, like frustration or sadness, when things don’t go as planned, teaching them to find constructive solutions.
• Environmental Navigation: Overcoming physical obstacles, like reaching a high shelf or navigating a new play area, requires spatial awareness and physical judgment.

Problem-Solving Activities for Preschoolers

Math problem-solving activities for preschoolers should be engaging and hands-on, helping them understand basic mathematical concepts through play and exploration. Here’s a list of activities designed to enhance their math problem-solving skills:

• Sorting and Categorizing: Children sort objects by color, size, shape, or type, which develops their ability to recognize patterns and categories.
• Counting Games: Using toys, beads, or blocks to count aloud helps preschoolers understand numbers and quantity.
• Simple Puzzles: Completing puzzles with different shapes and sizes teaches spatial awareness and geometric concepts.
• Matching Activities: Pairing matching items or numbers with corresponding groups of objects enhances number recognition and counting skills.
• Shape Hunts: Finding objects of specific shapes in their environment helps children identify and classify geometric shapes.
• Measurement Activities: Using rulers, measuring tapes, or comparing objects directly teaches basic measurement and comparison skills.
• Number Stories: Creating simple stories that involve addition or subtraction helps in understanding basic arithmetic operations.
• Pattern Making: Using colored blocks or beads to create and extend patterns teaches sequencing and predictive logic.

Creative problem-solving activities encourage thinking outside the box and foster innovation. Here are some games and activities that can help develop these skills:

• Story Building: Participants add to a story one sentence at a time, promoting creative thinking and collaborative storytelling.
• Invention Scramble: Children use random objects to create a new invention, encouraging imaginative thinking and resourcefulness.
• Obstacle Course: Setting up an obstacle course with specific challenges requires planning and strategy to navigate.
• Riddle Solving: Engaging in riddles and brain teasers enhances critical thinking and comprehension skills.
• Building Challenges: Using blocks or LEGO, children are tasked with constructing a structure based on a theme or specific requirements.
• Role-Playing Games: Children take on different roles and scenarios, promoting empathy and creative problem-solving in social situations.
• Art Projects: Encouraging free-form art or specific thematic projects helps in exploring creativity and expressing ideas visually.
• Treasure Hunts: Organizing a treasure hunt with clues and challenges promotes logical reasoning and teamwork.

Problem-solving cards are a versatile tool that can be used to promote interactive learning. They typically feature scenarios, questions, or challenges that prompt learners to think critically and develop solutions. Here’s how they can be used effectively:

• Scenario-Based Learning: Cards can present real-life situations that require learners to apply knowledge and critical thinking to solve problems.
• Group Discussions: Using cards to initiate group discussions encourages collaboration and the sharing of diverse perspectives.
• Role-Playing Activities : Cards can set up role-playing exercises where learners must navigate and resolve conflicts or challenges.
• Game-Based Learning: Incorporating cards into games can make learning fun and competitive, motivating learners to engage more deeply with the content.
• Skill Development Workshops: Cards can be used in workshops to practice specific skills, such as negotiation, decision-making, or creative thinking.

List of Necessary Elements for Utilizing Problem-Solving Cards

To effectively use problem-solving cards in interactive learning, certain elements are necessary:

• Varied and Relevant Content: Cards should cover various topics and scenarios relevant to the learners’ experiences and learning objectives.
• Clear and Concise Instructions: Each card should have clear, concise instructions to ensure learners understand the problem or task.
• Adaptability: Cards should be versatile enough to be used in different teaching methods and learning environments, whether in-person or online.
• Interactive Design: Engaging visuals and interactive elements on the cards can enhance the learning experience.
• Feedback Mechanism: Incorporating a way to provide feedback on the solutions or discussions generated from the cards helps in assessing understanding and progress.
• Scalability: The difficulty level of the cards should be scalable to cater to different skill levels and learning stages.
• Cultural Sensitivity: Content on the cards should be culturally sensitive and inclusive, reflecting diverse perspectives and experiences.
• Supplementary Materials: Providing additional resources or information related to the scenarios on the cards can deepen understanding and extend learning.

Teaching Strategies

Teaching problem-solving to preschoolers is about guiding them to think independently, make decisions, and learn from outcomes. Here’s how educators and parents can effectively teach problem-solving skills to preschoolers:

• Model Problem-Solving Behavior: Demonstrate how to approach problems calmly and thoughtfully, talking through the process out loud.
• Create a Safe Learning Environment: Ensure that the environment is supportive and non-judgmental, allowing children to explore solutions without fear of failure.
• Encourage Exploration and Play: Through play, children can experiment with different solutions and learn from trial and error.
• Ask Open-Ended Questions: Encourage thinking by asking questions that have no single right answer, prompting children to explore various possibilities.
• Facilitate, Don’t Solve: Guide children through the problem-solving process, helping them think of solutions, rather than providing answers.
• Use Storytelling: Stories can introduce problems in a relatable context, encouraging children to come up with creative solutions.
• Encourage Teamwork: Group activities can teach children how to collaborate, share ideas, and solve problems together.
• Teach Emotional Regulation: Help children recognize and manage their emotions, which is a critical part of solving problems effectively.

