problem solving skills 2 year old

Discovery Play with Littles

2:01 pm ·

15 Powerful Problem Solving Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers

I looked over to her table and she’s crying. Again. While everyone else is happily working away, she sat there, unable to move, just crying. 

Not asking for help.

Not trying to solve her problem.

Just crying.

I took a deep breath before heading over. We’ve already been at this for several months…isn’t it about time the problem-solving has kicked in yet?

One glance and I could tell what her problem was. She didn’t have her pencil.

Know how I knew?

It laid on the floor beside her. In plain sight.

As a kindergarten teacher, I don’t jump right in and solve problems for kids. It’s good for them to try to solve the problem themselves. This is something she struggled with. 

I reminded myself of the need for patience and empathy as I walked up to her. “What’s wrong, Amanda?” 

“I…can’t…find…my…pencil….” she sputtered out between sobs. 

“Ok, that’s a problem we can solve. What have you tried?” 

“I don’t know.” 

After a long time trying to first, calm her down, and second, come up with some strategies she could try, she finally found her pencil. At that point, everyone else had finished the project. 

What is Problem Solving?

Problem-solving is the process of finding a solution to your problem . This can be quite tricky for some young children, especially those with little experience in finding more than one way to solve a problem.

Why is Problem Solving Important? 

Problem-solving skills are used throughout childhood into adulthood. As adults, we solve problems on a daily basis. Some problems we solve without thinking much- I wanted to make tacos for dinner but forgot to buy the ground beef. What are we going to have for dinner now?

Other problems are significantly more complicated. 

Problems for kiddos can be problems with friendships, the inability to find something that’s needed, or even what to do when things don’t go your way. 

Kids who lack problem-solving skills struggle to maintain friendships or even begin to attempt to solve their own problems. 

Children who lack problem-solving skills are at a higher risk for depression as well.

What Are Problem-Solving Skills?

Problem-solving skills are:

• Breaking Down a Problem into Smaller Parts
• Communication
• Decision-making
• Logical Reasoning
• Perseverance

That’s a big list to teach toddlers and preschoolers. Where do you begin?

The Problem-Solving Steps

Sometimes kids are so overwhelmed with frustration that it affects their ability to solve problems.

Kids feel safe in routines, and routines help them learn and grow. After a few times of repeating this routine, you’ll find your kiddo starts to do this on their own. 

It’s important not to skip straight to solving the problem , because your kiddo needs to be in a calm state of mind to solve the problem, and also they need to know their feelings are valid. 

• The first thing to do when your kiddo is struggling with problem-solving is to validate their emotions.

In doing this, they will feel more understood and learn that their emotions are okay. There are no bad feelings, and we must learn how to manage our emotions. 

This might sound something like “Oh, I can see you are really frustrated that the block won’t fit on there right. Let’s take some deep breaths to help us calm down before we think about what to do next.”

• Next, work through your calm-down process . This may be taking some deep breaths together, hugging a stuffie, or giving your kiddo some quiet time to calm down their heart and mind.
• Identify the problem . This sounds like something you may have already done (before the meltdown) but it’s important to be very clear on the problem you’re solving. Have the child tell you their problem out loud.
• Move on to solution-finding . When your kiddo is ready, talk about what the problem is and three possible solutions. When possible, let your kiddo do all of the talking. This allows him to practice his problem-solving skills. It’s important to remind him that the first thing he tries may not work, and that’s ok. There’s always another way to solve the problem. If he’s prepared for this, solutions that don’t work won’t be such a frustrating experience. 
• After you’ve done that, test your solutions one by one. See what works. If you haven’t found a solution yet, go back and think of different ways you might be able to solve your problem and try again.

Are you tired of hearing “It’s TOO HARD!” followed by a meltdown?

Using this one simple phrase you’ll get in this powerful lesson, you’ll not only be able to help your kiddo not give up but you’ll:

>Activate their superpower of perseverance so that they can turn around a meltdown and keep trying

>Inspire them to use perseverance …even when it’s hard

>Teach them to recognize the warning signs of giving up , and how to turn it around by taking control of their choices.

Grab your powerful FREE video lesson to teach your kiddo one of the most powerful keys to perseverance.

Powerful Activities that Teach Problem-Solving Skills to Toddlers & Preschoolers

These activities below may look simple, but don’t let that deter you from trying them. A lot happens in little developing brains and these powerful activities help toddlers and preschoolers make connections and develop {many} essential skills-more than just problem-solving.

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Puzzles are fun and a great way to encourage cognitive development in children. They are great for spacial reasoning and strengthening problem-solving skills. They also develop memory skills, critical thinking, and the ability to plan and execute the plan. Toddlers will enjoy the simple puzzles, and preschoolers will do great with floor puzzles with larger puzzle pieces.

Doing Simple Chores

Doing simple chores is a great way to teach children problem-solving skills, and it strengthens responsibility and perseverance as well. 

During the toddler years , you may start with just picking up their toys, or helping you put their dirty clothes in the hamper. 

Preschoolers can take their dirty dishes to the sink (or load them in the dishwasher), collect the trash, dust, wipe baseboards, and do their own personal care items like making their bed, taking care of their dirty clothes, and putting clean clothes away.

Stacking Rings

When watching a toddler play with stacking rings it doesn’t look like much is happening, but playing with these toys is full of ways to encourage development. It helps with visual and spacial perception and planning ahead, but it also with balance control, crossing the midline, creative play, and gross motor skills. Not to mention it’s a great opportunity to practice problem-solving. 

Playing Hide-and-Seek

Hide and seek has many surprising benefits for kids. Playing hide and seek is like a treasure hunt that helps develop gross motor skills and encourages physical development, as well as problem-solving skills. It also helps young children develop visual tracking, working memory, and social-emotional skills.

Imaginative Play

Imaginative play (also called role-play) builds important skills. Through pretending to be in different situations, kids develop social skills, emotional skills, better communication, and problem-solving skills. Imaginative play is a great idea for young toddlers all the way to older children.

Free Play 

Many young children don’t have {enough} time for free play. Free play is important for healthy brain development , not only developing imagination, cooperation, physical skills, and independence but also providing a great opportunity to strengthen problem-solving skills. 

Playing with Wooden Blocks

Building blocks are a fun way for children to develop creative thinking, imagination, problem-solving, fine motor skills, and if working with others, cooperation, communication, and friendship.

Playing Memory

Memory games improve attention, focus, visual recognition, and concentration. It helps children recognize details and of course, strengthens problem-solving skills. 

Ask Questions

When I see my son struggling with something, my first instinct is to give him choices or at least lead him in the right direction. The better thing to do is to ask very open-ended questions that lead his process, not his thoughts.

Questions like “What’s one way to solve your problem?” are much more effective in teaching problem-solving skills than “Well, where did you last see your stuffy?” 

Read Books and Social Stories

Reading books is one of my favorite ways to teach any skill. It’s extremely effective at teaching, and it’s also an amazing bonding time with kids.

When we read stories, our brain reacts as if we’re living in the story. This is why reading books about skills such as problem-solving is so effective. 

Kids of all ages learn from the people they love . (Yes, even those older kids who you don’t think are paying attention.) Often as adults, we’re too busy going through our daily routine to think about talking about the way we solved the problem at work that day.

Talking about how you use skills such as problem-solving, perseverance, and integrity is a great way to set an example, and an expectation that this is how we do things, and it will provide encouragement for your kiddo to do the same.

Scavenger Hunts

Scavenger hunts are a great group activity that can strengthen your child’s logical thinking and problem-solving skills.

When Your Kiddo is Ready, Add These Activities

Preschoolers would benefit from all of the fun activities on the list above and when they’re ready, feel free to add in the following activities.   

Mazes are great for problem-solving and perseverance, but your kiddo will need to have decent fine motor skills to do these activities. Mazes are one of our favorite activities. We love to take our activity book of mazes in the car with us for road trips. 

Board Games  

Board games are a good way to strengthen problem-solving, teamwork, planning skills, patience, sportsmanship, and communication skills. They also strengthen family relationships by providing some intentional time of connection .

Any board game can also be turned into an academic game with just a deck of cards for whatever skill you’re working on. If you’re working on the alphabet, put one letter on each card. Before each player’s turn, they draw a letter card and say the letter’s name. (You may accidentally forget the name of a letter every now and then to see if your kiddo is really paying attention!) 

Allow Opportunities for Hands-On Investigations

Kids are tactile. They love to touch and explore things with their hands. This is a good activity for toddlers also, as long as they are out of the putting everything in their mouth stage. Hands-on exploration is great for language development, sensory exploration, and problem-solving.

Allowing kids to investigate with their hands allows them to see how the world works up close. It also gives them time and space to try to make things work…and problem-solve when it doesn’t go as they think it should.

The Most Difficult Way (and Most Important Way) To Strengthen Problem-Solving Skills

Watching our kids struggle is hard ! We don’t want to see them having a hard time…and most of the time we don’t want to deal with the impending meltdown. Standing back and giving our kids time and space to work through even simple problems is hard to do. It’s also the most important way to strengthen problem-solving skills. 

As parents, we’re like frogs in boiling water. When our kids are infants, they need us to recognize their needs and solve them immediately. As they get older, they can point to what they want, but we still have a lot of interpreting and problem-solving to do on our own. If we aren’t careful, we stay in this stage and don’t teach our kiddos the steps to problem-solving for themselves. 

The next most difficult thing? Allowing natural consequences to happen. (As long as your child is safe of course.) If your child saves their money for a long time to buy a new toy, but walks down the toy aisle and picks up something you know they’ll be disappointed with, let it happen. It will teach a valuable lesson that will last for years to come.

Another Essential Part of Problem-Solving

Perseverance is a big part of problem-solving. We are rarely able to solve problems the first time, and it’s essential that kids can find more than one solution to a problem. Studies have found that perseverance is actually the biggest predictor of success, even more than aptitude or raw talent. 

An entire module is dedicated to perseverance in our course for kids, Super Kid Adventures . Your kiddo will get 25 teacher-led lessons on character traits (perseverance, empathy, friendship, responsibility, and wellness) and activities that take their learning further. 

Want a free preview? Grab a FREE Perseverance video lesson that teaches your kiddo one of the most important secrets that help them use perseverance.

Want More? 

If you like this, you’ll love: 

The Ultimate List of Books that Teach Perseverance

7 Simple Ways to Encourage Independence in Young Children

How to Help Your Child Develop Self-Help Skills

Your Turn 

What are your favorite ways to teach problem-solving skills?

About Elizabeth

Elizabeth is a mama of two boys, a former teacher, and the founder of Discovery Play with Littles. Her mission is to make raising kids with character simple and fun. Join us for our best learning through play ideas, character growth activities, and family connection ideas so you can watch your child thrive.

Reader Interactions

As a SLP trying to guide parents as I work with their child. I would like to know what toys to recommend to my parents as I assist in guiding their child’s development in cognition and expressive language.

Perseverance is the biggest predictor of success, even more than raw talent or aptitude.

Grab a FREE lesson to teach your kiddo one of the keys to perseverance...which is how we talk to our brains.

They'll learn what to say when they encounter something difficult, and why it's so important.

PLAY is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood. -Mr. Rogers

WELL BEINGS WITH ALYSIA

15 Brain Development Activities 2-Year-Olds Will Love

Parents and educators can provide 2-year-olds with fun activities that help them reach cognitive milestones. These activities are fantastic for 1-year-olds, 2-year-olds, and even 3-year-olds. I’m sharing fifteen favorite brain development activities you can do with your toddler at home or in the classroom.

A 2-year-old is developing the following cognitive skills, according to the  HSELOF :

• Exploration and discovery
• Reasoning and problem-solving
• Emergent mathematical thinking
• Imitation and symbolic representation

Brain Activities for 2-Year-Olds

Puzzles help 2-year-olds develop problem-solving, reasoning, exploration, and spatial awareness skills.

Jigsaw puzzles are too advanced for most toddlers. Instead, look for chunky puzzles, puzzles with easy-to-hold knobs, and frame puzzles. Toddlers can advance to big floor puzzles or inset puzzles (similar to jigsaw puzzles, but the pieces don’t interlock).

