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Preschool problem solving.

When your child is in preschool, it's not easy to monitor exactly how he's doing. It's not all about ABC's or 1-2-3's, and every kid learns differently. As an involved parent, what can you do to keep your child's brain growing? This set of 15 worksheets has an answer for you: problem solving! Problem solving is a timeless exercise and part of everyday life that can engage young kids. If the reading level of these worksheets is too high for your child, don't fret. This is a great chance to get involved as you guide him through it.

Click on a worksheet in the set below to see more info or download the PDF.

What's That Doggy's Name?

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Problem solving is challenging for young students (and many adults too)! To support my little friends, I teach them problem solving strategies that they can use when they encounter a problem. We want our students to become independent thinkers who can solve problems, control their emotions, express empathy, and help others.

I introduce the problem solving techniques a few at a time during a class meeting. Each week, I introduce three new problem solving techniques.  We then end up with nine to twelve techniques total based on what my students need that year.  I explain the technique to the students in concrete terms so they will understand what the technique is and what it can look/sound like.

We usually start with these four skills:  “please stop”, ask, get help, and say how you feel.  Many problems can be solved with those solutions, which is why I always start with those. Then, the following week, I introduce take turns, play together, trade, and share. Then, the last four solutions the next week.

Problem Solving Techniques

Singing with puppets is a fun and active way to practice the problem-solving techniques .  Preschoolers LOVE puppets!  This technique also allows students to role play.  Some students will be more verbal if they can pretend to be someone else.  At the end of each verse, students act out the problem-solving technique with a buddy using the puppets!As a transition activity to lunch, students took turns sharing a way they have solved a problem. You can also play, “What would you do if….”. State a real problem that could happen and have students pick a problem-solving solution to solve the problem. Some examples would be, “What would you do if your friend took your book?”, “What would you do if you got sticky glue on your hands?”, or “What would you do if you needed the red marker and your friend was coloring with it?” Once they have learned the strategies, stand back and let students try solving their own problems independently. Just a warning: this can take some time with lots of practice and support. As long as the student isn’t frustrated, let them try before you jump in to help. You will be amazed at the problems your child can solve given the opportunity to.

At first, you will be giving students lots of support and giving them the words to use to solve a problem.

• Always approach students at their level, in a calm supporting way.
• Ask, “what’s the problem?” If they don’t respond, comment on what you see such as “I see you have glue all over your hands and it looks sticky.”
• Restate the problem. “So the problem is ….”
• Brainstorm solutions and choose one together. This is the perfect time to use problem solving card visuals! “How can we solve this problem?” Flip through the solution cards and ask “Could we ….?”
• Praise and observe! Cheer on the students for solving the problem and stay close just in case they need more support.

Throughout the day, try to make EVERYTHING a problem to solve.  Then model, talk through your thinking out loud, and use visuals to support students as they try to solve a problem. For example, I may put out a big ball of playdough in the center of the table as a small group activity. Students have to problem solve so each student has play dough to play with. It only takes few extra minutes to sneak in problem-solving situations throughout the day. Each time students help solve a problem or observe a friend solve a problem, they learn to self-regulate, express emotions appropriately, develop empathy, and develop problem-solving skills.

State problems for students who look stuck. If a student is just standing there, they need support, but don’t solve the problem for them! It’s so easy to do. Simply state their problem or what you see and ask a probing question. For example, if a student is standing with an empty bowl in their hand, you could say “Your snack spilled on the floor. How can you solve the problem?”

Problem-Solving Necklace or Mini Book!

I hole punched the small cards, put them on a book ring and keep them on a lanyard I wear every day.  This way I can support students’ solving problems without having to go to the safe place where they are posted.  I can just show the picture cards as a visual on my necklace.  The mini book in the safe place works the same way.

Safe Place!

I keep my techniques posted in my circle area at the beginning of the year AND in my safe place. My safe place is a small spot in my classroom where students can go when they are upset, need to calm down, want to be alone, or have a problem.

Once I see students using the problem-solving techniques independently, I remove them from my circle area.  They are posted in my safe place ALL YEAR LONG for students to use when they are struggling to solve a problem.  In my safe place, you will find a mirror, feeling chart, bean bag, sensory bottles, calm down choices, a stuffed animal, problem solving mini book and problem-solving techniques chart. You can read all about how to set up a safe place in your classroom HERE . Children’s Books!

These are some of my FAVORITE children’s books to teach all about problem-solving.  As we read the book, we talk about how the character is or isn’t solving the problem, how it makes the character and others feel, any natural consequences that could occur, and which one of our problem-solving strategies the character could use to solve the problem.

Do you want to use them in your classroom?  You can!  I did the work for you.  Grab them from my TPT store HERE .

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hey, i’m jackie!