List of Necessary Elements for Teaching Problem-Solving to Preschoolers

To teach problem-solving effectively to preschoolers, certain elements are necessary:

• Patience and Time: Problem-solving skills develop over time, requiring patience and practice.
• Age-Appropriate Challenges: Problems should be relevant and challenging but achievable for their developmental stage.
• Variety of Materials: Provide diverse materials and resources to stimulate creative thinking and problem-solving.
• Positive Reinforcement: Celebrate successes and encourage perseverance, reinforcing the value of effort and learning from mistakes.
• Consistent Opportunities: Regularly integrate problem-solving activities into daily routines and learning experiences.
• Clear Guidance and Support: Offer clear instructions and support to help children understand the problem-solving process.
• Reflective Practice: Encourage children to reflect on the problem-solving process and outcomes to enhance learning.
• Cultural and Contextual Relevance: Ensure problems and scenarios are culturally relevant and relatable to the children’s experiences.

Incorporating problem-solving steps into everyday activities offers a practical and seamless way to enhance critical thinking skills. This approach involves identifying daily tasks or challenges and using them as opportunities to practice problem-solving. 

For instance, during meal preparation, children can be involved in deciding what to cook, which ingredients are needed, and how to follow the recipe. This engages them in decision-making, sequencing, and logical thinking. 

Similarly, when faced with conflicts or decisions, guiding children through identifying the issue, brainstorming possible solutions, evaluating these options, and then implementing and reflecting on the outcome can be very effective. This method makes problem-solving a natural part of daily life and helps children learn to apply these skills autonomously, preparing them for more complex challenges as they grow.

Adults play a crucial role in facilitating problem-solving skills among children by acting as guides, models, and supporters. They set the stage for learning by providing appropriate challenges and resources that encourage critical thinking and experimentation. 

Through modeling problem-solving behavior—like verbalizing thought processes, showing how to evaluate options, and demonstrating persistence in the face of difficulties—adults provide a blueprint for children to follow. They also create a safe environment where children feel free to explore solutions without fear of judgment, offering guidance and encouragement rather than solutions, which promotes independence and confidence. 

Additionally, by asking open-ended questions, adults can stimulate children’s thought processes and encourage them to see problems from different angles, further developing their critical thinking and decision-making skills. Adults are vital in nurturing an atmosphere where problem-solving can thrive, guiding children to become proficient problem-solvers.

Educational Resources

Books can be a fantastic resource for developing problem-solving skills in preschoolers. Here are some highly recommended titles that engage young readers in the art of problem-solving:

• “Rosie Revere, Engineer” by Andrea Beaty: This book encourages innovation and perseverance, showing that failure is just a step towards success.
• “Curious George” series by H.A. Rey: The adventures of Curious George teach problem-solving and curiosity, as the little monkey often finds himself in tricky situations that require clever solutions.
• “The Most Magnificent Thing” by Ashley Spires: This story is about a girl who learns about frustration and perseverance while trying to create something magnificent.
• “Ish” by Peter H. Reynolds: Reynolds’ book teaches children that thinking “ish-ly” is more important than perfection, encouraging creative problem-solving.
• “Not a Box” by Antoinette Portis: This book stimulates imagination and creativity, showing how a simple box can be much more through innovative thinking.
• “The Dot” by Peter H. Reynolds: Another book by Reynolds, it inspires children to start small and see where their imagination and problem-solving can take them.
• “What Do You Do With a Problem?” by Kobi Yamada: This book personifies problems as opportunities to learn and grow, teaching children to face challenges head-on.
• “Beautiful Oops!” by Barney Saltzberg: Saltzberg’s book encourages finding beauty in mistakes and learning from them, promoting a positive attitude towards problem-solving.

Here’s a list of reputable online resources that provide valuable content on teaching problem-solving skills to preschoolers, including activities, strategies, and educational insights:

• NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children) : Offers a wealth of resources on early childhood development, including articles and tips on promoting problem-solving skills. 
• Teaching Strategies : Offers innovative, research-based teaching methods and resources for early childhood educators to enhance problem-solving skills in preschoolers. 
• Education.com : Contains a wide range of problem-solving activities, worksheets, and games tailored for preschool-aged children.

These websites are well-regarded in the field of early childhood education and provide a range of tools and insights for effectively teaching problem-solving skills to preschoolers.

Problem-solving worksheets are an effective learning tool for developing critical thinking and analytical skills. They provide structured opportunities for students to practice and refine their approach to solving various types of problems.

List of Necessary Elements for Problem-Solving Worksheets

For problem-solving worksheets to be an effective learning tool, they should include:

• Clear Instructions: Directions should be concise and easy to understand, ensuring students know what is expected.
• Relevant Content: Problems should be age-appropriate and connected to real-world situations to enhance relevance and engagement.
• Structured Approach: Worksheets should guide students through the problem-solving process, possibly outlining steps like understanding the problem, devising a plan, carrying out the plan, and reviewing the solution.
• Variety in Problem Types: Including different types of problems, such as puzzles, logic problems, and word problems, can cater to various learning styles and interests.
• Space for Workings: Providing ample space for students to write down their thought processes and calculations is important for developing their ability to solve problems systematically.
• Engaging Design: Visually appealing worksheets with illustrations or graphics can motivate students and enhance their learning experience.