Obstacle Courses

Design an at-home obstacle course to challenge and entertain your two-year-old. Remember, the brain connects to the rest of the body through the nervous system. So encourage your 2-year-old to test their agility, balance, and coordination!

Here are some toddler-approved obstacle course ideas:

• A line of pillows or cushions
• Table or chair to crawl under
• Low stepstool to jump off
• Pop-up tunnel to crawl through
• Small slide
• Yarn “laser maze”
• Hula hoop hop
• Low balance beam
• Tape line “balance beams”
• Balance stepping stones

Shape Sorters

Shape sorters are the perfect activity for toddlers learning about different shapes. Shape-sorting activities help toddler brain development by improving emergent math, problem-solving, and exploration skills.

Show your 2-year-old how the toy works (if needed), then let them try to match the shapes themselves. Shape sorters are hard work, so praise your toddler’s effort. Even without successfully sorting, toddlers can build problem-solving skills and learn shape names.

Magnet Toys

Magnet toys are an incredible way to introduce science and engineering to 2-year-olds. Toddlers develop exploration and discovery skills while experimenting with how magnets attract and repel. Magnet toys promote skills in emergent math, reasoning, problem-solving, and symbolic representation.

Using magnet blocks to sort, stack, and build structures. Here are some of my favorite magnet play materials:

• Magnetic wooden blocks
• Ball & rod magnet toys
• Magnet boards
• Refrigerator magnets

Always inspect magnet toys and supervise your 2-year-old around magnets.

Block play provides toddlers with hands-on experience in problem-solving, spatial awareness, and symbolic representation. If possible, toddlers should have opportunities to play with regular blocks (wooden unit blocks) and interlocking blocks (Duplos, Mega-Bloks, etc.).

Blocks are also an opportunity for toddlers to explore stacking, dumping, falling, lining up, and more. Some 2-year-olds may be ready to construct buildings or use blocks in imaginary play.

Musical Instruments

Parents and caregivers can foster their creativity and promote their cognitive development by introducing 2-year-olds to musical play.

Exploring musical instruments to build toddler imitation and discovery skills. Playing musical instruments is a lifelong practice; toddlers can develop musical memory and problem-solving skills early.

If you don’t have access to toy musical instruments, you can create your rattles from bottles, drums from buckets, or a whole band from kitchen pots and utensils. 

Search & Find

When toddlers search for objects, they use problem-solving, spatial awareness, reasoning, and memory skills. Search-and-find activities also encourage 2-year-olds to explore and learn about their environment.

Try some of these fun and easy search-and-find activities:

• Find the toy
• Hide and seek
• Scavenger hunts
• Find the picture in books

I have already reviewed the  benefits of playing with play dough . But play dough activities are fantastic for supporting 2-year-olds’ brain development. 

Younger toddlers will develop cognitive skills in exploration, discovery, and imitation. Older toddlers can use play dough for creative play, which develops problem-solving and symbolic representation skills.

Check out some of our  favorite play dough ideas for toddlers .

Matching Games

Toddlers improve emergent mathematical thinking skills by matching objects and understanding similarities and differences. While playing, your 2-year-olds will also develop memory and attention skills while focusing on the details. Matching skills are closely related to sorting and classifying play .

Matching activities for 2-year-olds can be super easy. While playing together, point out when toys match in shape, color, texture, or pattern. Talk about matching during meals, while getting dressed, or at storytime.

You can purchase toddler sorting toys or collect household items to match and sort. Get more ideas on the loose parts material list .

Color Mixing

Toddlers are still learning colors, so color-mixing activities are perfect for hands-on learning. During color mixing activities, 2-year-olds build the cognitive skills of exploration, discovery, matching, and reasoning.

Try these fun color-mixing activities:

• Melting different colored ice cubes
• Mixing fingerpaint colors (on paper or in a ziploc bag)
• Combining play dough colors
• Securing colored cellophane paper over a flashlight
• Mixing dyed water (using food dye or liquid watercolor) in a water table

Nature Walk

Along with many other benefits, time outside helps children develop spatial awareness, memory, discovery, and exploration skills. 

While on a nature walk, you and your 2-year-old can complete a  nature scavenger hunt , collect loose parts, or talk about what you see, smell, hear, and feel.

Contact Paper Collage

All open-ended art activities are great for toddler brain development. A sticky contact paper collage adds a sensory-rich experience.

Tape a sheet of contact paper to the table, sticky side up. Then offer your 2-year-old pieces of ribbon, yarn, and scrap paper to stick and peel. Then you can seal the collage by placing another sheet of contact paper on top.

This activity helps toddlers develop problem-solving and spatial awareness skills while exploring new materials.

Stacking & Nesting Cups

A set of stacking/nesting cups is a pretty simple toy, but it creates many opportunities for brain-boosting play. These toys target cognitive skills such as exploration and discovery, problem-solving, and emergent mathematical thinking.

While playing with stacking/nesting cups, 2-year-olds explore graduating sizes and different ways to stack or combine cups. Use the cups for a pretend meal to build imitation and symbolic representation skills!

Tip : Measuring cups are low-cost substitutes for stacking/nesting cups!

Reading to your 2-year-old daily will support their brain development. Storytime together promotes your toddler’s literacy, memory, and symbolic representation skills.

Sound books and sensory books are perfect for targeting your curious 2-year-old’s exploration and discovery skills too!

Sink & Float

Your toddler can do a sink and float activity during bathtime, in a  kiddie pool , or in a water table (or water-filled plastic tote!).

Start by collecting about a dozen objects, some that sink and some that float. Encourage your 2-year-old to drop these items into the water one at a time. Discuss how each item sinks to the bottom or floats on the water’s surface. 

This activity targets the brain development skills of reasoning, problem-solving, exploration, and discovery. Your toddler gets to actively explore the properties of each object alongside splashing in the water.

Popular Questions about Toddler Brain Development

All  interactive activities  will boost your toddler’s brain development. Find an activity your child is interested in, and that also makes them think and problem-solve.

Play-based and age-appropriate activities in nurturing environments will help your child’s brain get strong. Children must also have their physical needs met, including plenty of sleep, hydration, and regular, nutritious meals.

You can stimulate your 2-year-old’s brain by stimulating their senses.  Sensory ,  language ,  nature ,  play dough , and  vestibular and proprioceptive  activities will all support your child’s brain development.

Explore the post above for activities designed to stimulate your 2-year-old’s brain and support cognitive skills.

Parents and educators should teach 2-year-olds about their world through play. Teach your 2-year-old how to ask for help, explore the environment safely, and express themselves creatively.

Discover more  play and learning activities for toddlers .

Around age two, children discover the toys and activities that interest them the most. Some typical activities a 2-year-old would do is look at books, stack blocks, scribble with crayons, sing nursery rhymes, fill and dump objects, climb and jump, and play with toy cars or toy figures.

You can learn more about this  stage of play development here .

When 2-year-olds are playing and engaged, they are learning!

Limit  screen time  for your 2-year-old and focus on interactive activities such as,  sensory play ,  backyard activities , and  household loose parts .

More play ideas

The Magic of Container Play: Boost Baby & Toddler Learning

Literacy Ideas for Babies: Easy Activities from My Infant Classroom 

The Best Block Play Activities & Environments for Young Children

My Ultimate Guide to Nature-Based Early Childhood Education

Developmental Therapist

Hello, I'm Alysia (uh-lee-shuh), a developmental therapist for infants and toddlers with a B.S. in Early Childhood Education and a minor in Special Education. As the founder of Well Beings with Alysia, I'm demystifying child development for parents and early educators. Learn how to introduce the play-based activities, books, nature materials, and toys I use in classrooms and early intervention. Contact me: [email protected]

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17 Learning Activities for 2-Year-Olds: Teaching Toddlers Through Play

Play-based learning is the best way for your toddler to learn about themselves and their world.

The world of your 2-year-old is full of exciting possibilities. They are developing quickly, and you will find them ready to dive into learning experiences. They are actively looking for ways to assert their independence and test their boundaries (and yours!).

Learning activities for 2-year-olds should look at their development holistically and engage them in new ways of thinking. Toddler learning activities are a fun way for you to connect with your child as you learn and grow together.

Play-Based Learning for Toddler Development

When your 2-year-old is playing, they are learning how the world works. Play ignites their curiosity and gets them to think creatively about simple tasks.

“Play is our brain’s favorite way of learning” – Diane Ackerman.

Here are some other ways that play is beneficial for development:

• Practice life skills
• Improves communication
• Develops empathy
• Encourages imagination
• Allows for independence and autonomy
• Fosters problem-solving skills

17 Learning Activities for Your 2-Year-Old

When it comes to educational activities for toddlers, you want to make them hands-on and fun. Learning should be joyful and creative. Fun activities can teach your child and keep them happily immersed in play.

Activities for Gross Motor Skills Development

1. Play Silks and Dancing

There is something magical about watching a child lost in their own world. Play silks are a great way to encourage imaginative movement in little kids. 

Put on some music and let your little one move to the rhythm. This unstructured activity allows them to use any movements they want. The play silks help them move their bodies, become aware of themselves within a space, and embody different characters. 

Fun Tip: Try music that evokes different moods. Watch as your child adjusts their movements to the music.

Benefits: 

• Imagination
• Free movement
• Express emotion

2. Animal Imitation

What toddler doesn’t love pretend play? 

You can use animal cards, toy animals, or even recorded animal sounds for this activity. Help your child think about how each animal moves and then watch as they try to imitate that movement. They can include the sound the animal makes to really get into character.

Fun Tip: Do this activity with your child. Yes, it may seem silly, but they will love it. Play is how our kids communicate with us, and something special happens when we join them in their world.

• Crossing the midline and gross motor skills
• Builds core strength
• Improves focus and attention

3. Mud Monster

Getting dirty is a great way to learn and a fun activity. Not only is mud a fantastic sensory experience, but it contains friendly bacteria that stimulate the release of serotonin . 

To create your mud monster, draw one on a wall with mud or build one around a hula hoop placed on the ground. Your toddler will then make mud balls and have to throw them into the mud monster’s mouth. Your 2-year-old is learning to throw overhand at this stage, and this is a fun activity to practice.

Fun Tip: Let your toddler help you make the mud. The process of mixing sand and water is a valuable learning opportunity.

• Develops tactile skills
• Strengthens throwing motion
• It helps them identify their dominant arm

Activities that Develop Fine Motor Skills

4. Building Blocks

Building blocks are a classic toddler activity that has a multitude of benefits. Simply place a bag of blocks on the floor and watch as your little one begins to create. At this age, your 2-year-old will be able to build a tower of 4-7 blocks, opening up a world of possibilities for them.

Fun Tip: Add other elements such as cars, animals, and wood planks. This will help your toddler play with the blocks in new and imaginative ways.

• Problem-solving
• Early math skills

5. Simple Tracing

Your 2-year-old might not be holding a pencil confidently, but they will enjoy simple tracing activities. They will help them develop tensile strength in their fingers and work on their fine motor skills.

Use simple shapes and lines with an easy-to-follow dot-to-dot pattern. A chunky pencil or marker will work best for your child’s inexperienced fingers.

Fun Tip: Start with sidewalk chalk to encourage large, free-flowing movements. Before starting with a pencil, try a Q-tip and paint to follow a series of dot patterns.

• Hand-eye coordination
• Concentration
• Crossing the midline

6. Paper Washing Line

Reaching the washing line outside might be tricky, but you can create a mini version indoors. All you need is a cardboard box, some twine, and two pieces of dowel rod. You can cut out clothing from cardboard and let your 2-year-old peg them onto the line.

Fun Tip: You can use clothes pegs to hang up art, count, color sort, and paint with. They are a versatile option for 2-year-old development activities. 

• Improve pincer grasp
• Motor accuracy
• Hand preference

7. Playdough Jars

Play dough is fantastic for sensory play and fine motor skills development. Put playdough and loose parts into different jars with the lids on. Then let your toddler open the jars and empty the contents. Opening the jars is good fine motor practice and your toddler is also at a stage where they love to empty containers.

Fun Tip: Ask your toddler to sort the items and place them back into the jars at the end of the activity. 

