An Everyday Therapy Activity for Your Child's Problem Solving

Some of the best problem-solving lessons hide inside a cardboard box and a few hidden toys — no screen, no special kit, just you and your child working it out together.

In short

Try the "How do we get it?" game: place a favourite toy somewhere just out of easy reach — inside a clear container with a tricky lid, under an upturned basket, or on a high-but-visible shelf. Then wait, watch, and let your child figure out a plan. Resist solving it for them — instead ask gentle questions like "Hmm, how can we reach it?" This builds the core of problem solving: noticing a goal, thinking of options, trying one, and adjusting.

How to play it (5–10 minutes)

1. Set the puzzle. Use something your child wants — a snack in a screw-top jar, a ball under a box, a toy behind a cushion. 2. Pause before helping. Give a slow count of ten in your head. That silence is where thinking happens. 3. Offer clues, not answers. "What could we use?" or "What happened when you pushed it?" keeps them in charge. 4. Name the strategy. When they succeed, say what they did: "You tipped it — clever!" This turns a lucky move into a remembered tool. 5. Make it a little harder next time. A tighter lid, an extra step. Small steps up keep it fun, not frustrating.

The science

For children aged 3–7, problem solving sits in the cognitive domain and grows through guided trial and error. When you let your child attempt, fail safely, and try again, you strengthen planning and flexible thinking — the same skills measured in structured tools like the WPPSI-IV. Warm, unhurried adult support (sometimes called "scaffolding") helps far more than doing it for them. Everyday play, repeated little and often, is genuinely therapeutic.

The Pinnacle way

A clinical AbilityScore® and any diagnosis are formed only at a Pinnacle Blooms Network centre, under qualified clinician care — never from a home activity alone. Explore more ideas for problem solving and how special education builds these skills step by step.

Trusted sources

Aligned with CDC developmental guidance and American Academy of Pediatrics resources on play-based learning, alongside WHO nurturing-care principles for early childhood.

Next step — try the "How do we get it?" game once today, and message the Pinnacle team on WhatsApp (+91 91001 81181) to learn more about supporting your child's thinking skills.

This is general information, not a diagnosis — a clinical AbilityScore® and any diagnosis are formed only at a Pinnacle Blooms Network centre under qualified clinician care.