How to use Boredom to Teach Problem Solving
So how does a lazy summer afternoon help children be better problem solvers? Summer provides breathing space, a slower pace, and hopefully times to do nothing.
Often, children are so acustomed to being constantly entertained by screens, structured schedules and/or lessons, that they rarely have opportunities to plan their own amusement.
Many parents get sucked into doing all the planning for their children and end up toiling through a vacation to make sure the kids are busy and active. If you have children in your life, in any capacity, this summer asking the following questions may help them learn some important problem solving skills.
I'm bored...
As strange as it seems, a great time to teach problem solving skills is when your kids complain about being bored. The next time they tell you they are bored, don't feel like you need to be responsible for coming up with great activities but use it as an opportunity to teach creative problem solving skills by asking the right questions.
Children are natural born problem solvers but may have had little opportunity to practice this skill when it comes to coming up with things to do. A little guidance can help them along.
1. Brainstorm Possibilities
Ask -
"What are your choices for things to do right now?"
"What can you do right now to make sure that what you are wanting, will happen this afternoon (or next week, etc. )?"
Avoid rushing in to come up with ideas and have the children print their ideas on sticky notes. Provide materials for easy list making.
Don’t allow anyone to stifle the creativity by being critical or cynicalor by saying things like, that’s a dumb idea or that's not going to happen. If the kids seem stumped, try questions like,
- What would happen if . . . ?
- You enjoyed .... What do you think you could try next?
- What choices do you have right now? Perhaps the choices for right now may be going for a walk, setting up a mini art studio on the patio or converting the clothesline into a volley ball net.
Guide the children to choose activities that are open-ended and not about an exact outcome or project. This way if all the materials are not available or if the skills necessary are not developed, the children will be happy with their efforts.
2. Work through the steps
Children (and adults!!) often need help figuring out the steps necessary to make things happen. A few guiding questions and using sticky notes and markers can help them see the process.
- What materials do you need to gather?
- Will you need money to buy anything?(and maybe how can you earn this money?)
- Where will you do it?
- Do you need to invite anyone over?
3. Shift the responsibility...
Now is the time to ask, "In what ways are you willing to make …happen?" Ideas are great but without action, nothing happens.
If children are used to you stepping in and taking over at this point, they’ll expect you to do it again. Instead, teach them the skill of breaking tasks down into small steps. Use the sticky notes or a chart to help them see the process.
4. Break it down to action steps...
Then step back and let the children have opportunities to figure out what works and does not work. Creating the time, a place to work and materials will generate other ideas for things to do and a momentum will begin to happen.
If the child gets frustrated because something is not working, divert their attention with a break or a time away. For instance, if a child is attempting to make a cardboard castle and the card won't stick with the glue stick he/she is using, rather than solving the problem with words, put out other materials like duct or masking tape, and trust him/her to figure it out. If the activity begins to lose its appeal, a few well placed questions can get it going again.
- “What would happen if you...?"
- “What else can you make with these materials?”
- “How many other ways can you use this?”
- “I wonder how ...”
Show kids that you are confident in their abilities...
Create an atmosphere that lets children know that you have confidence in their abilities to come up with creative problem solving ideas, that they are capable of figuring things out for themselves, and as they do, be enthusiastic about their efforts and help them take pride in their own abilities. Saying “Wow! You figured that out all by yourself!” reinforces their sense of accomplishment.
If you describe what kids actually did to solve a problem (for example, “It was a good idea to use that long block to make a bridge over that river.”) rather than simply saying “good job,” you’re not only telling them you value what they did, you’re encouraging them to think about the specific steps they took to work things out.