• Strengthens fingers, hands, and wrists
• Improves concentration

Activities for Language Development

8. Picture Books

Picture books are essential in child development, particularly for emergent language. Reading picture books allows you to foster connection with your toddler while demonstrating a love of reading. Your 2-year-old will also learn to connect the words to the pictures. This will help them understand their meaning better.

Fun Tip: Play a game of ‘spot the x.’ You can help your child learn new words as they associate them with a picture.

• Listening skills
• Strengthen visual thinking skills
• Encourage conversations

9. Mystery Bag

This is a versatile game that you can play with almost any object. Put a selection of things into a bag. Ask your toddler to reach into the bag and try and name an object they feel before pulling it out. This is a fun way to introduce new words to your child’s vocabulary.

Fun Tip: For an interesting variation of this game, draw the outline of your toddler’s body on a large piece of paper. Then ask them to point to and name their different body parts. 

• New vocabulary
• Improved tactile sense

10. Story Cubes

Story cubes have scenes/characters/objects depicted on them. Your toddler can choose the order of the cubes, and you can create a story together. This activity is excellent for teaching toddlers about creative thinking and future scenarios.

Fun Tip: Incorporate tower building into the process. Then start the story from the top of the tower and reverse it. This is a fun way to introduce the concepts of top and bottom while helping your toddler use their imagination.

• Imaginative play

11. Nursery Rhymes

Nursery rhymes are great for teaching 2-year-olds about phonics and help with language development. Keep your rhymes simple and choose ones with repetitive verses.

Some great nursery rhymes for 2-year-olds are Incy Wincy Spider, Old MacDonald, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Humpty Dumpty, and Hickory Dickory Dock.

Try to incorporate rhymes that have corresponding movements. The car is also great for practicing nursery rhymes with your toddler.

• Develop motor skills
• Teach grammar
• Introduce counting, colors, and shapes

Activities for Social/Emotional Development

12. Emotion Cards

2-year-olds are learning about themselves in relation to other children so talking about emotions is vital. Emotion cards work well as they show the picture that relates to a feeling. Start your day with the emotion cards and regularly bring them out. 

Fun Tip: Take a ‘sportscasting’ approach to toddler behavior. That means you observe and repeat the facts of the situation. This allows your toddler to feel and deal with the emotion for themselves.

• Builds empathy
• It helps them learn self-regulation and self-control
• Emotional vocabulary development

13. Simon Says

2-year-olds are starting to copy the behavior they see around them. That makes Simon Says a fun and simple game to play. Your toddler is also becoming more aware of themselves, and Simon Says is a fun way to start teaching them about the parts of their body.

Fun Tip: Use the anatomical names for body parts. Children must know the real names as they become aware of themselves and their bodies.

• Developing body awareness
• Sequencing Skills
• Following instructions

14. Kitchen Time

Your 2-year-old is becoming more independent, and you may find them increasingly defiant. Spending time in the kitchen is a great way to help them feel empowered and capable.

Simple cookies, scrambled eggs, and banana muffins are easy recipes that your 2-year-old can make with you.

Fun Tip: Involve them in the whole process by allowing them to crack, mash, and scoop but also wash up.

• Basic math skills
• Builds independence
• Boosts confidence

Activities for Cognitive Development

15. Puppet Play

Puppet play is an amazing developmental tool for toddlers. Your 2-year-old is starting to engage in make-believe play and new language. Puppets encourage creativity, imagination, and new vocabulary. It also helps develop social skills.

Fun tip: You don’t need fancy puppets. Toddlers love craft activities, so why not make your own out of socks? You know, the ones that make it out of the dryer without a partner?

• Motor skills
• Builds self-confidence

16. Treasure Hunt

A treasure hunt is a versatile learning experience that you can use repeatedly. For example, you can have a color hunt where your toddler has to find items in the house that are a specific color. Or you can stick shapes around the house and ask them to find and sort them.

Fun Tip: Take this activity outside for a diverse sensory experience with different textures.

• Color identification

17. Sorting Basket

Sorting baskets are another fun matching game to help your toddler learn colors, numbers, shapes, and sizes. You can put almost anything in a sorting basket, from leaves and stones to blocks and fabric scraps.

Fun Tip: Mix up textures and color shades to challenge your toddler.

• Develops reasoning and thinking skills
• Encourage categorizing
• Early literacy and numeracy skills

Teaching Your Toddler Through Play

Play-based learning opportunities are the best activities to get your toddler engaged and excited. They allow you to introduce complex concepts through simple play that your 2-year-old can easily understand.

Watching your little one engage with the world around them is a magical time, so get on their level and get playing.

• April 18, 2012

Developing Thinking Skills From 24 to 36 Months

While you often hear this stage called the “terrible two’s”, it is also an amazing time when your toddler’s skills and personality continue to deepen and grow. Find strategies to support the development of your toddler’s thinking skills during this year.

In this third year, you will see a big jump in your child’s thinking skills. He will start to appreciate humor and jokes. She will be able to come up with solutions to more complex problems. Toddlers are also starting to be able to put themselves in another person’s shoes. They know that others have thoughts and feelings that are different from their own. For example, your child may give you a hug when you are sad. It is also an amazing time when your toddler’s skills and personality continue to deepen and grow.

What Can You Do to Support Your Toddler’s Thinking Skills?

Encourage pretend play. Let your child be the “director.” This helps her develop her own ideas. It also strengthens her thinking skills as she uses logic in her play: *The dog has to go back in his house because it’s raining.* You can help her develop her ideas by asking questions: *What is the doggy feeling? Why? What might happen next?*

Offer materials that help your child act out the stories he’s creating —hats, dress-up clothing, toy dishes, child-sized brooms, pads of paper, blocks, play food, and household objects like big cardboard boxes, blankets, pillows, etc.

Ask questions during your everyday play and routines. As you go through your day together, ask your child questions about what the two of you are seeing: *Why do you think the leaves fall from the trees? Where do you think the butterfly is going?* This gets your child’s mind working and lets her know that you are interested in her ideas.

Offer lots of chances to explore in creative ways. Take nature walks. Play with sand and water. Give your child objects he can take apart and investigate. By exploring objects during play, children figure out how things work and develop problem-solving skills.

Use everyday routines to notice patterns. Using language to explain these patterns helps your child become a logical thinker and increases her vocabulary *When the buzzer rings, the clothes are dry.* Or, *You wear mittens to keep your hands warm when it’s cold.*

Sort and categorize through the day. Your child can separate laundry into piles of socks, shirts, and pants. He can help set the table and organize the forks, plates, and spoons. At clean-up time, have him put the cars on one shelf and books on another.

Talk about feelings. Help your child develop a feelings vocabulary. Put words to what you think she might be feeling. *You are so mad that we have to leave the park.* This helps your child understand and cope with her emotions. Talk about what others might be feeling: *That little girl is jumping up and down and smiling. How do you think she feels?*

Encourage your child to test out different solutions to problems , rather than doing it for him: You might suggest he try the square block in another hole in his shape-sorter, or add some blocks to the bottom of his tower to keep it from collapsing.

Browse our full suite of resources on early childhood development.

Some skills gained from the problem-solving activities include lateral thinking, analytical thinking, creativity, persistence, logical reasoning, communication skills, and decision-making skills. 

The Importance of Problem-Solving Activities for Toddlers

In almost every stage of growth, children are likely to encounter some difficulties. How they handle these challenges depends on the skills they have built over time.

That’s why every parent should invest in quality problem-solving activities for their child. The skills mentioned above are critical for toddlers, and it can be challenging to develop them.

Early ages are the best time for children to learn how to solve different problems in a fun way. 

In many cases, many young mothers are students who dream of spending as much time as possible with their children, but they are held up with advancing their knowledge in their areas of specialization.

To have more time for toddlers as young mothers, you can use the online essay writer service EduBirdie to have your research papers written by top writers. EduBirdie has great writers, and you will receive quality work at the right time. This automatically translates to excellent scores.

If you have more time with your child, you are likely to notice the challenges they are going through and choose the best problem-solving activities for them.

The more problem-solving activities they perform, the more likely the child will develop excellent skills that will enable them to navigate most of the challenges in their lifetime. Here are some simple problem-solving activities for toddlers:

1. Building a maze

Building a maze is fun outside and one of the best activities for 2-year-old toddlers. Since toddlers can’t yet do a maze in an activity book, this is a great way to use their problem solving and navigation skills.

Draw a big maze on the pavement with sidewalk chalk . Then, make passages, including a few that end in a dead-end. Teach your toddler how to walk through and find their way out.

Allow them to try it on their own. The more trials, the better the child gets at figuring out the best way out. If the child gets used to the simple maze, you can draw a more complex one, adding more dead-end passages to make finding their way out more complicated.

This way, you will enhance their cognitive skills, which are vital for success in their life.

Puzzles are some of the best sensory activities for toddlers. They help a lot in enhancing the thinking capabilities of toddlers.

A puzzle is a big set of muddled-up things that must be sorted out and put back together.

The best type of puzzle for children is wooden puzzles , as they last longer, and the frame provides a structure to guide the child while playing. Inset puzzles are perfect for toddlers, especially ones with familiar objects (transportation, animals, colors, and shapes).

So, make an effort to sit with your child and help them play different puzzles. It’s even better than leaving your toddler to play with fancy toys with flashing lights and music.

Solving puzzles is real learning and allows the students to build their skills at their own pace. It’s ok to let them get a little frustrated! The more you leave them to independently figure it out, the quicker they will gain the skill.

3. Following patterns

Following patterns is just a simple activity that can be played with colored blocks, counters, or shapes. In this case, the child should simply make a pattern with the blocks and vary it by changing the patterns’ colors, shapes, or sizes.

At first, you can demonstrate how to make simple patterns to your child and then make the patterns more complex as they get used to the simple ones. Following patterns train the toddler to analyze given information, make sense of it, recognize the pattern it should follow, and then recreate it.

For the complex patterns, carry out the first few steps and then ask your child to continue.

4. Board games

Playing board games is an excellent way to develop your problem-solving skills, and your child can quickly start with simple games. This could be CandyLand ( a huge hit with little ones) or Chutes and Ladders .

Board games teach toddlers the skill of following rules and moving logically.

With time, you can introduce games that require deeper thinking and planning, like Monopoly Junior. This game will require you to explain a lot, and sometimes you will have to play with the child.

You can also let your child play Go Fish to teach them how to think ahead and solve the problems they will encounter in the future.

Related Post: Perfect Board Games for 2 Year Olds

5. Storytime questions

Stories are a great way of teaching children moral values and the problem-solving skills they require for their lifetime. During storytelling, develop a habit of asking questions to help the child develop higher-order thinking skills like comprehension.

It’s simple: pause for a few minutes and pose questions about the story. Start with simple questions, like “What did the boy say?” or “Where did the family go?.”

Then move onto more abstract thinking, problem solving questions, like “what will the boy do now that his pet died?” or “what can the girl do to find her lost toy?”

You can also pose an unexpected question to make the child more attentive. Storytime questions teach toddlers to pay attention to details and concentrate on one activity at a time.

It also reinforces the message you were trying to pass to the toddler. As a result, the toddler will easily remember the story’s moral lessons and apply them when faced with challenges in their lifetime.

6. Building with construction toys

Construction toys could be engineering blocks, Legos, or a proper set of wooden blocks that can be used to construct simple structures.

Everything the toddler will build is challenging as it requires critical thinking in brainstorming what to build and how to put the different pieces together.

The design built should be functional and work as expected. So, let the child construct freely and occasionally set for them a challenge to be completed within the set time with specific conditions.

This could be building two towers with a bridge joining them or building a creature with three arms standing on its own. Let the kids exercise their brains until they find a way to make the structure work.

7. Classifying and grouping activities

Classifying and grouping activities are among the best sensory activities for toddlers. You can easily do this with a tin of buttons or by unpacking the dishwasher. The idea behind classifying and grouping activities is to teach the skill of categorizing information.

There are several button activities for your kids that you can adopt, and they include a messy play tray, making a nameplate, sorting buttons, ordering buttons, or making a button necklace.

Each activity will teach the child an important skill they need to solve problems in the future.