Practical Application

Preschoolers can learn valuable problem-solving skills through real-life scenarios they can relate to and navigate. Here’s a list of scenarios that can help preschoolers develop and practice these skills:

• Sharing Toys: Navigating how to share toys with siblings or friends, deciding who plays with what, and for how long.
• Dressing for the Weather: Choosing appropriate clothing for the day based on the weather conditions, like selecting a raincoat on a rainy day or a sunhat when it’s sunny.
• Meal Choices: Making decisions about what to eat for snacks or meals, balancing between healthy options and favorite treats.
• Cleaning Up: Figuring out how to organize and clean up toys and supplies efficiently after playtime.
• Lost Items: Developing strategies to find a lost toy or belonging, retracing steps, and thinking of places where it could be.
• Turn-taking Games: Learning to wait for a turn and cope with the delay in gratification during group games or activities.
• Building Structures: Deciding how to build a stable structure using blocks or other materials, which involves planning and adjusting techniques.
• Resolving Conflicts : Finding peaceful solutions to disputes with peers, like taking turns, sharing, or finding a compromise.
• Planning a Playdate: Participating in planning activities, considering what games to play and what snacks to have.
• Handling Emotions: Identifying and managing emotions when things don’t go as planned, such as calming down after a disappointment.

Nurturing problem-solving skills from a young age is beneficial and crucial for children’s cognitive and emotional development. As detailed in this article, integrating problem-solving activities into the daily routines of preschoolers can significantly enhance their ability to navigate and overcome challenges, fostering independence, creativity, and resilience. 

Therefore, parents, educators, and caregivers must incorporate a variety of problem-solving activities into their interactions with young learners. From math games to social scenarios and creative play, every moment can be an opportunity to develop these vital skills. Let’s embrace the joy and responsibility of guiding our preschoolers through their problem-solving journey, equipping them with the tools they need to thrive in an ever-changing world. Encourage, facilitate, and revel in the process of discovery, and watch as the seeds of today’s problem-solving activities blossom into the critical thinking abilities of tomorrow.

Empower your little scholar with the gift of problem-solving! Join us at Little Scholars Daycare, where we turn everyday moments into exciting learning opportunities. Enroll your child today and watch them grow into confident, creative problem-solvers ready to take on the world!

Related articles

Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with Kids

Balancing Screen Time and Playtime

A Journey Through the Senses: Unlocking the World for Our Little Scholars

Understanding and Supporting Social-Emotional Development in Young Children

• Book Lists by Age
• Book Lists by Category
• Reading Resources
• Language & Speech
• Raise a Reader Blog
• Back to School
• Success Guides by Grade
• Homework Help
• Social & Emotional Learning
• Activities for Kids

Preschool Problem-Solving

Discover five ways parents can help preschoolers develop problem-solving abilities..

Three-year-old Sarah tries to display the leaves she has collected on a sheet of paper, but they keep falling off. She remembers seeing her teacher use the glue in a plastic bottle to stick a picture onto the paper. Fascinated with exploring new materials, Sarah decides to try to solve her problem by using the glue. Sarah squeezes streams of glue into a pile on her paper and then pushes the leaves on top. Like most three-year-olds, she's solving a problem through trial and error, relying primarily on her senses rather than reasoning. So it may take several experiments before she understands that the leaves won't stick readily to the big pile of glue.  

Focused but Frustrated Threes enjoy using their imagination to solve problems as they arise. Wanting a construction worker's hard hat for his dramatic play, Max enthusiastically decides to use an upsidedown plastic bowl. Delighted, he then repeatedly demonstrates how to use the pretend supervisor's walkie-talkie he creatively made from a juice box. At this age, children can sometimes become frustrated in their problem-solving attempts because they can see only one possible solution — which may not be workable. For example, when Tommy's jacket zipper is stuck, he keeps pulling it up, convinced that this is the only available approach.

If at First ... Adventuresome four-year-olds frequently charge ahead in their quest to solve problems. While they may need some help in focusing on the actual problem, they are more patient than three-year-olds and can try out different solutions.

For example, several four-year-olds struggle to get their wagon out of the mud on the playground. First they try pushing it. Then they attempt to pull it. When these methods fail to budge the wagon, they decide to take the heavy rocks out and then try again. Typical of this age, the children then boast about how strong and what good thinkers they are!

Team Efforts Using their larger vocabularies, four-year-olds are ready to negotiate with one another. Their developing language skills help them as they work together and engage in group decision-making. With practice, they learn to choose from among several different solutions. For instance, a few of the children decide to build a house. They gather a variety of materials — colored foil, corrugated cardboard, twigs, dandelions, tree bark — and then work together to decide which ones to use. They discuss their predictions about which of the materials might work and how best to use them.

What You Can Do Preschoolers learn best when they're given frequent opportunities to solve problems that are meaningful to them — those that arise in their day-to-day life.

• Provide opportunities for hands-on investgations. Offer children interesting items to explore, such as magnets, found objects, and broken (but safe) appliances. Rotate your materials to keep them fresh and thought-provoking.  
• Foster creative- and critical-thinking skills by inviting children to use items in new and diverse ways. Strings of colored beads, for example, can become reins for a racehorse, hair for a doll, links for measuring, or tools to press into clay to make designs.  
• Encourage children's suggestions and solutions. Promote brainstorming by asking openended questions: "What can you do with a...?" "How many ways can you...?" Listen carefully to children's ideas.  
• Allow children to find their own solutions. Offer help when they become frustrated, but don't solve their problems for them.  
• Use literature as a springboard. Share books that show how characters solve problems, such as King of the Playground by Phyllis Naylor and Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina.

We use cookies on our website to support technical features that enhance your user experience, and to help us improve our website. By continuing to use this website, you accept our privacy policy .

