Problem-Solving Activities to Give Kids a Brain Boost

Long before I had any concept of the value of her words, one of my closest friends gave me sage advice which I've carried along with me on my parenting journey. At the time, her son was in the process of applying for college and during one of those rites-of-passage college admission tours the parents were encouraged to support their children as they learn to figure out their higher learning path for themselves. Furthermore, families were advised against being helicopter parents. "What is a helicopter parent?", I curiously challenged, as was a well-read mom, devouring no less than three parenting magazines on a monthly basis. In the spirit of not hovering, I'll allow you to infer the definition of helicopter parenting. Striving to nurture independence, confidence, and critical thinking, we've put to the test these problem-solving activities to give kids a brain boost.

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Problem-Solving Activities to Give Kids a Brain Boost

Maternal instincts often find me in a place where I wish I were able to solve all of my children’s problems for them, if it weren't for the whole healthy parenting choices we all do our best to honor. Instead I opt to patiently (for the most part), guide my family through situations from the sidelines, offering encouragement and assistance, as needed to help them solve problems on their own. When I'm asked for help, it's important for me to remind them (and myself) of a consistent set of steps to apply toward their problem-solving process. Here's a  few steps to use for solving process-

1 Identify the problem needing to be solved to begin working toward a solution. Proceeding through the problem-solving process with a clear goal helps to focus attention in the necessary direction.

2 Consider a few realistic possible solutions for the situation. Encourage creative thinking to think outside-of-the-box to discover different ways to arrive at an answer. 

3 Determine through the process of elimination whether these potential solutions would actually work out to solve the problem by balancing the pros and cons of the outcomes. 

4 Evaluate the best possible solution to use for this problem, and necessary resources involved in proceeding to the next step of the process.

5 Apply knowledge from previous examples to discover the effectiveness of your problem-solving solution. Understand the dynamics of areas of success and where there is the need for improvement in the future. 

Art of Problem-Solving | Beast Academy Resources

Art of Problem Solving: Beast Academy Puzzles Level 2 | Level 3

Beast Academy Puzzles brings together over 400 brand new puzzles in 12 of our favorite styles from the Beast Academy level 2 series. Whether used on their own or with the Beast Academy curriculum, these puzzles will delight and entertain puzzle solvers of all ages. 

Solving puzzles is a great way for students to-

- Stay engaged while reinforcing math skills

- Build spatial awareness and practice pattern recognition

- Become better, more resilient problem solvers, in the classroom and beyond!

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