3 fun ways to practice problem solving
Play and learn together at home.
Opportunities for learning are around every corner – even in your own home. Playing together is a great way to discover new things and build key skills. Our friends at the LEGO Foundation launched PLAYLIST – a collection of fun learning activities for families – and we're delighted to share a few with you. Give them a try with your little one to work on problem solving. Who knew learning could be so much fun?!
Book roads
Build a road through your house...with books! This fun activity will develop motor, creative and problem-solving skills.
You will need: As many books as you can find. A toy car, or maybe a ball. Why not build a car using LEGO bricks?
1. Start putting paperbacks on the floor to build a road through your house.
2. Hardback books are great for things that need to stay upright. Maybe you could use them for building tunnels and bridges.
3. Let the books drive your imagination! Build a house with a roof and add a hill or a roundabout.
4. It's your world, so get creative!
The wind
Explore and paint using wind power. This wind power game is a great activity for understanding movement and space through sensory skills.
You will need: LEGO bricks, dried leaves, pieces of card and paper, tubes (or straws) of different sizes, paint and stones or other small objects.
1. First, let's think and talk about the wind before using its power. Can you see it? Taste it? How does it feel on your hair, or your skin?
2. Take a piece of card or a leaf, close your eyes and blow it using wind power.
3. Now we can see how the wind works on heavier things. Try blowing heavier objects like LEGO bricks or stones to see what happens.
4. Time to make a wind print. It's easy! Just use a straw to blow paint across paper. You can even trace the shape of objects by blowing the paint round them.
Paper planes
Can you build a plane that flies? Try this fun paper plane game which helps you learn how to solve problems by testing ideas, practice concentrating and get better at handling frustrations. You can make the paper plane game even trickier by adding weights to your plane.
You will need: Paper of different sizes, colours and thicknesses, scissors, pens and sticky tape.
1. Each player takes a piece of paper. Have a think about what would make a great plane. You can discuss it between you.
2. Either individually or in teams, build your paper plane and watch it fly.
3. How did it do? Try a different design and see if goes any further.
4. You can decorate your plane if you want to, or even give it a name.
5. When everyone is happy with their plane, have a competition. Whose plane can fly the furthest? Whose can do tricks? Whose looks the best?
For even more ways to play, visit the PLAYLIST from our friends at The LEGO Foundation.