• Student Login
• No-Cost Professional Certificates
• Call Us: 888-549-6755
• 888-559-6763
• Search site Search our site Search Now Close
• Request Info

Skip to Content (Press Enter)

Problem Solving for Preschoolers: 9 Ways to Strengthen Their Skills

By Carrie Mesrobian on 12/20/2021

As an adult, you likely run into dozens of small issues every day that require problem-solving skills. While you might not give much thought to the process of figuring out the best way to put groceries away or how to run errands without backtracking all over town anymore, these basic problem-solving abilities weren’t always so simple. You refined these skills as a child with practice and guidance from adults.

Building problem-solving skills in preschool-age children is a foundational duty of all parents and early childhood educators. But it can be easy to lose sight of how to incorporate these skills, especially when family life gets hectic or classrooms become busy.

For some fresh perspective on how to look at problem solving from a preschooler lens, we asked several experts in the early childhood education (ECE) field how they teach skills in their own classrooms. Read on for some insight on helping the young ones in your life figure out creative and workable solutions.

9 Tried-and-true ways to develop problem-solving skills in preschoolers

1. use everyday moments.

The handy thing about teaching problem-solving skills at this age is that there are no textbooks, worksheets or special equipment involved. Every day, normal situations provide all the materials you’ll need to practice.

“Parents can help their children develop problem-solving skills through ongoing interactions with their children throughout their day,” explains Paula Polito, owner of Beary Cherry Tree Child Development Center. “At home, in the grocery store and in everyday routines, such as mealtime or bath time.”

Rebecah Freeling, parent coach and child behavior expert at Wits’ End Parenting ®, believes household chores are an excellent way to teach problem solving.

“Housework is a matter of solving one problem after another. All these things go wrong when you’re doing housework,” Freeling explains. “Kids get this idea that problems are no big deal. Problems happen all the time and we just solve them.”

That doesn’t necessarily mean making a chore chart, though Freeling says some kids respond well to them. Instead, she encourages parents to try to integrate kids into the everyday maintenance of the home, and when possible, work alongside them.

“Say, ‘What would you like to be in charge of today?’” Freeling advises. “It’s the difference between getting to do something versus having to do it.”

While a grocery store trip can sometimes be a stressful rush, there are infinite opportunities to practice problem solving, says Dr. Elizabeth DeWitt, senior curriculum and implementation specialist at Learning Without Tears . DeWitt suggests using a list or a recipe of ingredients and asking your child to help you find certain items.

“Say, ‘I have this recipe that says we need chicken, rice and soup. I see chicken and soup in our cart. What are we missing? What could we or should we add?’” DeWitt says.

Taking the time to simply talk children through the thought process—no matter how simple it seems—helps reinforce and show them how you came to that conclusion.

2. Ask open-ended questions

As in the grocery store situation, just asking questions is a powerful way to foster both problem solving and creativity in young children.

“When your child comes across a difficult task, like zipping their coat, it can often be faster and easier to stop what you're doing and zip it for them,” says Becky Loftfield, an ECE teacher at Community of Saints Preschool .

If a child says, “I can't do this,” Loftfield advises asking “how come?” This lets them answer in their own words. “Asking ‘how come’ usually works better than ‘why’ for young children,” Loftfield adds.

Pausing to listen to the child’s explanation of the problem in their own words guides what happens next.

“Perhaps they don't know how zippers line up at the bottom for the mechanism to slide,” says Loftfield. “Maybe the zipper itself is too small for them to grip. Encourage your child to explore what the problem actually is beyond ‘I can't zip my coat.’”

Polito also believes in the power of conversational questions to build problem-solving skills.

“For example, parents can ask a child to explain why they did something a certain way,” Polito explains. “Providing hints to children as opposed to giving them the answer is also another way for children to think deeper about a concept.”

“We promote more learning when we allow them to think through the question,” Polito says.

3. Center emotions

All problem solving involves emotions. In the zipping-up-the-coat situation, a child might act frustrated, get angry or start crying. Handling the emotion is often the key to the child sorting out the situation, as well as learning that they are capable of finding solutions.

“We are not born knowing how to solve problems or having the vocabulary to express our feelings,” says Torri Parker, a pre-K instructor at Aspen Academy . “Often I hear a student telling another child ‘You’re not my friend,’ when what the child is meaning is that they are hurt by something their friend did, or they would like some space.”

Parker suggests picture books that focus on emotions and offer multiple ways to express them can be a powerful way to help kids not only problem solve but also identify emotions in their peers and develop greater empathy.

“By providing the words needed to convey those feelings, a child learns what that feeling feels like and can then have the vocabulary in the future to solve a conflict like that,” Parker says.

4. Read books and tell stories

Sometimes, not having to tackle a problem that’s happening in the moment is a good way to practice these skills. This is where reading books and telling stories come into play.

“Books have the opportunity to build incredible social-emotional skills,” DeWitt says. Not only are kids looking for solutions to the characters’ problems, they’re also building vocabulary, narrative skills and critical thinking as well.

Nicole Evert, a pre-K teacher and ECE trainer at Creating Butterflies, recommends the use of “ social stories ” for preschool problem solving.

“A social story introduces a problem, then shows successful ways to solve the problem,” Evert explains. “Sometimes a social story will include silly pages that show how to not solve the problem.”

Social stories can be especially helpful for children with anxiety about certain activities or routines, as well as kids with disabilities.

