Proven Best Problem Solving Activities For Toddlers

Childhood tends to be carefree, yet as kids grow up, they must understand situations, make decisions, and come to conclusions. So, let’s find out the best yet simple problem solving activities for toddlers.

When understanding things around them and making such decisions, facing numerous challenges and problems is not unusual. This is where we all need problem-solving skills.

Where does this problem-solving ability come from? Do human beings inherit this from birth, or must they develop it? Problem-solving is an ability that one should develop through different mechanisms.

Most importantly, this is a skill that is needed to be practiced from early childhood. In this article, we will discuss teaching problem-solving activities to toddlers. 

One can follow various activities to enhance problem-solving skills; however, ensuring their productivity and suitability is essential when introducing such activities to toddlers.

What activities can you use as an adult to help toddlers develop their problem-solving skills? Problem-solving requires a combination of skills, such as creativity, coping skills, imagination, critical thinking, communication, reasoning, etc.

Hence it is a must to follow activities that improve given abilities in toddlers, which will ultimately help them with problem-solving.

Some of the best activities that are effective in developing problem-solving ability in toddlers include puzzle games, building blocks/ model building, hide and seek, memory games, board games, treasure hunts, building a maze, and sorting games. 

Simply put, problem-solving is identifying a problem and adapting to correct solutions. Problem-solving is a mandatory life skill that every individual need. Therefore it is essential to master this skill from the earliest possible age.

Using effective mechanisms from a young age will significantly help humans strengthen their critical thinking abilities. Keep reading this article to better understand how to teach toddlers problem-solving skills and what activities to use in this matter. 

Simple yet effective problem solving activities for toddlers

Thanks to their rapidly developing brains, toddlers have a fascinating ability to learn many new things. One of the essential skills that toddlers should practice is problem-solving because this plays a pivotal role in merging and surviving in society.

Plenty of skills are embedded within the term problem solving, including analytical thinking, logical reasoning, lateral thinking, creativity, persistence, negotiation, listening, and cognitive skills.

Teaching problem-solving to kids might sound like a complex thing to do. Nevertheless, plenty of accessible activities effectively contribute to evolving problem-solving skills in toddlers. Below you can find some.

• Puzzle and board games 

Puzzle and board games are commonly used productive activities to uplift problem-solving skills in small children.

Puzzles contain pieces, and to place them in the correct order, toddlers must use their brains thoroughly, which will benefit them in developing their problem-solving abilities.

When using puzzle games for toddlers, remember to use ones specifically created for their age category. Similar to puzzles, board games are also crucial for developing problem-solving.

The same rule also applies to board games; they should be fun and engaging yet should not be too intricate. You can use board games such as tic-tac-toe or even be creative and make your own ones that suit toddlers.

• Building blocks and model making

Yet another ideal activity that aids toddlers in developing problem-solving skills is model-making activities. You can give them either building blocks or DIY model kits for this activity.

These activities allow toddlers to think differently and bring their imagination into real life. To make this activity more impactful, you can enable toddlers to do it in groups; that way, they develop various skills essential for problem-solving. 

• Storytelling

Storytelling is a fun and versatile activity for toddlers that improves problem-solving skills. Pick a story that sparks interest in toddlers, and present it interestingly.

You can also ask related questions meanwhile telling the story. Moreover, you can allow toddlers to narrate their own stories.

As much as you make storytelling exciting and diverse, it will help develop kids’ problem-solving abilities. 

• Hide and seek 

Hide and seek is an exciting outdoor activity helpful in developing problem-solving skills in toddlers. How can a simple game like hide and seek help improve toddlers’ problem-solving skills?

Surprisingly it does. Hide and seek is an activity that allows toddlers to develop visual tracking, working memory, and social-emotional skills. All, in return, are essential in problem-solving.

When introducing this activity for toddlers, start it easy, and gradually you can level up the complexity. 