I’m Jackie, your go-to girl for early childhood inspiration and research-based curriculum. 

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Dramatic Play

22 Problem Solving Activities for Preschool

Problem-solving activities can help children build resilience, think critically, and develop confidence in their ability to tackle challenges.

But it can be challenging to find engaging and age-appropriate activities that promote problem-solving skills in preschoolers.

We will share Problem Solving Activities for Preschool at home or in the classroom.

From simple puzzles to complex challenges, these activities will help your child develop problem-solving skills that will serve them well throughout their lives.

Shape Sorters :

Shape sorters are one of the best problem-solving activities for preschoolers. They are simple yet effective tools that help children develop their critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Shape sorters come in different shapes and sizes, and they are designed to help children sort and match different shapes and colors.

Playing with shape sorters helps children develop their hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, and cognitive abilities. As they fit the different shapes into the corresponding holes, they learn about shape recognition, spatial awareness, and cause-and-effect relationships.

Related: Free Printable Math Worksheets for Preschoolers

Building Towers with Blocks:

Building towers with blocks is a classic activity that encourages children to problem-solve as they work to create a stable structure. Children must figure out how to balance and stack the blocks to create a tower that won’t topple over. This activity helps children develop their spatial reasoning, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills as they adjust their approach to create a more stable structure.

Related: 20 Best Pre-Writing Activities for Preschoolers

Treasure Hunts:

Treasure hunts are an exciting way to encourage children to solve problems and work collaboratively. Parents or caregivers can create a series of clues and riddles that lead children to a hidden “treasure.” Children must use their problem-solving skills to decipher the clues and find the treasure. This activity promotes critical thinking, spatial awareness, and teamwork.

Memory Games:

Memory games are a great way to challenge children’s cognitive abilities and improve their problem-solving skills. These games involve laying out a set of cards face down and having children flip over two cards at a time to try and match pairs. This activity helps children develop their memory, focus, and attention to detail.

Related: 20 Winter Math Activities for Preschoolers

Puzzles are a fantastic way to promote problem-solving skills in young children. These activities require children to use their critical thinking and spatial reasoning skills to fit puzzle pieces together. Puzzles can range in difficulty from simple shapes to more complex scenes, and they can be adjusted to fit the child’s developmental level.

Obstacle Courses:

Obstacle courses are a fun and engaging way to encourage children to solve problems and work on their motor skills. Parents or caregivers can create a series of obstacles that children must navigate to reach a specific goal. This activity promotes critical thinking, spatial awareness, and coordination. Obstacle courses can be adjusted to fit the child’s age and developmental level, making them a versatile and effective tool for promoting problem-solving skills in young children.

Storytelling:

Storytelling is an excellent way to promote problem-solving skills in preschoolers. By listening to stories, children are exposed to different scenarios and situations that require problem-solving skills. Parents or caregivers can encourage children to think about how the story’s characters solve their problems and ask them to come up with solutions to hypothetical problems.

Cooking is a fun and interactive way to promote problem-solving skills in preschoolers. Children must follow recipes, measure ingredients, and work collaboratively with others to create a finished dish. This activity helps children develop their critical thinking, math skills, and ability to follow instructions.

Role-playing is an excellent way to encourage problem-solving skills in young children. Children can pretend to be doctors, firefighters, or police officers and work together to solve problems and complete tasks. This activity promotes critical thinking, teamwork, and imagination.

Guessing Games:

Guessing games, such as “I Spy” or “20 Questions,” is an excellent way to encourage problem-solving skills in young children. These games require children to use their critical thinking and deductive reasoning skills to guess the answer correctly. This activity promotes memory, concentration, and attention to detail.

Science Experiments:

Science experiments are an engaging way to encourage problem-solving skills in young children. These activities require children to observe, hypothesize, and test their theories. Parents or caregivers can conduct simple science experiments, such as mixing baking soda and vinegar, to teach children about cause and effect. This activity promotes critical thinking, experimentation, and curiosity.

Sensory Play:

Sensory play is an excellent way to promote problem-solving skills in young children. By playing with different textures and materials, children can explore cause-and-effect relationships and develop their critical thinking skills. Parents or caregivers can set up sensory bins with materials such as rice, sand, or water to encourage children to explore and problem-solve.

Board Games:

Board games are a great way to promote problem-solving skills in preschoolers. These games require children to use their critical thinking and strategic planning skills to win the game. Games like Chutes and Ladders, Candy Land, and Connect Four are excellent choices for young children.

Scavenger Hunts:

Scavenger hunts are a fun and interactive way to encourage problem-solving skills in young children. Parents or caregivers can create a list of items for children to find and encourage them to work collaboratively to solve clues and find the items. This activity promotes critical thinking, teamwork, and spatial awareness.