When was the last time you engaged in any of the activities discussed above with your child? Start young with these problem-solving activities that help them navigate most of the challenges in their lifetime.

Take time and choose one of the activities discussed above for your toddler. 

Author’s Bio

Helen Birk is a magnificent writer who creates beautiful stories that leave her readers asking for more. She’s been a wonderful storyteller and her years of experience help her do even better every time she takes up a new book to write. She’s currently planning a book that talks about the role of AI in the development of school education.

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About toddler play and cognitive development

Play is vital for your toddler’s cognitive development – that is, your toddler’s ability to think, understand, communicate, make memories, imagine and work out what might happen next.

This is because play is one of the main ways that your toddler explores the world. Toddlers at play are experimenting, thinking, solving problems and learning all the time.

Spending time playing with your toddler is especially good for your toddler’s cognitive development. That’s because playing together builds your relationship and sends a simple but powerful message – you are important to me. This message is key to helping your toddler learn about who they are and where they fit in the world. It also gives your toddler confidence to keep exploring and learning about the world.

A warm and loving relationship with your toddler lays the foundation for all areas of your child’s learning and development.

What to expect: toddler cognitive development and play

Toddlers will probably:

• think you know what’s going on inside their minds
• have difficulty separating what’s real and what’s pretend – for example, they might be easily frightened by monsters in cartoons
• be curious and keen to experiment and explore unfamiliar things
• be able to use words like ‘dark’, ‘loud’, ‘hard’ or ‘heavy’ in the right way, and understand the meaning of these words by 3 years
• enjoy exploring all their senses – sight, sound, taste, touch and smell
• be able to follow simple instructions from 18 months
• use trial and error to start problem-solving – for example, if they can’t fit a puzzle piece in one spot, they might try it somewhere else
• have favourite books, stories and songs – so be prepared for a lot of requests to read or sing it ‘again’!

Toddlers are determined to try everything , even activities that might not be suitable for their age. They’re just trying to figure out how things work.

For example, at 12-16 months, your toddler will want to explore all toys and objects within reach – banging, dropping, pushing and shaking them to see what happens. A safe home environment will give your toddler the freedom to explore without getting hurt.

Your toddler might now understand that there are groups of things in the world. By about 16 months, your toddler might be able to sort objects into types – for example, by colour, shape or size. This helps with early maths thinking. Toys and household items like pegs and plastic cooking utensils are good for this kind of play.

Toddlers don’t know how all the concepts fit together. For example, your toddler can see that things flush down the toilet. But toddlers don’t realise that they themselves can’t be flushed down the toilet too. Or that if a leg rips off a favourite doll or teddy bear, the same doesn’t happen to a real person. Taking the time to explain these concepts can ease your toddler’s fears.

If you’re concerned about your toddler’s development, it’s a good idea to get help early. Talk with your GP , your child and family health nurse or your toddler’s early childhood educator .

Play ideas to support cognitive development in toddlers

It’s good to try plenty of different play activities with your toddler. This promotes cognitive development by giving your toddler many ways to learn about their world.

Here are everyday play ideas to support your toddler’s thinking and learning:

• Help your toddler put together basic puzzles.
• Give your toddler fun bath toys for measuring, scooping and pouring. You can talk about why some things sink and others float.
• Read books and recite nursery rhymes together. By 2 years, you can leave out words from your toddler’s favourite stories and ask your toddler to tell you what happens next.
• Sing simple songs that involve actions or animal sounds. For example, ‘Heads and shoulders’ or ‘Old MacDonald’ .
• Give your toddler things to sort, like coloured blocks, shapes or pegs , or plastic cups and containers of different sizes.
• Give your toddler toys with buttons to push to make something happen.
• Put together a box of materials for simple art and craft activities . This can include finger paint, crayons and paper, coloured chalk for drawing and writing on outdoor paths, scrap materials or playdough . Let your toddler decide what to make.
• Play outside in the backyard, at your local park or at the beach.

It’s a good idea to let your child take the lead with play , because toddlers learn best when they’re interested in an activity. When you follow your toddler’s lead, you can use your toddler’s interests to help them learn something new.

If your toddler is having difficulty with a play activity, you can ask what they might do next to solve the problem, or you can gently offer ideas. For example, ‘Where else could that puzzle piece fit? Have you tried turning it the other way?’ And celebrating effort will encourage your toddler to tackle new problems. For example, ‘Well done – you’ve found the right spot for it!’

Screen time, digital technology use and toddler cognitive development

Current national and international guidelines recommend that children under 2 years shouldn’t have screen time other than video-chatting with people they know. This is because very young children learn best through everyday experiences like physical play, outside play, creative play and social time with family and friends.

If you choose to let your older toddler have some digital play , it’s best to focus on making quality media choices for your toddler and sharing screen time and digital technology with them.

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Home • Toddler • Play And Activities

13 Problem-Solving Activities For Toddlers And Preschoolers

Intriguing ideas to boost their analytical and rational thinking skills.

Elisabeth Daly is a state-certified high school English teacher. Over her two decade career, she has taught students in grades 9-12 at both public and private high schools, and worked as an adjunct professor at her local community college. ... read full bio

Kavita has a diverse background in finance, human resources, and teaching. She did her MBA in Finance and HR at Solapur University, and bachelor in Education at Pune University. After working for thre... read full bio

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Problem-solving preschool activities are an essential part of learning, leading to the development of the most crucial skills for your child. Your child’s journey between realizing a problem and finding a solution involves effort, thinking, and patience. What comes in between realization and solution is important to understand, as it is the key to a lightning-fast intellect. The process is the most beautiful part, which is also the beginning of making a new genius for the world to witness. These little minds could one day become billionaires, philanthropists, or someone far more successful .

Read on to know some of the problem-solving activities for toddlers and preschoolers and how it helps them.

What Is Problem-Solving?

Image: IStock

Problem-solving is the art of realizing a problem and finding an apt solution by a series of interconnected thoughts in the cognitive area of the mind (1) . It requires identifying the problem and pondering over the causes and attempting to chalk out the reason. The next step would be to find a solution out of the many alternatives. Identifying the causes of a problem would involve some deep thinking, which can benefit a child’s growth and aid in their character development.

What Are Problem-Solving Skills?

Problem-solving skills are what every child needs to survive in this world. A few problem-solving skills are analytical thinking, logical reasoning, lateral thinking, creativity, initiative, persistence, negotiation, listening skills, cognitive skills, math skills, and decision-making. Good communication skills are also important as they improve the self-esteem of your child.

Why Is Problem-Solving Important In Preschool?

As parents, you may not want to fill your child’s minds with every problem-solving ability. But you must trust the process, as it is the most important phase of life, and they are learning new things every day.

• During preschool, they are constantly interacting with friends and surroundings. They come across various problems and learn from them. The best part is that it will be effortless for them to pick up these skills faster as they are in their learning stage.
• Also, the earlier they learn, the better it is (2)
• Children in preschool are introduced to the realm of creativity and imagination through storytelling and poems. It will be the perfect time to enhance their creative abilities.
• Children usually try to ignore things beyond their understanding. But problem-solving skills might help them see things differently.
• Developing problem-solving abilities can help them take new initiatives.

How To Teach Problem-Solving Skills To Preschoolers?

Making them listen with patience and willingness is a skill that will help them comprehend what you teach them. Here are some steps that you can follow:

• Teach them how to approach a problem in a practical way. Allow them to explore and find solutions by themselves. Problem-based learning will stick with them forever.
• Make them do simple household chores in their own way. And, there is no right or wrong style to it. Kitchen experiments are a great way to learn.
• Every kid is unique and has a different pace of learning. A teacher/ parent will have to be observing to analyze the best way to teach them.
• Usually, the first step would be to identify the problem.
• Once they find solutions, tell them to evaluate the pros and cons. And choose the best solution.
• Teach them to take failure positively.
• Encourage group activities as children tend to be active when their peers are along.

13 Problem-Solving Activities For Toddlers

You may try several problem-solving activities at home. We have listed some of the best activates here:

1. Simon Says

One of the children becomes Simon and gives commands. The rest have to follow the commands and enact only when they hear ’Simon says’ at the beginning of the command. If anyone acts when the words ‘Simon says’ is not told at the beginning, then that particular child is out. This game will improve listening skills and response time.

2. Tic–tac–toe

The game teaches decision-making and the cost of consequences. This game involves two players. One player has to mark X anywhere on the tic-tac-toe, followed by another player marking O. The idea is to make a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal line with either three X’s or O’s. Both players have to stop each other from winning. Sounds fun, right?

3. Treasure hunt

Divide the children into groups and give them clues to find hidden objects. Activities such as treasure hunt evidently improve their problem-solving skills and induce the idea of competition.

Puzzles can make a child think out of the box. They can develop a child’s logical reasoning. Arranging the crumbled pieces will surely improve their level of patience.

5. Hide and seek

Playing in a group can make them less shy and socialize with others. And, with hide and seek activity, children can learn devising strategies, escaping from a troublesome situation, and various other skills.

6. Sorting together

Give them various toys, pieces of clothing, or other random objects at home and some bins. Now ask your child to sort and place everything in the right bin. See how good they are at classifying the objects.

7. Spot the difference

Show them printouts of two similar pictures, with one picture having some differences. Ask them to spot the differences. This helps in actively improving their concentration and attention to detail.

8. Matching animals with sounds

Play sounds of various animals and let the children guess their names. You can also take them to an animal farm where they can observe their behavior. This activity may improve their sound recognition ability over time.

Give your child a blank canvas and some paints or coloring pencils. Let them get creative and produce a masterpiece.

10. Memory games

Memory games can improve a child’s retaining capacity. One such game is to sit in a circle and play “Chinese Whisper.” In this game, kids sit in a circle. Each of them has to whisper a word in their peer’s ear. The same word, along with a new one, is whispered into the next child’s ear. This should be continued till the last child in the circle announces it for all to hear.

11. Fort building

Building forts using toy material, Lego, pillows, or blankets can be fun. During the process of building a fort, children may have to face minor or major difficulties. Overcoming such issues and completing the target successfully helps in the improvement of logical and analytical abilities.

Solving mazes can also help a kid improve their approach towards dealing with problems and dead ends. It will enable lateral thinking and thinking out of the box.

13. Stacking rings

Stacking rings is an effective problem-solving activity for children as it enhances their cognitive skills, spatial awareness, and fine motor abilities. The task requires careful consideration of size, shape, and balance, fostering critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Children must strategize the order and orientation of the rings to successfully build a stable tower. This activity encourages creativity as they experiment with different stacking techniques. Give children a set of rings in varying sizes and materials for this activity. Ask the children to construct the tower and be watchful to prevent it from collapsing, as it offers them valuable insights into cause-and-effect relationships. Challenge them to create the tallest tower possible to promote teamwork and perseverance as they refine their approach through trial and error.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are the stages of problem-solving?

Problem-solving is a cognitive skill that works through six stages – searching and determining the problem, generating alternative ideas or solutions, evaluating alternatives, selecting the best suitable solution, implementing the solution, and follow-up (3) .

2. At what age do toddlers begin problem-solving?

According to research, children begin problem-solving right after birth. Children learn problem-solving through exploration between zero to two years, whereas, by three years of age, they learn problem-solving through experimenting and trial and error. Four-year-olds learn problem-solving through cooperative activities with peers and friends. By five and six years, kids get enough experience to deal with problems that would need abstract thinking skills (4) .

3. How do toddlers develop critical thinking skills?

Critical thinking skills don’t develop in a day or week. Rather, it takes constant exposure to environments that hone a child’s critical thinking abilities. Indulging toddlers in critical thinking activities by asking open-ended questions or engaging in activities such as block constructing and puzzles and motivating them to think out of the box are simple ways to bolster your child’s critical thinking.

Problem-solving activities for toddlers enhance their thinking abilities and promote early brain development. You may introduce problem-solving activities such as tic-tac-toe, Simon says, hide and seek, treasure hunt, puzzles, etc., to enhance cognitive skills in toddlers. The problem-solving skills in preschoolers help them cope with various situations and mingle with other children. Problem-solving skills help children think differently and take the initiative in making decisions and solving problems. These activities help build the skills without any force or pressure.