“Parents and educators can even make their own social stories using pictures of the specific child and their environment, which can be so powerful,” adds Evert.

5. Take advantage of natural curiosities and interests

One approach to helping young children practice problem-solving skills is in the discovery of something they are authentically interested in learning about. Adam Cole, music director at The Willow School , explains his school’s Reggio Emilia -inspired philosophy where a teacher gives students “provocations.”

“Provocations are opportunities for them to encounter something for which they may then express further interest,” Cole explains. “For instance, a teacher may set up a drawing provocation, and the children may draw buildings. The teacher may pick up on this and talk with the children about buildings, asking how they are built and where they can find more. This may lead to research or trips to see buildings and will continue on until the thread plays itself out.”

Because the focus is centered on topics or activities that already capture the child’s interest, the problem-solving aspect is more meaningful and compelling for many children. Because the teacher works alongside the child to problem solve, it offers space for the teacher to ask questions and encourage further creativity.

“This is an organic way to learn to solve problems, bolstered by the intrinsic desire of the child to learn more,” Cole adds.

6. Model problem solving

Preschoolers are always observing our behavior as parents and teachers.

“Given that 90% of brain development occurs between birth and four years of age, we have an opportunity during these preschool years to set our children up for success,” says Polito.

It may seem obvious, but our strategies and methods provide kids with in-the-moment examples of how to handle life with things go wrong.

“From a teaching perspective, you can think, ‘I’m teaching this child how to be who they are, how to live life,’” says Freeling. “A spill derails you a bit. So, stop and ask the child, ‘How should I clean this up?’”

Loftfield agrees. “Parents and educators can act as guides for a child’s experience, demonstrating how they problem solve and modeling what they want to see.”

This doesn’t mean that the adult must do everything perfectly or without emotions, however. Managing feelings is all part of learning to problem solve. “Allow time for mistakes, time for meltdowns and time for celebration,” Loftfield advises.

7. Look to the child for the solution

This last one might seem counter to number six above, but Freeling believes that parents and teachers can help children learn to problem solve by removing themselves from the process.

“Moving past your instincts to fix or smooth over problems helps a lot,” Freeling says. “Project the kid’s age in your mind. Think of a 25-year-old graduating from college. I want them to be able to ask for a higher salary, to vocalize what they want. You’re not just getting kids to be obedient—you’re teaching them how to negotiate the world.”

This is why Freeling advises adults to try coming into a problem-solving situation with children without a ready-made solution. She offers an example: there’s only one red truck, and two children both want to play with it.

“You’re really looking to the child and trusting their thinking and intelligence for solutions you hadn’t thought of,” Freeling says. She recommends repeating questions until the kids come to a decision and as long as no one’s at risk of injury, standing by the children’s solution.

“They might say, ‘We have to paint all the trucks red, since everyone wants a red truck,’” Freeling says. This might seem odd to an adult. But the point is to make the children a vital part of the creative process instead of just getting them to comply with the adult’s idea.

Developing empathy also factors into this scenario, especially in situations where problems stem from hurt feelings or other emotional conflicts. Freeling believes that finding ways to make restitution to others they’ve hurt is a better practice than forcing kids to apologize. She suggests having a child draw a picture of something the upset child likes as a way to make amends and help them recognize the other’s individuality.

“We don’t want kids to feel guilt for hurting someone; we want them to feel compassion,” Freeling says. “And solving problems in a relationship requires empathy.”

Is an early childhood education career right for you?

Enjoying the process of seeing life through a little one’s eyes? Early childhood education is an exciting, dynamic field full of creativity and potential to positively impact the lives of children and their families. If helping kids learn and grow sounds like something you’d be good at, check out our article “9 Signs You Should Be Teaching Preschool.”

Related Articles: 

Working with Defiant Preschoolers: What Educators Should Know

Wits’ End Parenting is a registered trademark of Wits’ End Parenting, Inc. This program does not prepare students for licensed teaching positions in elementary or secondary schools . A Bachelor’s degree and a state teaching license are typically required to work as a teacher in most school settings; however, states, municipalities, districts or individual schools may have more stringent licensing requirements. Childcare facilities and states establish qualifications for staff who work with children, and often implement guidelines regarding age, education, experience and professional development. Students must determine the licensure requirements for the state and facilities in which they intend to work.

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Twitter
• Share on Pinterest
• Share on LinkedIn

Request More Information

Talk with an admissions advisor today. Fill out the form to receive information about:

• Program Details and Applying for Classes
• Financial Aid and FAFSA (for those who qualify)
• Customized Support Services
• Detailed Program Plan

There are some errors in the form. Please correct the errors and submit again.

Please enter your first name.

Please enter your last name.

There is an error in email. Make sure your answer has:

• An "@" symbol
• A suffix such as ".com", ".edu", etc.

There is an error in phone number. Make sure your answer has:

• 10 digits with no dashes or spaces
• No country code (e.g. "1" for USA)

There is an error in ZIP code. Make sure your answer has only 5 digits.

Please choose a School of study.

Please choose a program.

Please choose a degree.

The program you have selected is not available in your ZIP code. Please select another program or contact an Admissions Advisor (877.530.9600) for help.

The program you have selected requires a nursing license. Please select another program or contact an Admissions Advisor (877.530.9600) for help.

Rasmussen University is not enrolling students in your state at this time.

