Play this interesting game — Troubleshooting — to improve children’s creative thinking and problem-solving skills, writes Cynthia John

Thirteen-year-old Jeet Sanyal accidently broke his mother’s favourite bowl made of dark blue glass dotted with white flowers. Before his mother could learn of the accident, he put on a pair of gloves, cleaned up the floor and used the broken pieces to create a pretty mosaic picture by sticking the glass pieces on a sheet of silver paper. His mother was impressed by the artwork and quickly forgave Jeet for breaking the bowl.

Imagination and creativity come naturally to children. Parents need to nurture this natural talent of children by encouraging them to engage in creative activities and pursuits. Play Troubleshooting — an interesting game — to improve children’s creative thinking and problem-solving skills.

Troubleshooting game
Sit the family in a circle. Flash a thumbs-up at one of the players and say “Challenge.” That person moves to the centre of the circle and is presented with a problem to solve. After she successfully solves the problem, she passes the Challenge to another person in the circle who must provide an alternative solution to the problem. After two players have provided solutions to the first problem, propose another problem. If an individual is unable to present a solution, she should pass on the challenge to another player. This is a great game to encourage children to think creatively and present different perspectives and solutions to one problem.

Here are some problems you can pose in the game:

1. You are left home alone with your younger brother. He wants to play but there are no toys around. But you have old newspapers, scissors, glue, cellotape and a stapler. Find a way to entertain your brother. (You can provide these items and ask her to demonstrate the solution. Some suggestions: make paper rockets, boats, balls or a dress by cutting a hole for the head and stapling the sides. Or cut a big ad in the newspaper into pieces to make a jigsaw puzzle)

2. You want to buy an ice-cream. But the doors of the shop are closed and there’s a huge wall around it. Some of your friends are already inside the store. What will you do to access the ice-cream shop?

Some possible answers:
• Ask a friend inside to open the doors.
• Climb over the wall.
• Throw a rope over the wall and ask a friend insideto fasten it to a tree. Climb over the wall using the rope.
• Use a ladder to get over the wall.
• Ask your friends to pass some ice-cream through the doors.
• Break a hole in the wall.
• Dig a passage under the wall.
• Ask the gatekeeper to open doors.

3. You want to prepare a project for your school science exhibition on the theme ‘Nature.’ You have glue, cardboard, paper and scissors. What can you make? (You can make a forest scene with cardboard cutouts or make cardboard animals)