Simple Ways To Improve Problem Solving Skills | Tasks and Games

Children who develop problem solving skills at a younger age will find it less challenging when they enter the real world. Strong problem solving skills in students enable them to face difficulties like time management issues, communication barriers, technical glitches etc. Teachers play an important role in helping students improve problem solving skills.

Want to know how? Here are different tasks and games that help students to improve problem solving skills. 

What are problem solving skills?

Problem solving skill development is the process of understanding the cause of a problem and developing the most suitable solutions for the problem. Nowadays, most companies look for candidates who excel at problem solving skills since it is one of the essential skills in this developing world of technology. 

To become an excellent problem solver, a person should develop 

• Communication skills
• Analytical skills
• Creativity
• Decision-making
• Logical thinking, and more. 

Here are the top seven fun ways to develop and improve problem solving skills in your students.

1. Brainstorming 

Brainstorming is an activity that involves a group of people discussing and working towards finding solutions to a problem. It is a group problem solving activity that motivates students to develop their creativity and is one of the best games to improve problem solving skills and student participation in the classroom. 

Also read : Importance Of Group Discussion In Teaching

During the online sessions, you can give a scenario or a problem and encourage your students to form a group and discuss finding solutions for it. After discussing the solutions, each student has to explain their understanding and solution to the problem.

This collaborative problem solving activity makes them work together and improves their critical thinking. 

2. Decision-making games improve problem-solving skills

Decision making games involve finding the best possible option for a given scenario among more solutions. Nowadays, most organizations rely on proper decision-making strategies to make huge profits. Group decision making games make the students interact and improve problem solving skills. 

There are a lot of group decision making games you can make your students play among themselves, such as 

• Tower of Hanoi
• Reverse pyramid
• Human knot
• Frostbite
• Dumb Idea first
• Problem-solving boxes
• Tic-tac-toe, musical chairs, and Egg drop ideas are some of the most common group decision-making games.

3. Scavenger hunting game

Scavenger hunting is one of the enjoyable games that improve problem solving skills. In this game, students should be grouped into two teams. One group has to prepare a list of items, and the other team members should find and bring them all without purchasing any of them.

This game encourages students to work together and try different activities to accomplish the given tasks, which improves their creativity. 

4. Funny solution-finding games 

You can try some funniest problem solving games like blind drawing to improve problem solving skills in your students. In this game, a student has to describe something without saying anything so obvious about it.

Another student has to draw whatever he understands from that description. Playing this game develops a fun environment in the classroom instantly and helps to improve the thinking capability of students.

5. Impromptu games 

Another way to improve problem solving skills in students is by playing some impromptu games. Playing an impromptu game is an excellent way to make your students think critically. The word Impromptu means doing something without preparation or having any prior idea.

In this game, you will give each student an impromptu situation or a problem and ask them to find an immediate solution.

There are some possibilities of students coming up with a wrong or inappropriate answer since they thought instantly. In such cases, guide them the right way and insist they follow the proper way to follow. 

6. Think out-of-the-box games 

Providing a problem and asking your students to come up with solutions is great. However, as a teacher, you should make them think outside of the box. Teachers should encourage students to think creatively and arrive at the most unusual and extraordinary solutions. 

For example, after giving them a scenario, list all the usual solutions for that problem and ask your students to find something that is not on that list. Appreciate students who try to think differently and arrive at more creative answers.

Playing these games will help them think limitlessly and come up with extraordinary ideas. It is one of the best ways to improve problem solving skills.

Also read : Ways For Teachers to Make Online Teaching Fun

7. Poem or story Challenges 

Poem and story challenges rely on writing skills of students, so these activities help students improve problem solving skills as well as writing skills.

Teachers can assign different topics to their students to narrate poems or stories during online classes. 

8. Sudoku

This is a very popular game which helps in building and strengthening critical thinking and improve problem solving skills in students. Teachers can share their screen during online classes to play this game with students. This puzzle is an amazing team game as well. 

To wrap up 

Practicing problem solving techniques help children to solve complex problems more effectively in the future. It helps them decide accurately and enhances team working skills. Playing fun problem-solving games will also help them think uniquely and differently. 

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