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How Problem-Solving Skills Help in Child Growth

Problem-solving skill is the ability to analyze problems and explore different options to solve them. Children display problem-solving abilities within a few month from the time they were born. From exploring things with their fingers and toes when they’re 4–9 months old to responding to simple games such as peek-a-boo with a big, adorable smile, there are many behaviours and activities that indicate a child’s problem-solving abilities at different ages. They always seem to find smart ways to overcome obstacles. These problem-solving abilities, also called cognitive skills, develop over time.

With the development of cognitive skills, the simple problem solving that begins early in a baby’s life changes into purposeful problem solving where the child uses specific approaches and intended actions to achieve the result.
Helping a child in developing problem-solving skills in early childhood has a great impact on the child’s growth.

Activities for Developing Problem-Solving Skills in Children
Across different stages of their growth, infants, toddlers, and young children develop their cognitive abilities by exploring their everyday surroundings through experiences. There are many activities that can enhance this experiential learning. Some of the cognitive and creative development activities for preschoolers that can improve their problem-solving skills include the following:
Activities for toddlers:

• Playing peek-a-boo
• Playing hide-and-seek with toys or other objects
• Playing with blocks, puzzles, drawing materials, and nesting toys

Activities for 2–3 year old children

• Sorting objects by size, shape, or colour
• Indulging in imaginative play using common household objects

Activities for 3–4 year old children

• Teaching the child counting and recognizing numbers from 1 to 10
• Playing memory games
• Comparing objects of different size and weight

For all ages

• Reading to them every day

Benefits of Cognitive Development Activities for Preschoolers
While problem solving is an important survival skill for children, that not only help them solve their problems but also shape them as unique individuals. Some of the advantages of developing problem-solving skills are as follows:

• It helps in the development of courage and confidence.
• It creates a dynamic personality full of energy.
• It enhances self-esteem and self-image.
• It improves classroom learning and comprehension ability.
• It increases the ability to face difficulties in everyday life.

Choosing problem-solving and creative development activities for preschoolers based on the child’s cognitive development—her or his ability to think, communicate, and solve problems—has far more benefits than only problem solving.