Infographic: Hone Your Toddler’s Problem-Solving Skills

Illustration: Momjunction Design Team

Key Pointers

• Honing your child’s problem-solving skills during preschool can help them see things differently and enhance their creative abilities.
• Teach them to find the problem and use their analytical abilities to find a solution.
• Simon Says, treasure hunt, puzzles, and spot the difference are a few problem-solving activities a toddler can try.

Image: Stable Diffusion/MomJunction Design Team

• You Can Do It: Teaching Toddlers Problem-Solving Skills. https://va-itsnetwork.org/you-can-do-it-teaching-toddlers-problem-solving-skills/
• Developing Problem-Solving Skills At Early Age. https://kennedyglobalschool.edu.in/developing-problem-solving-skills-at-early-age-takes-kids-long-way-as-they-grow/#respond
• Problem solving. https://www.healthywa.wa.gov.au/Articles/N_R/Problem-solving
• Development: Ages & Stages–How Children Learn to Problem-Solve. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ738434
• Fact-checker

Elisabeth Daly MSEd

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10 Simple Activities to Teach Your Preschooler Problem Solving

By: Author Tanja McIlroy

Posted on Last updated: 9 May 2024

Categories Activities for Preschoolers & Kindergarteners

During the first years of a child’s life, an important set of cognitive skills known as problem-solving abilities are developed. These skills are used throughout childhood and into adulthood.

Find out what problem solving is, why it’s important and how you can develop these skills with 10 problem-solving games and activities.

What is Problem Solving in Early Childhood?

So, what exactly is problem solving? Quite simply, it refers to the process of finding a solution to a problem .

A person uses their own knowledge and experience, as well as the information at hand to try and reach a solution. Problem solving is therefore about the thought processes involved in finding a solution.

This could be as complex as an adult working out how to get out of a financial crisis or as simple as a child working out how two blocks fit together.

Problem Solving Skills for Kids

Problem-solving skills refer to the specific thinking skills a person uses when faced with a challenge. Some problems require the use of many skills, while others are simple and may only require one or two skills.

These are some examples of problem-solving skills for preschoolers , as listed by kent.ac.uk .

• Lateral thinking
• Analytical thinking
• Decision-making skills
• Logical reasoning
• Persistence
• Communication skills
• Negotiation skills

The Importance of Developing Problem-Solving Skills in Early Childhood

Problem solving is a skill that would be difficult to suddenly develop as an adult. While you can still improve a skill at any age, the majority of learning occurs during the early years.

Preschool is the best time for a child to learn to problem solve in a fun way. The benefits of learning early will last a lifetime and the beauty of learning anything at a young age is that it is effortless .

It is like learning to play an instrument or picking up a new language – it’s just much easier and more natural at an early age.

Of all the many things preschoolers need to learn , what makes problem solving so important?

There aren’t many situations in life, at work or at school that don’t require some level of problem resolution.

Child’s play itself is filled with opportunity upon opportunity to solve all kinds of tricky situations and come up with solutions to challenges.

Problem Solving in Preschool

During the foundational years, children are constantly solving problems as they play .

Here are just a few examples of problem solving in early childhood :

• Resolving a fight over the same toy
• Reaching a ball that’s stuck in the tree
• Forming a circle while holding hands
• Making a bridge to connect two block towers
• Tying or untying a shoe
• Making up rules for a new game
• Trying to get the consistency of a mud cake right so it stops falling over

The more creative play opportunities and challenges children are given, the more they get to exercise their problem-solving muscles.

During free play , there are non-stop experiences for this, and parents and teachers can also encourage specific problem-solving skills through guided activities .

Problem Solving for Older Children

During the grades, children experience problems in many forms, some of which may be related to their academic, social and emotional well-being at school. Problems may come in the form of dealing with life issues, such as:

• Problems with friendships
• Struggling to understand something during a lesson
• Learning to balance the demands of sport and homework
• Finding the best way to study for a test
• Asking a teacher for help when needed

Problems will also form a large part of academic life as teachers will be actively developing this skill through various activities, for example:

• Solving a riddle or understanding a work of literature
• Working on projects with a friend
• Finding solutions during science experiments
• Solving mathematical problems
• Solving hypothetical problems during lessons
• Answering questions and completing exam papers

Children who have had practice during preschool will be a lot more capable when facing these challenges.

Solving Problems in Mathematics

Mathematics needs to be mentioned separately as although it is part of schooling, it is such a huge part and it depends heavily on a child’s ability to solve problems.

The entire subject of mathematics is based on solving problems. Whether you are adding 2 and 3, working out how many eggs will fit into each basket, or solving an algebraic expression, there is a problem in every question.

Mathematics is just a series of problems that need to be solved.

What we refer to as problem solving in Maths is usually answering word problems .

The reason many children find these so difficult to answer is that the question is presented as a problem through a story, rather than just numbers with symbols telling you what operation to use (addition, division, etc.)

This means a child is forced to think carefully, understand the problem and determine the best way to solve it.

These problems can involve various units (e.g. mass, capacity or currency) as well as fractions, decimals, equations and angles, to name a few. Problems tend to become more and more complex over the years.

My experience in the classroom has shown that many, many children struggle with solving word problems, from the early grades right into the senior years.

They struggle to analyze the question, understand it, determine what information they’ve been given, and what exactly they are required to solve.

The good news is that exposing a child to regular problem-solving activities and games in preschool can greatly help him to solve word problems later on in school.

If you need one good reason to do these kinds of activities, let it be for a smoother experience in mathematics – a subject so many children unnecessarily fear.

Problem Solving in the Workplace

Adults in the workplace seldom thrive without problem-solving skills. They are required to regularly solve problems .

As adults, employees are expected to independently deal with the frequent challenges, setbacks and problems that are a big part of every working environment.

Those who can face and solve their own problems will go further and cope better than those who seek constant help from others or cannot show initiative.

Some  career websites even refer to problem solving as a universal job skill. They also mention that many employees are not good at it. 

Again, although it may seem far removed, learning this skill at a young age will help a child cope right into adulthood and in the working world.

How to Teach Children Problem-Solving Skills

If early childhood is the best time to grow these skills in your young children, then how does one go about teaching them to toddlers, preschoolers and kindergarteners?

Problem solving can be taught in such a way that you expose your child to various opportunities where they will be faced with challenges.

You would not necessarily sit your 3-year-old down and tell or “teach” him all about fixing problems. Instead, you want to create opportunities for your child to grow this skill .

Using the brain to think and find solutions is a bit like working a muscle over time. Eventually, your muscle gets stronger and can handle more “ weight. ” Your child will learn to problem solve in two ways:

• Incidentally – through free play
• Through guided opportunities provided by a parent or teacher

If you make a point of encouraging thinking through games and activities, your child will develop stronger skills than if you let it all happen incidentally.

Problem-Solving Strategies and Steps

If we take a look at the steps involved in solving a problem, we can see that there are many layers involved and different types of skills. Here are the problem-solving steps according to the University of Ken. 

Step 1: Identify the problem

Step 2: Define the problem

Step 3: Examine the options

Step 4: Act on a plan

Step 5: Look at the consequences

Therefore, activities at a preschool level need not present complicated high-level problems.

• A simple activity such as identifying differences in a picture can work on the first skill needed – identifying a problem.
• Playing with construction toys can develop a child’s ability to try various solutions and examine the options when faced with a problem such as trying to find the best way to build something.
• Playing Tic-Tac-Toe would make a child predict the consequences of placing their mark in a particular square.

The most basic of activities can work on all these skills and make children competent solution finders.

How to Teach Problem Solving with Questions

The language you use around your child and your questioning technique will also greatly affect their understanding of a problem or challenge as merely something waiting for a solution to be found .

While your child is playing or when she comes to you with a problem, ask open-ended questions that will guide her in finding a potential answer independently. Use the steps listed above to formulate your questions.

Here are some examples of questions:

• What do you think made the tower of blocks fall down?
• If we build it again, how can we change the structure so that it won’t fall down next time?
• Is there a better way we can do it? If you think of a different way, we can both try it and see which works better.
• Did that work? The tower fell again so let’s try another solution.

Resist the temptation to fix every one of your child’s problems, including conflict with friends or siblings. These are important opportunities for children to learn how to resolve things by negotiating, thinking and reasoning.

With time, your child will get used to seeing a problem, understanding it, weighing up the options, taking action and evaluating the consequences.

Problems will be seen as challenges to be faced logically and not “problems.”

This post contains affiliate links for educational products that I personally recommend. If you purchase through one of them, I earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Read the terms and conditions for more details.

10 Problem-Solving Activities for Preschoolers

Here are 10 simple, easy games and problem solving activities for kids at home or at school. Many of them are the kinds of activities children should have daily exposure to.

Puzzles are one of the best thinking activities out there. Each puzzle is basically one big set of muddled-up things to be sorted out and put back together again. Find out why puzzles are important for development .

Children should have regular exposure to puzzles. They are great for developing thinking skills.

• Four wooden jigsaw puzzles: a fish, a dog, a cat, and a bird
• 12-piece puzzles

2. Memory games

Memory games will develop your child’s memory and attention to detail.

Use pairs of matching pictures and turn them all face down, shuffled, on a table. Take turns choosing any two cards and turning them face up on the table. If you turn over a matching pair you keep the cards and if the pair doesn’t match, turn the cards back over until it is your turn to try again.

Encourage your child to concentrate and pay attention to where the pictures are and try to find a matching pair on each turn. 

(Get your own set of printable memory card games here!)

3. Building with Construction Toys

Construction toys such as engineering blocks, a proper set of wooden blocks or Legos (shown below) should be a daily staple in your home.

Everything your child builds is a challenge because it requires thinking about what to build and how to put the pieces together to get a design that works and is functional.

Leave your child to construct freely and occasionally set a challenge and ask him to build a specific structure, with conditions. For example:

• Make two towers with a bridge joining them together
• Build a creature that stands on its own and has 3 arms.

Then watch your child wracking his brain until he finds a way to make his structure work.

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4.  Activity Books

These activity books are really fun and develop a child’s ability to identify problems and search for information.

• Pomaska, Anna (Author)
• English (Publication Language)

• Handford, Martin (Author)

• Books, Webber (Author)

5. Following Patterns

This simple activity can be played with a set of coloured blocks, shapes or counters.

Simply make a pattern with the blocks and ask your child to continue it. Vary the pattern by changing the colours, shapes or sizes.

This activity will train your child to analyse the given information, make sense of it, recognise the pattern and re-create it.

6. Story Time Questions

Get into the habit of asking questions during your daily story time that develop higher-order thinking skills . Instead of just reading and your child passively listening, ask questions throughout, concentrating on solving problems.

Here are some examples:

• Why do you think the bear did that?
• Do you think his friend will be happy? Why?
• What would you do if you were the monkey?
• How do you think Peter can make things better with his friend?
• If the crocodile had decided not to eat the rabbit, how could the story have ended?

7. Board Games

Board games are an excellent way to develop problem-solving skills.

Start off with simple games like Ludo and Snakes and Ladders to teach the skill of following rules and moving in a logical sequence.

• Double-Header: Enjoy two classic games in Ludo and Snakes and Ladders on this double-faced game board
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Card games like Go Fish are also great for teaching young children to think ahead and solve problems.

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8.  Tic-Tac-Toe

This is a perfect game to teach decision-making skills , thinking before acting and weighing up the possible consequences.

Use a Tic Tac Toe Board or d raw a simple table like the one above on paper or a chalkboard.

• Wooden tic-tac-toe game board with eye-catching red, orange, blue, and green color pattern
• Includes white-framed wooden board with indented squares for mess-free play, 10 colored x and O game tiles,...

Take turns to add a nought or a cross to the table and see who can make a row of three first.

Your child will probably catch on in no time and start thinking carefully before placing their symbol. This game can also be played with coloured counters or different objects.

9. Classifying and Grouping Activities

This activity can be done with a tin of buttons or beads or even by unpacking the dishwasher. The idea is to teach the skill of classifying and categorizing information by learning with physical objects. Here are some other ideas for categorizing:

• Separate the washing – mom’s clothes, dad’s clothes, etc; or socks, tops, shorts, etc.
• Empty out the cutlery drawer for cleaning, mix all the utensils up and then sort into knives, tablespoons, teaspoons, etc.
• Classify and sort out the toys in your child’s bedroom together – all books, construction toys, soft toys, etc.
• Play category games .

