Brainstorming and Problem Solving in Early Childhood Classrooms

Brainstorming and Problem Solving in Early Childhood Classrooms

Pam Morbitzer and Lisa Lee, Team Teachers

Illinois State University Child Care Center

163 Turner Hall

Normal, IL 61790-5060

Resources used:

Imagination Stretchers by Liz and Dick Wilmes

Designing Creative Materials for Young Children by Judy Herr and Yvonne Libby

Movement Problems

With Props:

· Follow the Scarf: Children mirror the scarf as teacher twirls scarf, moves it up and down, lays it flat, etc.

· How many ways can you carry the bean bag without using your hands.

· Can you move the bean bag across the floor just using your chin, legs, elbow, feet, etc.?

· Sew loops from a ½ inch wide, 65 inch long elastic. Children use their bodies to stretch the elastic loop. Use only your hands or feet; use hands and feet; use neck, head and feet.

With Hoops:

· Musical chair takeoff: Children must work together to fit everyone in the number of hoops on the floor when the music stops. Take away one hoop at a time. No children leave game.

· Put hoops in pattern on floor. Move through the hoops changing number of body parts that touch inside the hoop. Use various locomotor movements to move through pattern: hop, run, skip, walk sideways, forward or backward.

With Balls:

· Line children up facing the same direction. Give one ball to the child at one of the line. How can we get the ball to the other end of the line without moving our feet? Try each solution as children give ideas.

· Have children work with a partner. Move the ball across the room using no hands, only your feet, on all fours, without facing your partner, holding hands, etc.

· Working with partners, children come up with as many ways as possible to pass the ball across the space to their partner.

With Parachutes or Sheets:

· As the parachute goes up, two children exchange places following given directions. Then have children move under parachute using two body parts, crab walk, hop, crawl, run, slide, use one hand one foot, use three body parts, use front of body, use back of body, etc.

Without Props:

· Make two, three, four or more body parts touch the floor.

· How many body parts can bend, twist, shake, roll, etc.?

· Make alphabet letter or numerals with your body.

· Mirror games: children mimic actions of a teacher or child who are leading.

· How many ways can you make sound with your body?

· How many ways can you make wind with your body?

· Move across the room up high, down low, slowly, quickly, sideways, backwards, on tip toes, etc.

Brainstorming Topics

· List all of the ______.

· List as many ______as you can think of.

· What can you do with a ______?

· Name all the things you would take on a picnic.

· How many ways can you make music with your body?

· Name all the things that come in pairs.

· How do you catch a dragon?

· Name all the things that sparkle; are gold; are silver; that shine.

· What would you take on a rocket?

· Name hot things; cold things.

· Name all the things that are the color: red, yellow, blue, etc.

· List all the things that are round like a ball.

· Name all the things people do a night.

· Name the stories that you know.

· Name the things you can see through.

· List things people are afraid of.

· List all the balls you can think of.

· List all the different sports.

· List things that stretch.

· List things that are sticky.

· List all the pizza toppings, List all the places to get pizza.

· List all the hats, List all the jobs that require a hat.

· List things that can be delivered.

· List things that you cut.

· List foods that you eat hot.

· List all the things in your toy chest or treasure chest.

· What can you do with a tire?

· What can you do with an apple?

· Name all the things people take to bed with them.

· List all the things you can drink.

· List all the things that have wheels.

· What kinds of cereal are there?

· What do you do with a balloon?

· What do you find at a birthday party?

· List all the animals you find on a farm, at the zoo, in a jungle.

· List all the animals with fur, feathers, or scales.

· List things that rhyme with ______. (cat, dog, pen, etc.)

Open Ended Discussion Starters

· If you don’t have a map how can you find your ways?

· What would be the best treasure to find?

· Pretend I’m the pizza delivery person, give me directions to your house.

· What ingredients would you need to make ______?

· You lost your ball on the roof, how are you going to get it down?

· You broke your baseball bat, what else can you use?

· You’re in the middle of the lake in a canoe and lost your oars, how will you get to shore?

· If I were the president I would?

· What is a leader?

· You are a witch and you lost your flying broomstick, how will you go out on Halloween night?

· How would you catch a ______?

· You’re trapped in a giant pumpkin how will you get out?

· You grew a giant pumpkin, how will you get it to market?

· What would you do if you were left behind on a deserted island?

· What would you do if your car ran out of gas?

· The drawbridge to the castle is closed, how will you get in?

· If you see a bear in the woods what would you do?

· What would you do with a dragon?

· The perfect picnic spot is on top of a steep hill, how will you get your picnic basket to the top?

· Your flag is stuck at the top of the flag pole, how will you get it down?

· How would you carry your groceries home if there weren’t any bags?

· If you were going to hibernate, what would you take with you?

· Your roof has a leak in it and you don’t have a ladder, what would you do?

· You have no money, what can you give your friend as a birthday present?

· If you could do what you wanted all day, what would you do?

· How would you keep your hands warm if you lost your mittens?

· You want to go sledding, but you don’t have a sled, what else could you use?

· It is cold outside and the heat in the house isn’t working, how are you going to stay warm?

· If you had a dinosaur as a pet where would he live?

· What would you do if you went to your bedroom and you bed disappeared?

· What would you do if you found yourself the size of an ant?

All About Me Questions

Cut and laminate shapes and write in the following questions. Feel free to add more that might be more fitting for the age or interests of your children.