Memory and Problem-Solving
Dear Subscribers;
If you have limited time to read through the entire blog, here are a few play-based activities focusing on activities to enjoy together with your child to further develop their memories and problem-solving skills. Memory games improve working memory or the information that we hold in our brains to access straight away — like phone numbers, addresses, seeing patterns or counting or when creating tangrams. Children with strong working memories access all areas of learning more easily and are better able to focus on activities, retain information, and apply it with accuracy. When children find it easy to learn they feel positive about learning, and about themselves. Children with strong problem-solving skills use their memory, think creatively, manage their emotions, and persist until they find a solution.
1. Read and Sing together 📚
- Marianthe’s Story; Painted Words – Part 1. (14.01 mins.)
- The Memory Tree by Britta Teckentrup. (6:48 mins.)
- Olivia Makes Memories by Loren Forte (9:00 mins.)
- Spirit Bear; Honouring Memories, Planting Dreams is based on a true story by Order of Canada recipient Cindy Blackstock (Gitxsan Nation).
- Dreams bring back the memories – song (3:12 mins.)
- You’ve Got a Friend in Me – song (2:10 mins.)
2. Create together: Puzzles, Crafts, Singing, Drawing and Constructing 🧩
When children create tangram patterns, they learn beginning geometry vocabulary for manipulating shapes such as “flip” or “rotate” as they gain a better understanding of spatial relationships.
- Cut out the following tangram patterns, which can be fitted together using a square, rectangle, or triangle for animals, geometric shapes, letters,numbers and signs, people, usual objects, and boats.
- Play an online tangram matching game or view a video on how to create different tangram animals.
- Enjoy some more fun mathematical activities including: a patterning activity and how to teach children their phone number, how to learn about shapes through art and a lego constructing/ counting activity or an apple pie counting game.
- Engage your child in the following “Spot the Difference” activities as they compare one picture to another to find all the ways they differ: transportation, dinosaur, gnome home, sports car, castle, flower garden, and treehouse.
3. Explore together 🌍
- The following virtual matching memory games will keep children engaged: scary pictures, counting sheep, balls and boxes, fruit, patterns, coins and cups, stuffies, dogs, and bugs!
4. Engage and Interact: 👭
- Engage in pretend play or improvised play activities that are fun and encourage problem-solving, critical thinking and social skills with the following 13 Improvisation Games and Exercises or these 10 Best Improv games for kids.
- Pretend play is a great time to ask your child open-ended questions to make meaning of their experiences and enable them to see various possibilities by problem-solving.
- Read Fortunately/Unfortunately by Remy Charlip and learn more about an art gallery. Learn how to play the Fortunately/Unfortunately game or enjoy some pretend play with related drama activities.
5. Reflect: Remembering, Memories and Problem-solving 💭
Read about how to teach children problem-solving skills or learn more about 15 easy to do memory games for children.
