Problem Solving Activities

[Guest]

For some reason I find it hard to come up with exciting activities for children to do as an adult led task and then it is almost imposiible for children to do this in child initiated sessions. I am therefore calling on all the creative ones at there to share thier ideas!!

 

I thank you all for reading this post - especially at this time of the year!! I am not particularly after christmas links as I think I am sorted in that department. Of course if you have some great ideas for Christmas I would love to hear those as well though.

 

Thanks

 

XXX

[SueFinanceManager]

Hi

 

A couple of my favourites;

 

1. Archimedes = Jar and pebbles with a floating thing and wrapped up in a story of how important the floaty thing is and the people trying to reach it can't reach it or climb in. Get the children to try and problem solve how they could reach the floating object.

 

To then extend the activity another day I had two jars of water in the garden with leaves floating and divided the children into teams to gather pebbles etc to drop into the containers to see which team could raise the water level fastest, of course I had a toy dragon by my side and the leaf had magical powers to make the fierce dragon sleep but that's another story as they say.

 

2. Floating / Sinking = I made boats with the children and one belonged to captain black, one to captain blue etc and we saw which boat could carry the most cargo. I chose some things that were big but light and some small heavy objects. Children made predictions and we recorded the predictions. Then started loading up the ships, some evenly and some all at one end etc.

 

The ships were made out of old ready meal trays so easy to do, play mobile people as the captains but any small world people will do. Have to say such a great day and fun activity it still makes me smile.

 

Good fun, the boys especially liked the activities.