Problem- Solving Activities and Games for Preschoolers How to Teach Them
                     Problem- Solving Activities and Games for Preschoolers: How to Teach Them? 
  
Does your child forget his/her math homework often? Or has your kid forgotten lunch at home? Well, no
matter what the problem is, having some good problem-solving skills are necessary to manage life. We 
at Footprints Education strongly believe that children who do not have proper problem-solving skills 
tend to face a higher risk of suicidal tendencies and depression. And that's not all; teaching children 
about problem-solving skills help improve their mental health as well. 
 
Teaching kids about these basic skills needs to begin right from childhood, and preschool is the perfect 
time for this. So if you are interested in knowing more about these problem-solving activities and games 
for preschoolers, then just keep reading. 
  
Importance Of Problem-Solving Skills 
 
Before we jump into some problem-solving skills that kids need to master, let's first understand why 
learning these skills is important. Kids tend to face a multitude of problems every single day, which can 
range from problems during any social activity in school or academic difficulties. Yet, most preschoolers 
don't know the formula to solve these problems. 
 
Kids who lack these skills avoid taking action when they come against any problem. Instead of putting in 
time and energy to solve the problem, they run away from it. This is also the reason why so many 
students fail to keep friendships alive as well as fall behind in school. 
 
That's not all kids who do not have proper problem-solving skills might end up behaving violently in 
school. These impulsive choices can create much bigger problems in the future. 
 
 Teaching Problem-Solving Activities to Preschoolers 
1. Encourage Play 
How about playing with those wooden blocks and encouraging the kids to build something. If you have 
been looking for daycare near me, then make sure the daycare encourages your kid to use their 
imagination and make the plays challenging as well as fun. This was slowly your child will learn to solve 
his/her problems. 
 
2.  Stop Being An Overbearing Parent 
 
One of the simplest lessons parents tend to forget is that how important it is to allow your kids the 
space to be themselves. No matter what your kid's age is, it is important to let them make their own 
mistakes and learn from them. Just be there for them and ensure that they don't get stuck after making 
a mistake and move forward in life. 
 
3. Allow Them to Make The Tough Decisions 
 
Allow your kids to make their own decisions. Make sure that the kids just don't keep avoiding making 
any tough choices frequently. This can only happen if you keep issuing default solutions that cannot be 
negotiated. 
 
4. Solving Problems Should Be Fun 
 
Life will throw a lot of difficulties on our path. But that doesn't mean overcoming them will take away all
the fun. So how about you encourage your kids to take on difficulties with a smile on their face instead 
of being negative about it? This positive attitude will allow your kids to go a long way in life. 
 
5. Ask Them to Help You Routinely 
 
Don't underestimate your kids or their problem-solving skills. Let them help you around, brainstorm 
ideas with your entire family. No matter how difficult the problem is, trust your kid and let them come 
up with some fun, creative ideas. 
 
6. Failures Are Important to Progress in Life 
 
Failures can be painful, but in life, failures teach us the greatest lessons. Failures teach us the greatest 
life lessons. Seeing our children fail might feel hurtful, but we have to accept the fact that kids won't 
learn their lessons and progress in life until and unless they learn to fall and pick themselves up first. 
 
 
5 Steps to Being a Problem-Solver 
 
Have you been looking for a preschool near me so that your kids become better problem-solvers? 
Preschoolers tend to feel hopeless or overwhelmed often and therefore don't address problems. This is 
why you need to give them a clear-cut formula to solve problems. This will ensure that kids try harder 
and feel more confident. Below are mentioned five steps for better problem-solving: 
 
1. Recognize The Problem 
If your kid is feeling stuck, just make sure they state the problem out loud. What this does is make the 
problem feel real enough and thus help find solutions to the problem. For example, if your kid is feeling 
left out and alone during recess time, make them say it out loud. 
 
2. Develop as Many Solutions as Possible 
 
Once you have found the problem, the next step is to look for possible solutions. Keep in mind that not 
all of these solutions have to be great ideas. You can also help out your kids by coming up with multiple 
solutions in case they are feeling stuck. Even if it is a silly idea, encourage kids to still discuss it. Just 
make sure that your kids understand to be creative when coming up with solutions. 
 
3. Make A List of The Pros and Cons of Each of These Solutions 
 
Once you have found the solution, it's time to make a list of all the pros and cons. This will help your kid 
identify the potential negative and positive outcomes and also encourage your children to pick the right 
solution.
4. Choose The Right Solution
 
After your kid is done evaluating the negative and positive outcomes, it's now time to pick the solution 
that is right for your kid. 
 
 
5. Test Out the Solution 
 
Encourage your kids to try out a solution to see the results. In case the chosen solution doesn't work, 
encourage them to try out the other solutions that they came up with previously. 
 
 
Children need to use their problem-solving skills regularly, especially when they are experimenting and 
investigating. During the first few years of your kid's life, cognitive skills like problem-solving abilities 
develop. These skills are not only used during the childhood years but also when your kid grows up to be
an adult. Hopefully, this article will help you understand why kids need to develop their problem-solving 
skills to become a fine adults and build healthy relationships.