Health and Wellness

Use fun games to teach thinking skills to your elementary schooler

In today's world, kids need to know how to be problem solvers. They must learn how to analyze and see things from another point of view. Here are some games to play at home to help:

• Find something for your child to sort--buttons, pencils, coins or anything else in your house. Help him sort the items by size. Then mix everything up and have him sort them by color. This teaches your child to understand that just because something is part of one group, it doesn't always have to be part of that group.
• Think about opposites. Suppose you have been talking about fairness. Have a conversation with your child: What does fairness look like? What things show fairness in action? Then think about the opposite--what would unfairness look like?
• Talk about point of view. What does your child think your house would look like from the cat's point of view? What does the school bus driver think about the students who ride on her bus every day? This activity will also help your child develop empathy by seeing things from their point of view.

Reprinted with permission from the April 2010 issue of Parents make the difference!® (Elementary School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2010 The Parent Institute®, a division of NIS, Inc. Source: "Top 10 Ways to Start Teaching Thinking Skills Today," 21st Century Thinking at Every Desk blog, www.21stcenturythinker.com/2009/04/top-10-ways-to-start-teaching-thinking.html.