Chris Peace asked:
If you ask most employers today what they are looking for in a future employee, problem-solving skills are going to rank high on that list. The question is how do you raise a child that is going to have these skills which are so desirable to employers and which might help your child have a successful future. The answer is to provide your child with the right kinds of kids puzzles starting at an early age.
What are Problem-Solving Skills?
Although the term gets passed around a bit, it is rarely defined. However, problem-solving skills usually refer to a set of cognitive abilities that help us find solutions to the challenges we’re facing in life. For example, if you get lost on your way to the airport, that’s a problem. If you have good problem-solving skills, your brain is automatically going to start rattling off a list of suggested fixes. If you don’t, then you may struggle to get out of the situation.
The best problem-solving skills are also closely linked to creativity. That’s because a creative mind can come up with more solutions and more diverse solutions than an uncreative mind. And that’s where kids puzzles come into the picture.
The Role of Kids Puzzles
Basically, kids puzzles are designed specifically to make children use their problem-solving skills. Without these skills, a child is not going to be able to use these activities effectively. For example, if a child is playing with lacing cards and can’t figure out where to insert the lace next to create the desired design he or she isn’t going to be successful.
These kids puzzles can also inspire creativity. For example, building blocks are extremely useful for enforcing and developing problem solving skills. A young builder needs to know how to add new blocks to a construction without making the wobbly thing collapse on the floor. However, the builder also needs a good vision of what he or she wants to create and that requires creativity.
Other Benefits of Problem Solving
Clearly, kids puzzles do have a role in establishing problem-solving abilities even in young children. However, those skills are important for more than just securing a future job. For starters, they can help boost your child’s confidence and independence. As long as your son or daughter feels they must rely on your to solve even small problems, they are going to be depending on you. They will also feel bad about themselves as they see their peers develop these skills and stretch their wings a bit.
Here kids puzzles can be helpful, too. You could give a child the Tim’s Building Machine Book and Game set, for example, and leave them to figure it out alone. When they succeed and your praise them, their confidence will shoot up.
Reaping the Rewards of Problem-Solving
No matter what career path your child plans on taking, problem-solving skills will be critical. Plus, they are going to make getting through life in one piece a lot more likely. And those are all good reasons for arming children with great kids puzzles.