Creative Building:

Creative building activities, such as using play dough, clay, or craft materials, are an excellent way to promote problem-solving skills in young children. Children can use their imagination and creativity to problem-solve and create their structures and designs. This activity promotes critical thinking, spatial awareness, and creativity.

Sensory Bins:

Sensory bins are a fun and interactive way to promote problem-solving skills in preschoolers. Parents or caregivers can set up a bin filled with different materials, such as sand, rice, or beans, and hide different objects or toys within them. Children have to use their problem-solving skills to find and identify the objects hidden within the bin. Sensory bins also promote fine motor skills, sensory exploration, and creativity.

Art Projects:

Art projects are a great way to promote problem-solving skills in young children. By encouraging children to create their art projects, parents or caregivers can help them develop their problem-solving skills by encouraging them to think creatively and find solutions to design challenges. This activity promotes critical thinking, creativity, and fine motor skills.

Cooking and Baking:

Cooking and baking are great activities to promote problem-solving skills in preschoolers. Children can measure ingredients, follow directions, and problem-solve how to mix ingredients together properly. This activity promotes critical thinking, math skills, and following directions.

Outdoor Exploration:

Outdoor exploration is an excellent way to promote problem-solving skills in young children. Parents or caregivers can take children on nature walks or hikes and encourage them to explore and problem-solve by finding different types of plants, animals, and natural landmarks. This activity promotes critical thinking, creativity, and nature appreciation.

Science Kits:

Science kits are a fun and interactive way to promote problem-solving skills in preschoolers. There are many science kits available that are age-appropriate and designed specifically for preschoolers. These kits provide children with hands-on opportunities to experiment and explore scientific concepts, which promotes curiosity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. Some science kits may include materials for making slime, growing crystals, or exploring the properties of magnets.

Dramatic Play:

Dramatic play activities provide opportunities for preschoolers to use their imaginations and problem-solving skills.

Related: Examples of Dramatic Play for Preschoolers

Parents or caregivers can set up a pretend play area with costumes, props, and toys that encourage children to use their problem-solving skills to navigate different scenarios and situations.

For example, children can play doctor and use problem-solving skills to diagnose and treat a patient, or they can play chef and use problem-solving skills to plan and prepare a meal. Dramatic play promotes creativity, social-emotional development, and problem-solving skills.

Recommended:

• 25 Pattern Block Activities for Preschool
• 25 Excellent Outdoor Games for 4 – 5 Year Olds
• 23 Matching Activities for Preschoolers

Sohaib Hasan Shah

Sohaib's journey includes 10+ years of teaching and counseling experience at BCSS School in elementary and middle schools, coupled with a BBA (Hons) with a minor in Educational Psychology from Curtin University (Australia) . In his free time, he cherishes quality moments with his family, reveling in the joys and challenges of parenthood. His three daughters have not only enriched his personal life but also deepened his understanding of the importance of effective education and communication, spurring him to make a meaningful impact in the world of education.

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Fun activities for developing critical thinking skills in preschoolers

Inside: Critical thinking preschool worksheets to download for free!

Problem-solving and critical thinking are important skills children in preschool need to develop in order to succeed in school.

Include these critical thinking preschool worksheets in your curriculum to give them enough opportunities for practice.

You might also like my brand new Things that don’t belong worksheets !

Critical thinking preschool worksheets

Whether you are taking a walk outside or reading a book together with your child, there are always opportunities to practice critical thinking.

For instance, encourage your child to look for repeating patterns, for similarities and differences between objects and so on. The more they understand the world around them the better they will be able to generalize and utilize the knowledge in more complex situations.

To provide you with some pen and paper exercises, I’ve created these critical thinking preschool worksheets.

Feel free to use them in the classroom or at home.

And make sure to expand on your child’s answers. Ask her more about each group of pictures, why they belong/don’t belong together, and so forth.

To download, just click on the download link at the very end.

Similar: Things that go together worksheets

Feel free to use these worksheets in the classroom or at home. But please remember that any other re-distribution or altering are not allowed. Thank you. 

Critical thinking skills

7 thoughts on “Fun activities for developing critical thinking skills in preschoolers”

Hey Kristina, thanks. My 5 years old found it really interesting. Do you have more?

Not the same kind of activities. But it’s a good idea to create more like these, I will add them to my to-do list!

Hey Kristina, Thank you so much for the resources. I have a 1st grader with special needs and am always at a loss for what to do to supplimet our schools amazing special ed departments at home. Your worksheets are life savers!

I am happy to help!

Kristina, thanks for saving our kids from non-stop TV and boredom thanks to your great print-outs these days!!!

Lol, you’re welcome! I know it’s hard to constantly entertain them at home. My two boys are the same. All the best to you!

Very interesting Kristina..Thank you for this Materials I used them with my 4 year old daughter!!!!☺💖

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