Here are more button activities for kids .

10. Building a Maze

This activity is lots of fun and suitable for any age. It is also going to be way more fun than doing a maze in an activity book, especially for younger children.

Draw a big maze on the paving with sidewalk chalk . Make passages, including one or two that end in a dead-end. Teach your child to find her way out .

• Non-Toxic Formula: Our sidewalk chalk is specially formulated to minimize chalk dust and is safe for indoor...
• Convenient Packaging: Comes in a 20-piece plastic bucket with a lid and handle for easy transport and storage.

As your child gets better at figuring out a route and finding the way out, make the maze more complex and add more dead-end passages.

Are you a preschool teacher or working in Early Childhood Education? Would you like to receive regular emails with useful tips and play-based activity ideas to try with your children? Sign up for the newsletter!

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Friday 3rd of June 2022

hi maam , This Is Uma from India,Can i get this in pdf format or a book. Thank You

Tanja Mcilroy

Monday 6th of June 2022

Hi Uma, thanks for your message. These articles are not available in PDF, but you are welcome to copy and paste them from the website, as long as you add the reference: https://empoweredparents.co/problem-solving-activities-preschoolers/ Thanks for reading!

Wednesday 20th of May 2020

Very very useful content. Good work. Thank you.

Friday 22nd of May 2020

Thanks Ann.

Tuesday 19th of May 2020

Would like to download the free activity pack please.

Hi Kelly, Please download the activity pack on this page: www.empoweredparents.co

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Cognitive Milestones for 2-Year-Olds

At 2-years-old you will see many big changes in your toddler. They are constantly learning new things and mastering new skills. Their problem solving skills are developing as they begin to seek more independence and freedom. Providing your child with a variety of play experiences is the best way that you can support their overall development, including their cognitive development.

DEFINITION OF COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT

Cognitive development is not only about acquiring knowledge. It is also about learning to think, problem solve, and communicate. This also includes the development of a child’s executive functioning skills. Young children develop cognitively through experiencing and interacting with the world around them first-hand. At two-years-old your child is becoming more and more aware of their environment and how things work.

2-YEAR-OLD COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT MILESTONES

• Begins to sort objects by color, shape, or size
• Plays simple make-believe games
• Follows two-part directions
• Begins to understand simple time concepts like before and after
• Begins to understand the concept of numbers
• Completes simple puzzles
• Recognizes basic symbolism like nodding head for “yes”
• Finds objects even when hidden under covers

COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES

Young children learn best through play, and that is no different when it comes to developing their cognitive skills. Two-year-olds are beginning to understand the concept of numbers, so it is a great time to incorporate counting and number recognition into their play. Music is a great way to boost math skills and working memory, too.

PROCESS ART

Process art is a great way for young children to work on building their cognitive skills as well. When children have the freedom to choose what materials they use and how they use them to create works of art, they work on decision making skills, planning, and the ability to focus and follow through.

Let your child choose which materials they want to experiment with and how. Give them plenty of space and expect a mess. It is all about the process and allowing your child to take risks and feel successful.

BLOCKS & MANIPULATIVES

Provide your toddler with open-ended toys such as wooden blocks and other manipulatives that they can build with. This will give them an opportunity to work on developing critical thinking and spatial reasoning skills. You can also provide pictures of real life structures for your child to gain inspiration from and also to support their growing comprehension of structures.

PRETEND PLAY

Engaging in pretend play with your toddler will help them to learn how to think outside the box and make the connection between spoken and written language. You can set up a play restaurant or grocery store. Having them lead the play is always best, but toddlers often need some guidance as they begin to explore pretend play.

There are so many fun ways that you can support your child’s cognitive development. Most important of all though is to play and have fun with your child. You will be amazed at just how much your child learns through those play experiences.

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3 General Strategies to Teach Problem-Solving at Any Age

1. model effective problem-solving .

When YOU encounter a challenge, do a “think-aloud” for the benefit of your child. MODEL how to apply the same problem-solving skills you’ve been working on together, giving the real-world examples that she can implement in her own life.

At the same time, show your child a willingness to make mistakes . Everyone encounters problems, and that’s okay. Sometimes the first solution you try won’t work, and that’s okay too!  

When you model problem-solving, explain that there are some things that are out of our control. As we're solving a problem at hand we should focus on the things we CAN actually control.

You and your child can listen to Episode 35  of the Big Life Kids Podcast to learn about focusing on what you can control.

2. Ask for Advice

Ask your kids for advice when you have a problem. This teaches them that it’s common to make mistakes and face challenges. It also gives them the opportunity to practice problem-solving skills.

Plus, when you indicate that their ideas are valued ,  they’ll gain the confidence to attempt solving problems on their own.

3. Don’t Provide “The Answer”

As difficult as it may be, allow your child to struggle, sometimes fail , and ultimately LEARN  from experiencing consequences.

Now, let’s take a look at some age-specific strategies and activities. The ages listed below are general guidelines, feel free to choose any strategies or activities that you feel will work for YOUR child.

Use Emotion Coaching

To step into a problem-solving mindset, young children need to first learn to  manage their emotions . After all, it’s difficult for a small child to logically consider solutions to a problem if he’s mid-tantrum.

One way to accomplish this is by using the  emotion coaching process  outlined by John Gottman.

First,  teach your kids that ALL emotions are acceptable. There are NO “bad” emotions. Even seemingly negative emotions like anger, sadness, and frustration can teach us valuable lessons. What matters is how we  respond  to these emotions.

Second,   follow this process:

• Step One: Naming and validating emotions.  When your child is upset, help her process the way she’s feeling. Say something like,  “I understand that you’re upset because Jessica is playing with the toy you wanted.”
• Step Two:   Processing  emotions.  Guide your child to her  calming space. If she doesn't have one, it's a good idea to create one.  Let her calm her body and process her emotions so she can problem-solve, learn, and grow. 
• Step Three: Problem Solving.  Brainstorm solutions with your child, doing more   LISTENING   than talking during the conversation. This allows your child to practice her problem-solving skills, and she’s more likely to actually implement the solutions she came up with herself.

Say, “Show Me the Hard Part”

When your child struggles or feels frustrated, try a technique suggested by mom and parenting blogger Lauren Tamm . Simply say, “Show me the hard part.”

This helps your child identify the ROOT   of the problem, making it less intimidating and easier to solve.

Repeat back what your child says,  “So you’re saying…”

Once you both understand the real problem, prompt your child to come up with solutions . “There must be some way you can fix that…” or  “There must be something you can do…”

Now that your child has identified “the hard part,” she’ll likely be able to come up with a solution. If not, help her brainstorm some ideas. You may try asking the question, “If you DID  know, what would you think?” and see what she comes up with.

Problem-Solve with Creative Play

Allow your child to choose activities and games based on her  interests . Free play provides plenty of opportunities to navigate and creatively solve problems.

Children often learn best through play. Playing with items like blocks, simple puzzles, and dress-up clothes can teach your child the process of problem-solving.

Even while playing, your child thinks critically:  Where does this puzzle piece fit? What does this do? I want to dress up as a queen. What should I wear?   Where did I put my tiara? Is it under the couch?

Problem-Solve with Storybooks

Read age-appropriate stories featuring characters who experience problems, such as:

• Ladybug Girl and Bumblebee Boy by Jacky Davis: The story of two friends who want to play together but can’t find a game to agree on. After taking turns making suggestions, they arrive at a game they both want to play: Ladybug Girl and Bumblebee Boy.
• The Curious George Series by Margaret and H.E. Rey: A curious little monkey gets into and out of dilemmas, teaching kids to find solutions to problems of their own.
• Ira Sleeps Over by Bernard Waber: Ira’s thrilled to have a sleepover at his friend Reggie’s house. But there’s one problem: Should he or should he not bring his teddy bear? It may seem small, but this is the type of early social problem your child might relate to.

Connect these experiences to similar events in your child’s own life, and ASK your child HOW the characters in these stories could solve their problems. Encourage a variety of solutions, and discuss the possible outcomes of each.

This is a form of dialogue reading , or actively ENGAGING   your child in the reading experience. Interacting with the text instead of passively listening can “turbocharge” the development of literacy skills such as comprehension in preschool-aged children.

By asking questions about the characters’ challenges, you can also give your child’s problem-solving abilities a boost.

You can even have your child role-play the problem and potential solutions to reinforce the lesson.  

For book suggestions, refer to our Top 85 Growth Mindset Books for Children & Adults list.

Teach the Problem-Solving Steps

Come up with a simple problem-solving process for your child, one that you can consistently implement. For example, you might try the following five steps:

• Step 1: What am I feeling?  Help your child understand what she’s feeling in the moment (frustration, anger, curiosity, disappointment, excitement, etc.)  Noticing and naming emotions will diffuse  their charge and give your child a chance to take a step back.
• Step 2: What’s the problem?  Guide your child to identify the specific problem. In most cases, help her take responsibility for what happened rather than pointing fingers. For instance, instead of, “Joey got me in trouble at recess,” your child might say, “I got in trouble at recess for arguing with Joey.”
• Step 3:   What are the solutions?  Encourage your child to come up with as many solutions as possible. At this point, they don’t even need to be “good” solutions. They’re just brainstorming here, not yet evaluating the ideas they’ve generated.
• Step 4: What would happen if…? What would happen if your child attempted each of these solutions? Is the solution safe and fair? How will it make others feel? You can also try role-playing at this step. It’s important for your child to consider BOTH  positive and negative consequences of her actions.
• Step 5: Which one will I try?  Ask your child to pick one or more solutions to try. If the solution didn't work, discuss WHY and move on to another one. Encourage your child to keep trying until the problem is solved. 

Consistently practice these steps so that they become second nature, and model solving problems of your own the same way.  It's a good idea to   reflect :   What worked? What didn’t? What can you do differently next time?

Problem-Solve with Craft Materials

Crafting is another form of play that can teach kids to solve problems creatively.

Provide your child with markers, modeling clay, cardboard boxes, tape, paper, etc. They’ll come up with all sorts of interesting creations and inventive games with these simple materials.

These “open-ended toys” don’t have a “right way to play,” allowing your child to get creative and generate ideas independently .

Ask Open-Ended Questions

Asking open-ended questions improves a child’s ability to think critically and creatively, ultimately making them better problem-solvers. Examples of open-ended questions include:

• How could we work together to solve this?
• How did you work it out? or How do you know that?
• Tell me about what you built, made, or created.
• What do you think will happen next?
• What do you think would happen if…?
• What did you learn?
• What was easy? What was hard?
• What would you do differently next time?

Open-ended questions have no right answer and can’t be answered with a simple “Yes” or “No.”

You can ask open-ended questions even when your child isn’t currently solving a problem to help her practice her thinking skills, which will come in handy when she does have a problem to solve.

If you need some tips on how to encourage a growth mindset in your child, don't forget to download our FREE Your Words Matter Volume 2 Kit .

Break Down Problems into Chunks

This strategy is a more advanced version of “Show me the hard part.”

The bigger your child gets, the bigger her problems get too. When your child is facing a challenge that seems overwhelming or insurmountable, encourage her to break it into smaller, more manageable chunks.

For instance, let’s say your child has a poor grade in history class. Why is the grade so low? What are the causes of this problem?

As usual, LISTEN as your child brainstorms, asking open-ended questions to help if she gets stuck.

If the low grade is the result of missing assignments, perhaps your child can make a list of these assignments and tackle them one at a time. Or if tests are the issue, what’s causing your child to struggle on exams?

Perhaps she’s distracted by friends in the class, has trouble asking for help, and doesn’t spend enough time studying at home. Once you’ve identified these “chunks,” help your child tackle them one at a time until the problem is solved.

Show “ The Broken Escalator Video ”

Discuss the importance of embracing challenges and solving problems independently with the “broken escalator video.”