By selecting "Submit," I authorize Rasmussen University to contact me by email, phone or text message at the number provided. There is no obligation to enroll. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

About the author

Carrie Mesrobian

Carrie is a freelance copywriter at Collegis Education. She researches and writes articles, on behalf of Rasmussen University, to help empower students to achieve their career dreams through higher education.

Posted in Early Childhood Education

• child development
• ECE activities
• early childhood education

Related Content

Noelle Hartt | 02.08.2024

Hope Rothenberg | 01.04.2024

Brianna Flavin | 12.14.2023

Noelle Hartt | 12.07.2023

This piece of ad content was created by Rasmussen University to support its educational programs. Rasmussen University may not prepare students for all positions featured within this content. Please visit www.rasmussen.edu/degrees for a list of programs offered. External links provided on rasmussen.edu are for reference only. Rasmussen University does not guarantee, approve, control, or specifically endorse the information or products available on websites linked to, and is not endorsed by website owners, authors and/or organizations referenced. Rasmussen University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, an institutional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

• Sales 888.270.0679
• Support 888.237.7850
• Faith Organizations Tools to grow giving and engagement.
• Schools & Community Education Simplify online payments and save staff time.
• Child Care Comprehensive center and classroom management software.
• Nonprofits Give your donors more ways to show their support.
• Online Giving
• Mobile Church App
• Text-to-Give
• Online Worship
• Mobile Card Reader
• Church Management Software
• Partners and Integrations
• Resource Center
• Payment Processing
• School Lunch Payments
• School Lunch POS
• Event Ticketing
• Registrations
• Class Management
• Online Registration
• Adult Education
• Community Arts
• PowerSchool
• All Integrations
• Vanco Events
• Center Management
• Classroom Management
• Check-in & Check-out
• Before & After Care
• Child Care Manager
• Mobile Apps
• Hardware & Kiosks
• Preschool Management
• Multi-Location Child Care
• Online Enrollment
• Billing & Payment Processing
• Child Care Reporting
• Child Care Automation
• Child Care Technology

Success for nonprofits hinges on the ability for supporters to give how and when they want to. Vanco's tools open your organization to more donor opportunities and makes donating easy for supporters.

Vanco's Nonprofit Solutions

Large Group Activities for Preschoolers

Great large group activities for preschoolers are not only fun and engaging but also play a crucial role in their overall development. These activities offer a multitude of benefits for young children, from enhancing social skills to promoting cognitive growth. Play with preschoolers through fun large group activities helps children develop self-regulation skills in addition to getting exposure to math, science and literacy concepts.

Let's explore the importance of large group activities for preschoolers and provide a comprehensive list of math, circle time, literacy, science and arts and crafts activities to keep them entertained and learning.

Table of Contents

Why Are Large Group Activities Important for Preschoolers?

Math activities for preschoolers, circle time activities for preschoolers, literacy activities for preschoolers, science activities for preschoolers, arts and crafts activities for preschoolers.

Group activities are a vital part the development of many preschool competencies, such as gross motor skills. These often can often include fun group games designed for preschool children. Here are just a few of the benefits of group discussions and activities. 

• Social skill development: Interacting with peers teaches cooperation, sharing, empathy and teamwork. Kids learn to communicate and work together ( University of Leeds ).
• Observation: Social, emotional, physical and cognitive skills are often best observed when kids are engaging with each other in groups during indoor games or outdoor play. Observing kids when they are in groups gives preschool teachers the chance to see where certain students need intervention ( CDC ).
• Cognitive growth: Group challenges encourage problem-solving, critical thinking and decision-making. Preschoolers explore new ideas and gain knowledge collaboratively ( Early Experience and Human Development ).
• Motor skill enhancement: Active play in groups promotes coordination, movement abilities and physical confidence. Structured fun gets little bodies moving! ( American Academy of Pediatrics )
• Holistic learning: The dynamic social environment of group preschool activities fosters comprehensive development across domains — social-emotional, cognitive and physical. It's a key piece of early education.
• Positive relationships: Connecting with other children and educators through fun games and engaging activities nurtures a sense of belonging, social bonds and an enthusiasm for learning.

By participating in well-designed preschool group games and experiences, children develop essential abilities that set the stage for future social and academic success. Far from just playtime, large group activities are a powerful tool for early development!

Through math activities, preschoolers can develop critical thinking skills by solving problems and making decisions. Manipulating objects like counting blocks or sorting toys also helps strengthen their fine motor skills. Activities such as pattern recognition and shape sorting enhance their spatial awareness and reasoning abilities. By engaging in math play, children improve their number sense and build a strong foundation for future learning in mathematics.

Counting Games

Counting games for preschoolers are a great way to get them to exposed to basic numerical concepts and enhance their cognitive skills through interactive learning experiences. These games for kids can make math enjoyable and engaging for young learners. Here are a few examples of math games that are great for large or small groups.

Counting Critters

This fun activity has children match a specific number of toy animals with the corresponding number on a card. This hands-on activity not only helps in mastering counting skills but also improves their memory and visual recognition. Looking for counting critter game ideas? Education.com has a free computer game and lesson plan for group activities  here .

Number Hunt

Another fun activity is where kids search for and collect objects in the house or preschool class that represent each number from 1 to 10. This game encourages observation, critical thinking and enhances their problem-solving abilities.

Looking for tips on how to pull off a fun number hunt activity? This resource describes a cost-effective way to do it. 