• Treasure hunt

This is one of the best activities for toddlers who love exploring the outdoors. This game can be played in groups, and toddlers have to think deeply when they find clues; therefore, it improves their problem-solving skills. 

• Role-playing 

Role-playing is yet another enjoyable activity that aids toddlers in developing their problem-solving skills. You can present a certain scenario to toddlers, assign them a character and ask them to act accordingly.

This activity allows toddlers to be creative; moreover, it makes them think critically, so all these skills make them stronger at problem-solving. 

• Building a maze 

This is a game that you have to put a considerable amount of effort into executing. Nonetheless, it is highly beneficial in developing multiple skills toddlers need to be better at problem-solving.

You can use different materials to build the maze, such as cardboard, books, tables, or chairs. This game pushes small children to think critically to find the end and escape the maze. 

• Sorting things 

Sorting things is another practical activity you can allow toddlers to do, which will benefit their problem-solving skills.

For this activity, you can give them objects, for example, bottle lids of varying shapes and colors, and ask them to sort similar ones. Sorting activities are effective for cognitive development. 

How to do problem-solving activities for toddlers?

In the previous section, we discussed some impactful activities that help toddlers to develop their problem-solving skills. No matter what activity you introduce to a toddler, there are things you should be aware of when helping them develop their problem-solving ability.

As mentioned earlier, toddlers are fast learners. Still, it is self-explanatory that you can’t teach something to a small child just the way you do it to a grown-up.

So how can you teach problem-solving activities to toddlers? What factors should you put into consideration? Let’s find out. 

• Keep things simple, and ask questions

When introducing problem-solving activities to toddlers, it is essential to keep things simple. If you make things complex initially, toddlers will lose interest. Therefore always start small; gradually, you can make things more complicated.

In some instances, you do not even have to conduct specific activities to uplift the problem-solving skills of your toddler.

Particular scenarios in daily life provide chances for spontaneous lessons, so you can use them wisely to help your toddlers improve their problem-solving skills. Practical life examples are indeed helpful in developing problem-solving skills in toddlers. 

• Ask questions 

It is essential to ask questions from toddlers to develop their problem-solving skills. Along with the activities that you do, ask questions.

Asking questions allows toddlers to recall things and give better answers by analyzing the information they receive.

Toddlers are naturally curious; therefore, asking them questions gives them the extra boost of curiosity to ask more follow-up questions and learn things better. You must ask them questions; subsequently, you must encourage them to ask you questions. 

• Be creative, and make it fun

Being creative and innovative is crucial when teaching toddlers problem-solving activities. Following the same activity will likely reduce productivity; hence, think out of the box and introduce diverse creative activities.

Introducing creative and varied activities to toddlers will thrive them understand things from various perspectives, which is a must to enhance problem-solving skills.

Toddlers love to have fun, so when deciding on problem-solving activities, ensure the activities are effective at the same time, fun.

If small children are not necessarily interested in something, it will be hard to convince them. Try to embed activities that help develop problem-solving in toddlers for their playtime. It makes playtime enjoyable at the same time, productive. 

• Accept failure, and keep them encouraged to fix errors 

Sometimes when your toddler attempts to solve a problem, he/she might fail. Failure is typical when learning problem-solving skills. In such cases, you should not demotivate the toddler.

Furthermore, they do not always provide answers to toddlers. If they are in a problem, as an adult, you have to help them, yet push them as much as possible to find solutions independently.

Allow failure, and keep encouraging them to adjust what went wrong. It is necessary to create a space for toddlers to learn from their errors and mistakes. 

Final thoughts 

Problem-solving is one of the fundamental skills that humans require in their regular lives. Humans face various problem scenarios where they must think deeply and act correctly. In order to do it, problem-solving skills are mandatory.

One cannot become excellent at problem-solving overnight. It is a process that should be developed from a young age. This article discussed some effective activities that uplift toddlers’ problem-solving skills.

Also, how should you approach a toddler when introducing such activities? If you follow these mechanisms correctly, your toddler will eventually master problem-solving.

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