In the video, an escalator unexpectedly breaks. The people on the escalator are “stuck” and yelling for help. At this age, it’s likely that your child will find the video funny and immediately offer a solution: “Just walk! Get off the escalator!”

Tell your child that this is a simple example of how people sometimes act in difficult situations. Ask, “Why do you think they didn’t get off the escalator?” (they didn’t know how, they were waiting for help, etc.)

Sometimes, your child might feel “stuck” when facing problems. They may stop and ask for help before even attempting to find a solution. Encourage your child to embrace challenges and work through problems instead.

Problem-Solve with Prompts

Provide your child or a group of children with materials such as straws, cotton balls, yarn, clothespins, tape, paper clips, sticky notes, Popsicle sticks, etc.

With just these materials, challenge your kids to solve unusual problems like:

• Make a leprechaun trap
• Create a jump ramp for cars
• Design your own game with rules
• Make a device for two people to communicate with one another

This is a fun way to practice critical thinking and creative problem-solving. Most likely, it will take multiple attempts to find a solution that works, which can apply to just about any aspect of life.

Make Them Work for It

When your child asks for a new toy, technology, or clothes, have her make a plan to obtain the desired item herself. Not only will your child have to brainstorm and evaluate solutions, but she’ll also gain confidence .

Ask your child HOW she can earn the money for the item that she wants, and encourage her as she works toward her goal .

Put It on Paper

Have your child write out their problems on paper and brainstorm some potential solutions.

But now, she takes this process a step further: After attempting each solution, which succeeded? Which were unsuccessful? Why ?

This helps your child reflect on various outcomes, learning what works and what doesn’t. The lessons she learns here will be useful when she encounters similar problems in the future.

Play Chess Together

Learning to play chess is a great way for kids to learn problem-solving AND build their brains at the same time. It requires players to use critical thinking, creativity, analysis of the board, recognize patterns, and more. There are online versions of the game, books on how to play, videos, and other resources. Don’t know how to play? Learn with your teen to connect and problem solve together!

Have Them Learn To Code

Our teens and tweens are already tech-savvy and can use their skills to solve problems by learning to code. Coding promotes creativity, logic, planning, and persistence . There are many great tools and online or in-person programs that can boost your child’s coding skills.

Encourage to Start a Meaningful Project

This project has to be meaningful to your teen, for example starting a YouTube channel. Your teen will practice problem-solving skills as they’re figuring out how to grow their audience, how to have their videos discovered, and much more. 

In the Big Life Journal - Teen Edition , there’s a section that guides them through planning their YouTube channel and beginning the problem-solving process.

Apply the SODAS Method

Looking for a game plan that your teen can employ when faced with a problem? The SODAS method can be used for big or small problems. Just remember this simple acronym and follow these ideas:

• D isadvantages
• A dvantages

Encourage to Join Problem-Solving Groups

Does your teen enjoy solving problems in a team? Have them join a group or club that helps them hone their skills in a variety of settings--from science and robotics to debating and international affairs. Some examples of groups include: 

• Odyssey of the Mind
• Debate team
• Science Olympiad

Looking for additional resources?  The Bestseller’s Bundle includes our three most popular printable kits packed with science-based activities, guides, and crafts for children. Our Growth Mindset Kit, Resilience Kit, and Challenges Kit work together as a comprehensive system designed specifically for children ages 5-11.

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25 thoughts on “ How to Teach Problem-Solving Skills to Children and Preteens ”

I love, love, love the point about emotional coaching. It’s so important to identify how children are feeling about a problem and then approach the solutions accordingly.

Thank you for putting this together. I wrote an article on problem-solving specifically from the point of view of developing a STEM aptitude in kids, if you like to check it out – https://kidpillar.com/how-to-teach-problem-solving-to-your-kids-5-8-years/

I feel that these techniques will work for my kid.. Worthy.. Thank you

I love you guys

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20+ Best Fun Learning Activities for 2-Year-Olds

7 Educational Activities for 2 Year Olds

7 developmental activities for 2 year olds, 8 fun activities for 2 year olds with no prep, no mess, get started now.

We know that parenting a toddler can be both rewarding and challenging, so we’ve put together a list of activities to help your little one learn and grow while having lots of fun. Welcome to our guide of 20+ fun and learning activities for 2 year olds!

From simple crafts and games that help with fine motor skills to more active pursuits that will get your toddler moving, there’s something here for everyone. And the best part is that most of these activities can be done using things you already have around the house, so there is no need to go out and buy anything special.

We hope you enjoy trying out these activities with your toddler and that they help make your days a little bit brighter.

1. Color Sorting

What you’ll need:  Construction paper in different colors, crayons, markers, or paint

What to do:  Cut out different shapes from each color of construction paper. Talk about the different colors with your toddler as they sort the shapes. You can also have them trace the shapes with crayons, markers, or paint.

SplashLearn: Most Comprehensive Learning Program for PreK-5

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What kids will learn:  This activity is great for promoting color recognition and fine motor skills. Toddlers also learn about shapes as they play.

2. Letter Matching

What you’ll need:  Construction paper, scissors, crayons, markers, or paint

What to do:  Cut out different letters from construction paper. Talk about the different letters with your toddler as they match them up. You can also have them trace the letters with crayons, markers, or paint.

What kids will learn:  This activity is great for promoting letter recognition and fine motor skills. Learning letters early can also help your toddler with reading and writing later on.

3. Pattern Matching

What to do:  Cut out different patterns from construction paper. Talk about the different patterns with your toddler as they match them up. You can also have them trace the patterns with crayons, markers, or paint.

Some patterns that toddlers can work with include stripes, polka dots, and zigzags.

What kids will learn:  This activity promotes pattern recognition and fine motor skills. It also helps toddlers develop their problem-solving skills.

4. Play Math and Reading Games Online

What you’ll need: A computer with internet access

What to do: Many great math and reading games for toddlers are available online. Spend some time playing these games with your toddler to help them learn new skills. Ensure that children aren’t spending too much time looking at screens. For toddlers, 20–30 minutes is enough screen time.

What kids will learn: This activity encourages children to improve their math and reading skills. Toddlers also learn about computer use and basic game skills.

5. Put Together a Simple Toy Train Set

What you’ll need: A toy train set, such as the Thomas the Tank Engine Wooden Railway Starter Set.

What to do:  Let your toddler help you put together a simple toy train set. They can connect the track pieces, place the trains on the tracks, and press the buttons to make them go.

What kids will learn:  This activity promotes problem-solving, fine motor skills, and hand–eye coordination. Toddlers also learn about cause and effect as they play.

6. Paint With Watercolors

What you’ll need: Watercolors, paintbrushes, water, and paper.

What to do:  This is a classic activity that toddlers will love! They can experiment with mixing the colors, painting different strokes, and adding water to create different effects.

What kids will learn:  This activity is great for promoting art and creativity. Toddlers also learn about colors and mixing different shades.

7. Talk to Your Baby

What you’ll need:  Nothing!

What to do:  One of the best activities for 2 year olds, this is a great way to promote language development. Talk to your toddler about anything and everything. Describe what you’re doing, such as “I’m making lunch.” or “I’m putting on my shoes.” You can also ask them questions and encourage them to answer.

What kids will learn:  This activity is great for promoting language development. Toddlers also learn about communication and conversation.

1. Trace the Body

W hat you’ll need:  Paper, a pencil, and some crayons or markers

What to do:  Help your toddler trace their body on a piece of paper. Then, they can decorate it however they like! This is a great way to encourage creativity and self-expression.

What kids will learn:  This activity is great for promoting art and creativity. Toddlers also learn about their own bodies and how to use different art supplies.

2. Get Dressed

What you’ll need:  Some clothes, shoes, and a mirror.

What to do:  One of the most important activities for 2 year olds is to learn how to get dressed independently. You can start with simple clothing items, such as a shirt or pants. Show them how to wear clothing and then let them try it themselves. As they get better at dressing themselves, you can add more items, such as shoes, socks, and jackets.

This is a great activity to do when you are vacationing with the family as you can afford the time and patience it needs to help your kids learn how to button their shirts or tie their shoes correctly.

What kids will learn:  This activity is great for promoting fine motor skills and independence. Toddlers also learn about different types of clothing and how to put them on.

3. Put Toys Away

What you’ll need:  A toy box or bin and some toys.

What to do:  Show them how to put the toys away in the toy box or bin. As they get better at this, you can add more toys or make it a game by timing them to see how fast they can put the toys away.

What kids will learn:  This is a great activity for teaching toddlers about organization and responsibility. It is also a good way to promote problem-solving skills. Toddlers thus learn about cleaning up.

4. Clap to the Beat

What you’ll need:  Some music or you can clap your hands yourself

What to do:  Help your toddler clap their hands to the beat of the music. As they get better at this, you can add other body parts, such as their feet or head.

What kids will learn:  This activity is great for promoting music and rhythm skills. Toddlers also learn about following directions.

5. Read to Your 2 Year Old

What you’ll need: Any good picture books, like The Very Hungry Caterpillar or The Cat in the Hat .

What to do:  This activity is great for promoting literacy skills. Sit down with your toddler and read one of their favorite books . As they get better at this, you can start asking them questions about the story or having them point out different objects in the book.

What kids will learn:  This activity is great for promoting literacy skills. Studies show that early exposure to reading is linked with higher reading achievement later in life. Toddlers also learn about communication and conversation.

6. Imitate Animal Sounds

What you’ll need:  A video or audio recording of animal sounds, or you can make the sounds yourself.

What to do:  This activity is great for promoting listening skills. Help your toddler identify different animal sounds. You can play a recording of the sounds or make them yourself. As they get better at this, you can start asking them questions about the animals, such as “Where does a lion live?” or “What does a cow eat?”

What kids will learn:  This activity is great for promoting listening skills. Toddlers also learn about animals, their sounds, and maybe their habitats.

7. Play Kitchen Assistant

What you’ll need: A play kitchen, some pots and pans, and some plastic food

What to do:  Show your toddler how to pretend to cook in the play kitchen. Let them help you stir the pots and pans or cut up the plastic food. As they get better at this, you can start asking them to make specific dishes.

Some 2 year old development activities that can be done in a real kitchen include; helping to pour ingredients into a bowl, using a child-safe knife to help cut soft foods, or helping to stir—all with adult supervision!

What kids will learn: This activity is great for promoting imaginative play. Toddlers also learn about cooking and following directions.

1. Pillow Roller Coasters

What you’ll need:  Pillows, blankets, and a lot of space on the floor.

What to do:  Create a pillow roller coaster for your toddler to ride. They will love going up and down the hill. As they get better at this, you can start asking them to go faster or slower.

You could create a smaller pillow road for their toy vehicles. Children can hold a race with their toy cars and make them go up and down the road.

Remote-controlled tanks or any other remote-controlled toy can also be used for this activity.

After your 2-year-old is done playing with the pillow roller coaster, you can just put the pillows, blankets, and toy cars away—no mess to clean up!

What kids will learn:

This activity is great for promoting gross motor skills. Toddlers will also learn about ramps and the energy needed to go up and down the slopes. This basic experiential learning can help them in their future physics classes.

2. Rescue Animals (from zip-lock bags)

What you’ll need: Clear zip-lock bags and small plastic animals.

What to do:  Put their animals in clear zip-lock bags. Now ask them to help the animals get out by using their hands or opening the zip.

You can say, “I see the lion is roaring. It wants to come out. Can you help him?”

You can also put different kinds of objects in the zip-lock bags, like fruits, vegetables, leaves, etc. This will help your toddler learn about different textures and shapes.

After they are done playing with this activity, you can store animals and zip-lock bags separately or throw them in the toy box just as they are.

What kids will learn:  Such games and 2 year old activities help kids learn about animal names, sounds, and textures. It also helps them develop their fine motor skills.

3. Balloon Pop

What you’ll need:  Balloons and a sharp object (like a pin or a needle).

What to do:  Help your toddler blow up the balloon and then let them pop it with the sharp object. Be sure to supervise them closely so that they don’t hurt themselves.

Your toddler will have a blast popping the balloons. The toddlers love the loud noise of the balloons popping and the feeling of popping them.

This activity can get a little messy since the balloon bits will be scattered around. But, it is easy to clean up—gather all the pieces and throw them away.