Shape Sorters

Shape sorters not only help preschoolers identify different shapes but also enhance their fine motor skills through hands-on manipulation. These activities promote both cognitive development and physical dexterity in young children.

Engaging in shape-sorting games can greatly benefit preschoolers in developing their hand-eye coordination and spatial awareness, crucial skills that lay the foundation for mathematical concepts. By fitting the correct small object shapes through the corresponding slot, children refine their ability to analyze shapes and sizes, which is essential for understanding geometry and spatial relationships later on.

Math Worksheets for Preschoolers

Sometimes a simple preprinted activity will help young students learn, especially when they're indoors. Click below to access the five pack of free number printables for a fun learning adventure designed for individuals and groups of all sizes. 

If you're looking for more free templates and printables for preschools, we've produced 70+ free ones you can use. It is part of our commitment to saving preschools like yours time through free materials and our innovative preschool management softwar e. 

Number Bingo

Number bingo is a popular math activity for preschoolers that combines learning with interactive gameplay. It helps children recognize numbers, improve counting skills and fosters a love for math in a fun and engaging way.

One of the great benefits of number bingo is that it not only teaches preschoolers how to identify numbers but also enhances their ability to count accurately. Through the playful setting of a bingo game that kids will love, children are encouraged to actively participate and interact with numbers in a hands-on manner. This fosters a positive association with math from a young age, setting a strong foundation for future learning. The social aspect of playing bingo with peers adds to the interactive and engaging nature of the activity. If you're looking for free printables and instructions for this activity, check out this resource . 

Circle time activities provide preschoolers with valuable opportunities for social interaction, music appreciation and engaging games. These activities are designed to promote cooperation, shared experiences and a sense of community among young children.

During circle time, children gather in a designated area to participate in structured activities led by a teacher or caregiver. This routine not only enhances their listening and attention skills but also fosters a sense of belonging and inclusivity.

Singing and Movement Songs

Singing and movement songs are integral components of circle time activities for preschoolers, fostering social interaction, music appreciation and physical coordination. 

Through these interactive songs, preschoolers not only learn to follow rhythm and melody but also develop essential social skills such as taking turns, sharing and working collaboratively with their peers. Get them moving and learning at the same time!

Examples of popular interactive songs for circle time include ' The Wheels on the Bus ', where children can mimic the actions of the bus wheels going round and round, and ' If You're Happy and You Know It ', which encourages children to express their emotions through movement.

Storytelling

Storytelling during circle time activities enriches preschoolers' language development, stimulates cognitive growth and nurtures imagination. These narrative sessions enhance listening skills and encourage creativity among young learners.

Show and Tell

Show-and-tell activities are circle time ideas that allow preschoolers to express their creativity, share experiences and engage in a community challenge. These interactive sessions promote self-confidence, communication skills and a sense of belonging within the group.

Engaging preschoolers in literacy activities lays a strong foundation for their educational outcomes, fostering language development, alphabet recognition and phonemic awareness. These activities combine learning with play to make language exploration fun and interactive for young learners.

Letter Recognition Games

Through the engagement with educational games, children not only learn the letters of the alphabet but also develop crucial skills such as memory, attention and problem-solving. Activities for preschool like ' Letter Bingo ' make learning fun and memorable, fostering a positive attitude towards language exploration. As kids match letters with corresponding objects or sounds, their cognitive abilities are sharpened, leading to improved focus and concentration in other learning tasks.

Rhyming Activities

Through the use of rhyming words, children not only improve their ability to recognize and manipulate sounds in words but also develop essential pre-reading skills. Rhyming activities can be incorporated into everyday routines, such as singing nursery rhymes, playing rhyming games or reading rhyming books. These interactive exercises not only make learning fun but also stimulate multiple senses, promoting better retention and understanding of language concepts. Engaging the imagination through rhyming fosters a love for language and sets a strong foundation for future literacy success.

Sight Word Bingo

Looking for a fun take on an old idea? Get ready to energize your sight word practice with a classic game gone educational — Sight Word Bingo! This clever twist on traditional bingo helps kids master common words in a flash. Instead of numbers, the cards feature essential sight words, turning rote memorization into an engaging, interactive experience.

And here's the best part: We at Vanco have crafted a set of free, printable Sight Word Bingo cards, ready for you to download and use immediately. Say goodbye to boring drills and hello to fun-filled learning!

Alphabet Scavenger Hunt

This engaging game encourages young learners to actively seek out letters in their surroundings while associating them with relevant objects or words.

• For instance, finding 'A' in an apple or 'S' in a sock can make learning the alphabet a hands-on and exciting experience for children.
• Such interactive games not only foster letter recognition but also enhance vocabulary development by linking letters to real-world items.

Looking for free materials to help you pull off this scavenger hunt? This resource offers printables and detailed instructions. 

By incorporating STEM principles into play, children learn to observe, question, experiment and draw conclusions. Encouraging outdoor exploration further enriches their learning experiences, fostering a connection with nature and promoting a healthy lifestyle.

Sensory Bins

In preschool learning activities, incorporating different materials like rice, sand or water coupled with colorful objects can develop children's sensory perception and language skills. Engaging in sensory play has been linked to improved concentration and problem-solving abilities, crucial for overall cognitive development. For example, setting up a sensory bin with hidden objects for children to find encourages them to use their sense of touch and observation skills.

