“Mom, the block tower keeps falling. Can I fix it another way?”
That simple question, equal parts curiosity and determination, is a moment of problem-solving.
Leading Montessori schools in Bangalore see these moments unfold every day because their core curriculum is centred around nurturing children with an innovative mindset. When you see your kid building a bridge in the sandpit or negotiating turn-taking during play, they are actually learning how to think, question, and create solutions. This is also the very essence of Design Thinking.
Here’s how you, as a parent, can nurture that same spark at home.
1. Let Them Figure Things Out (Even if It Gets Messy!)
When your child struggles to open a jar or complete a puzzle, resist the urge to step in immediately. Guess what, problem-solving begins when they try, fail, and try again. Offer gentle encouragement, not solutions. The joy of discovery is far greater than the perfection of completion.
2. Ask Open-Ended Questions
Instead of asking, “Did you finish your drawing?”, try “What’s happening in your picture?”
Open-ended questions invite children to think deeper. It’s also a great way to explain their process and explore multiple perspectives, which is the foundation of critical thinking.
3. Turn Everyday Moments into Challenges
Daily routines offer multiple opportunities to think creatively. Ask:
- “How can we carry all these groceries in one trip?”
- “What can we use to stop this door from closing?”
By framing small challenges as mini design problems, you’re helping your child apply logic to real-life scenarios, just like we do during our Design Thinking Showcases at Ekya campuses.
To know more about the Design Thinking Showcase, check out this successful programme conducted by Ekya Schools at their campuses across Bangalore.
4. Encourage Pretend Play
Pretend play, which includes setting up a “restaurant,” building a fort, or creating an imaginary post office, helps children think strategically and solve imaginative problems (“We’re out of food! What can we serve instead?”). It’s also a gentle introduction to planning, teamwork, and empathy.
5. Celebrate Mistakes as Discoveries
At Ekya Early Years, children learn that mistakes are data. During their Design Thinking sessions, students prototype, test, and refine ideas based on a set of design thinking protocols. The same principle applies at home, too: celebrate your child’s “oops” moments and ask what they learned and what they might try next time.
6. Give Them Space to Build and Create
Provide children with open-ended materials (blocks, recycled boxes, cloth, string,etc) and see how objects inspire exploration and hands-on problem-solving. Don’t be surprised if you watch a “broken” tower become a bridge or how a paper roll turns into a telescope.
7. Model Problem-Solving Yourself
Children learn by watching. Narrate your own problem-solving process aloud. “Hm, the tap is leaking. What can we do about it?”
This shows them that even grown-ups face challenges and use creative thinking to find solutions.
8. Foster Collaboration, Not Competition
When children work together, in class or at home, they learn to listen, compromise, and co-create. Ekya Early Years’ Design Thinking showcases beautifully reflects this: students brainstorm, share ideas, test prototypes, and learn that the best solutions often come from teamwork.
9. Use Stories to Inspire Thinking
Stories are more influential than entertainment; they’re powerful thinking tools. After your child finishes reading a story, ask them:
“What could the character have done differently?”
“How would you solve that problem?”
This helps preschoolers see that every situation can have multiple solutions.
10. Praise Their Effort
Instead of saying “You’re so smart,” try “I love how you kept trying even when it was tricky.”
This builds resilience and a growth mindset. These qualities are essential, and every learner at Ekya Early Years, one of the most nurturing preschools in Bangalore, develops through structured exploration and reflection.
Design Thinking in Action at Ekya
Our Design Thinking Showcases, held regularly across campuses, bring these principles to life. Children identify real-world problems, from waste management to playground safety, and design practical, often heartwarming, solutions. Parents are invited to watch, question, and celebrate the young innovators as they present prototypes with confidence.
These experiences mirror the world beyond school, a place where challenges don’t come with instructions, and the courage to think differently makes all the difference.
The Takeaway
Problem-solving is a way of thinking. And when nurtured early, it equips children for life. At Ekya Early Years, children are built as thinkers. They are curious, capable, and confident to face tomorrow’s challenges with open minds and creative hearts.