Kris Bordessa has written for more than 50 family and educational publications, including American Girl, Nick Jr. Family Magazine, Home Education Magazine, and Parenting. She lives in Placerville, California.
This helpful resource is designed to offer teachers, facilitators, and parents a wide variety of activities designed to cultivate children's problem-solving skills while fostering cooperation between group members. These hands-on projects teach children to experiment with building methods, discover new uses for everyday items, try on new personas, and express themselves as they work toward a solution as a team. Team members are required to think outside the box, communicate clearly, and cooperate with each other in order to complete each task. Activities include planning a five-day trek through the mountains; building a bridge out of marshmallows, straws, and paper; and moving a group of ping-pong balls from one location to another without touching the balls directly. Children will learn not only from each other, but also from observing how other teams navigate the tasks.