Nature Walks

The outdoors serve as a giant classroom where kids can learn about plants, animals, weather patterns and ecosystems in a hands-on manner. Through these adventures, they develop critical thinking skills, enhance their cognitive abilities and strengthen their physical health by being active outdoors in large open areas. You can also incorporate large group games and gross motor activities as part of these lessons.

Sink or Float Experiment

The Sink or Float Experiment is a captivating science activity for preschoolers that introduces the concept of buoyancy through hands-on discovery. This interactive experiment engages children in predicting outcomes, testing hypotheses and exploring scientific principles.

This experiment is not only educational but also incredibly fun for young learners.

• To start, gather various items like plastic toys, wooden blocks and coins for the children to test.
• Next, fill a tub with water and encourage the children to drop each item one by one and observe what happens.
• Watch as their faces light up with excitement when they see some items float while others sink.

This hands-on approach helps them grasp the basic principles of density and volume in a memorable way.

Arts and crafts activities ignite creativity, promote fine motor skills and allow preschoolers to express themselves through imaginative projects. These hands-on experiences with craft materials foster artistic exploration and aesthetic appreciation in young children. These are just a few examples of stimulating activities that can engage a child's senses and cultivate their imagination:

Finger Painting

This tactile experience allows children to experiment with different colors, textures and shapes, fostering artistic development and self-expression.

Setting up a finger-painting station for little ones can be a fun and exciting activity. Make sure to cover the work area with old newspapers or a plastic tablecloth to protect surfaces from paint splatters. Prepare a variety of nontoxic, washable paint colors in small containers to offer a wide range of choices for your child. Encourage them to explore different painting tools like sponges, paintbrushes or even their fingers to create unique textures and patterns.

Playdough Creations

Hands-on projects using playdough not only allow young children to express their creativity but also help them refine their fine motor skills as they mold, flatten and shape the dough. Manipulating the playdough requires precise movements, which in turn strengthen the muscles in their fingers and hands. The process of planning and executing their creations aids in cognitive development by fostering problem-solving skills and spatial awareness.

Collage Making

When engaging in collage making, preschoolers have the opportunity to explore different themes that resonate with them, such as nature, seasons or animals. Encouraging them to discuss these themes with each other fosters their communication skills and the ability to understand diverse perspectives. Providing a wide array of materials like colored paper, magazines, fabric scraps and stickers enhances their tactile experience and enables them to experiment with textures. This collaborative process not only sparks their creativity but also teaches them valuable lessons about teamwork and cooperation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some math-based large group activities for preschoolers.

Some math activities for preschoolers include counting games, shape-sorting activities and number-matching games. You can also incorporate counting into songs and fingerplays for a fun and engaging way to learn math as part of group movement activities. 

What are some circle time activities for preschoolers?

Preschool circle time activities can include group songs, story time and movement activities like Simon Says or Red Light, Green Light. You can also incorporate counting, shapes and colors into circle time to make it educational. Here is a full list of circle time songs and activities you can use. 

Circle Time Songs for Preschool

Circle Time Activities for Preschool

How can I incorporate literacy into large group activities for preschoolers?

You can have a book of the week and read it during circle time or have a designated reading corner where children can explore books on their own. You can also play storytelling games or have children act out stories for a fun and interactive way to incorporate literacy and movement activities for preschoolers.

Are there any printable materials available for large group activities for preschoolers?

Yes, there are many free printable materials available online for large group activities for preschoolers. You can find printable worksheets, coloring pages and educational games that can be used in a large group setting. Education.com is a popular source for free materials. For preschools, there are thousands available. All you need to do to access  these materials is sign up for a free account. 

What are some sensory-based large group activities for preschoolers?

Sensory activities like finger painting, sensory bins and water play can be great for large group activities. You can also incorporate sensory materials like sand, playdough or shaving cream into fun indoor learning activities to engage all of the senses.

How can I make large group activities for preschoolers inclusive and accommodating for all children?

When planning large group activities, indoors or outdoors, consider including activities that accommodate different learning styles and abilities. You can also provide adaptations or modifications for children who may need extra support and self-regulation skills and encourage teamwork and inclusivity among all children. If you're looking for additional information and resources on how to make activities more inclusive for preschoolers, the Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center offers (Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center) detailed instruction  here . 

Get 100+ Editable and Printable Templates for Almost Every Preschool Situation

We know daycare providers like you are busy. That's why we made dozens of templates to help you manage the various aspects of your organization. From billing and invoicing to marketing materials, we have it all. Download all 70 today!

Balaban, M., & Simion, F. The Relationship between Social and Cognitive Development. In Social and Cognitive Development (pp. 179-198). Springer, Boston, MA. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4615-9215-0_8

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). CDC's "Learn the Signs. Act Early." Campaign Go Out and Play! Kit. https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/pdf/ccp_pdfs/gop_kit.pdf 

Erdoğan, T. The Effect of Cooperative Learning on the Learning Approaches of Students with Different Learning Styles. The European Educational Researcher, 4(1), 59-82. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1287158.pdf 

Hagan, J. F., Shaw, J. S., & Duncan, P. M. Promoting Physical Activity. In Bright Futures: Guidelines for Health Supervision of Infants, Children, and Adolescents (4th ed.). American Academy of Pediatrics. https://www.aap.org/en/practice-management/bright-futures/bright-futures-materials-and-tools/bright-futures-guidelines-and-pocket-guide/ 

Related Posts

Free Resources

No items currently match your filtering criteria.