What kids will learn:  This activity is great for promoting gross motor skills and hand–eye coordination. Toddlers will also learn about cause and effect as they see that their actions (popping the balloon) result in the desired outcome (the balloon makes a loud noise and pops).

4. Origami for Toddlers

What you’ll need:  Square pieces of colored paper

What to do: Origami is the Japanese art of paper folding. There are many simple origami shapes that even toddlers can make.

You can start with something simple like a paper airplane or a boat. Just fold the paper in half and then in half again. Then, help your toddler make the folds to create the shape. Once they get the hang of it, they’ll be able to do it on their own.

We all know 2-year-olds love to display their creations, so be sure to have a spot ready to showcase their origami masterpieces.

What kids will learn:  This activity is great for promoting fine motor skills and concentration. Toddlers will also learn about following instructions and different shapes.

5. Magnetic Letters

What you’ll need:  Magnetic letters (you can find these at your local dollar store or online) and a metal surface

What to do: Stick the magnetic letters on the fridge or any other metal surface. Then, help your toddler spell out words with the letters. You can start with simple three-letter words and then move on to more difficult words.

You can even use these magnetic letters to offer clues to your toddler during a treasure hunt or pass on messages like a detective.

What kids will learn:  This activity is great for promoting literacy skills and creativity. Toddlers will also learn about the alphabet, spelling, and simple words.

6. Decorating with Clothes Pegs

What you’ll need:  Clothes pegs and containers or surfaces to decorate

What to do: Accept it: Painting with your baby can be a messy affair. Clothes pegs allow you to bring a pop of color and beautiful works of art together. And, with this method, you don’t have to worry about paint stains.

Just let your toddler put clothes pegs around the containers or surfaces. You can even use them to create patterns or shapes.

If you want, you can paint the clothes pegs before your toddler starts decorating or buy cheap plastic clothes pegs in different colors. This will add an extra layer of color and fun to the activity.

What kids will learn:  This activity is great for promoting creativity and imagination early in children. They will learn that anything can be turned into a work of art with a little bit of creativity.

7. Transfer Books and Toys From One Box to Another

What you’ll need:  Two cardboard boxes with lids and some toys or books

What to do: You will be surprised how much a toddler loves to help you do a chore and win compliments and hugs from you. It is a great way to keep them occupied while you’re busy with other things.

To set up, put some toys or books in one box and then close the lid. Then, have your toddler transfer the items into the other box. You can even make it a race to see who can transfer the most items in a minute.

You can easily make this a sorting and organizing activity, asking them to sort books, toys, or other objects by colors, shapes, or sizes.

What kids will learn:  This activity is great for promoting fine motor skills and concentration in toddlers. It is also a good opportunity for parents to inculcate a sense of responsibility and ownership in their toddlers and build their confidence.

8. Play with Kinetic Sand

W hat you’ll need:  Kinetic sand and some plastic toys

What to do: If you haven’t played with kinetic sand before, you’re in for a treat. It’s a type of sand that’s moldable and easy to shape. And it’s also very therapeutic to play with.

Let your toddler explore the sand and mold it into different shapes. You can even use the sand to make patterns or write words. If you want, you can add some plastic toys to the mix and see how your toddler plays with them.

And it does not create any mess! You can easily store the sand in a container when you’re done playing.

What kids will learn:  This activity is great for promoting creativity and imagination in toddlers. They will also learn about different textures and how they can be manipulated.

Learning activities for 2 year olds must be creative, hands-on, and FUN! Parents must realize that a young child’s attention span can be short. So, the activities must be structured to maintain their interest, even outdoor activities for 2 year olds must be engaging and interesting. The key is to keep it short and sweet.

Do you need some “you” time? Engage your toddlers in one of the fun activities for 2 year olds mentioned above and take that five-minute break. These activities will not only occupy your toddler but also help their overall development.

Here are more online educational resources for kids that will help with their learning experience and make them smarter.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How to decide which activity is age-appropriate for 2 year olds.

Most two-year-olds can start with sorting shapes and colors, finding things hidden under objects, and doing simple puzzles. They may complete sentences in books they read regularly, follow two-step instructions, and love make-believe games. Activities built around developmental milestones for toddlers can help them progress to the next level.

What are some engaging indoor activities for two year olds that require few or no equipment?

Here are some indoor activities for 2 year olds that don’t require much equipment, if at all:

• transferring books and toys from one box to another
• sorting objects by colors, shapes, or sizes, 
• playing with kinetic sand or clay,
• playing online learning games .

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Important Milestones: Your Child By Two Years

CDC’s milestones and parent tips have been updated and new checklist ages have been added (15 and 30 months). For more information about the updates to CDC’s developmental milestones, please review the Pediatrics journal article  and these  important key points .

How your child plays, learns, speaks, acts, and moves offers important clues about your child’s development. Developmental milestones are things most children (75% or more) can do by a certain age.

Check the milestones your child has reached by 2 years by completing a checklist with CDC’s free Milestone Tracker  mobile app, for  iOS  and  Android  devices, using the Digital Online Checklist , or by printing the checklist [1 MB, 2 Pages, Print Only]  below.

“Learn the Signs. Act Early.” materials are not a substitute for standardized, validated developmental screening tools .

What most children do by this age:

Social/emotional milestones.

Language/Communication Milestones

Close this video

Cognitive Milestones (learning, thinking, problem-solving)

Movement/physical development milestones, notices when others are hurt or upset, like pausing or looking sad when someone is crying.

Tries to use switches, knobs, or buttons on a toy

Plays with more than one toy at the same time, like putting toy food on a toy plate

Kicks a ball

Walks (not climbs) up a few stairs with or without help

Eats with a spoon

Other important things to share with the doctor…

• What are some things you and your baby do together?
• What are some things your baby likes to do?
• Is there anything your baby does or does not do that concerns you?
• Has your baby lost any skills he/she once had?
• Does your baby have any special healthcare needs or was he/she born prematurely?

Concerned About Your Child’s Development? Act Early.

You know your child best. Don’t wait. If your child is not meeting one or more milestones, has lost skills he or she once had, or you have other concerns, act early. Talk with your child’s doctor, share your concerns, and ask about developmental screening. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children be screened for general development using standardized, validated tools at 9, 18, and 30 months and for autism at 18 and 24 months or whenever a parent or provider has a concern.

If you or the doctor are still concerned:

• Ask for a referral to a specialist who can evaluate your child more; and
• Call your state or territory’s early intervention program to find out if your child can get services to help. Learn more and find the number at cdc.gov/FindEI .

For more on how to help your child, visit cdc.gov/Concerned .

As your child’s first teacher, you can help his or her learning and brain development. Try these simple tips and activities in a safe way. Talk with your child’s doctor and teachers if you have questions or for more ideas on how to help your child’s development.

• Help your child learn how words sound, even if he can’t say them clearly yet. For example, if your child says, “or nana,” say “You want more banana.”
• Watch your child closely during playdates. Children this age play next to each other, but do not know how to share and solve problems. Show your child how to deal with conflicts by helping her share, take turns, and use words when possible.
• Have your child help you get ready for mealtime, by letting him carry things to the table, such as plastic cups or napkins. Thank your child for helping.

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• Give your child balls to kick, roll, and throw.
• Give toys that teach your child how to make things work and how to solve problems. For example, give her toys where she can push a button and something happens.
• Let your child play dress up with grown-up clothes, such as shoes, hats, and shirts. This helps him begin to pretend play.
• Allow your child to eat as much or as little as she wants at each meal. Toddlers don’t always eat the same amount or type of food each day. Your job is to offer her healthy foods and it’s your child’s job to decide if and how much she needs to eat.
• Have steady routines for sleeping and feeding. Create a calm, quiet bedtime for your child. Put on his pajamas, brush his teeth, and read 1 or 2 books to him. Children this age need 11 to 14 hours of sleep a day (including naps). Consistent sleep times make it easier.
• Ask your child’s doctor and/or teachers about toilet training to know if your child is ready to start. Most children are not able to toilet train until 2 to 3 years old. Starting too early can cause stress and setbacks, which can cause training to take longer.
• Use positive words when your child is being a good helper. Let him help with simple chores, such as putting toys or laundry in a basket.
• Play with your child outside, by playing “ready, set, go.” For example, pull your child back in a swing. Say “Ready, set….”, then wait and say “Go” when you push the swing.
• Let your child create simple art projects with you. Give your child crayons or put some finger paint on paper and let her explore by spreading it around and making dots. Hang it on the wall or refrigerator so your child can see it.
• Use positive words and give more attention to behaviors you want to see (“wanted behaviors”), than to those you don’t want to see. For example, say “Look how well you’re eating with your spoon.”
• Let your child play with sand toys or plastic containers, spoons, or a funnel in the tub or in a sandbox.
• Help your child do simple puzzles with shapes, colors, or animals. Name each piece when your child puts it in place.
• Encourage your child’s curiosity and help her learn and explore new things. Take her to the park, take walks, or go on a bus ride.
• Sing songs, such as “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes,” to teach names of body parts. After singing it a few times, see if your child sings some of the words when you touch a body part and wait.
• Limit screen time (TV, tablets, phones, etc.) to no more than 1 hour a day of a children’s program with an adult present. Children learn by talking, playing, and interacting with others.
• Encourage your child to play with blocks. Take turns building towers and knocking them down.
• Ask your child to help you open the drawer when you put away clothes or open the door when you go outside.

Special acknowledgments to the subject matter experts and others who contributed to the review of data and selection of developmental milestones, especially Paul H. Lipkin, MD, Michelle M. Macias, MD, Julie F. Pajek, PhD, Judith S. Shaw, EdD, MPH, RN, Karnesha Slaughter, MPH, Jane K. Squires,  PhD, Toni M. Whitaker, MD, Lisa D. Wiggins, PhD, and Jennifer M. Zubler, MD.

Sincere gratitude to Natalia Benza, MD and José O. Rodríguez, MD, MBA for their thoughtful review of the Spanish-language translation of these milestones.

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2-Year-Old Child Development Milestones

Your child’s growth and development at age 2

• Language and Cognitive Milestones
• Movement, Hand, and Finger Milestones
• Social and Emotional Milestones
• Other Milestones

How to Help Your 2-Year-Old Learn and Grow

How to keep your 2-year-old safe, when to be concerned.

Once your child turns 2, you'll probably see some big changes almost every month. They're likely gaining some independence as they begin to navigate their environment on their own. There's also a good chance they're showing interest in trying to do more things without your help.

Your 2-year-old's imagination is also starting to come to life! "For a child, play has a purpose in communicating and understanding their world as [they] perceive it," explains Suzanne Davis , a licensed professional counselor and registered play therapist supervisor. "Play is essential for child development in that it supports socializing, learning, creative problem solving, and expressing thoughts and emotions when words are not available."

Your 2-year-old will love to show off their budding motor skills, creativity, social skills, and independence. You can expect your little one to make great strides between 2 and 3-years-old!

2-Year-Old Language and Cognitive Milestones

At 2-years-old, there are some big changes happening verbally and cognitively. The biggest ones include the following.

Imagination and Pretend Play

Around age 2, you will begin to see your toddler creating imaginative games and combining activities together into a more complicated and intricate sequence rather than drifting from one toy or activity to another. These are signs that their mind is making more connections and beginning to understand relationships between different objects or ideas.

"Your child will naturally engage you to participate in their play and is inviting you to join in their world," explains Davis. "Toddlers enjoy pretend play, such as using a toy kitchen to cook or bake a delicious meal, using a toy vacuum to clean the floor, or using a toy doctor’s kit to give a shot to a stuffed animal."

This is also a time that your child will begin to explore and try to figure out how things work during playtime. It is important to offer as many opportunities as you can for exploration.

Your child will likely enjoy doing the same thing over and over again, like knocking a tower over. Repeating the same behavior helps your child learn—though you may be eager for them to move on from this phase.

Better Communication

While children develop at different rates, most toddlers master at least 50 spoken words by their second birthday. Boys' language skills may develop at a slower rate than girls. But before their third birthday, most 2-year-olds are able to put three-word sentences together.

Your toddler will also be able to follow simple two-step commands, such as, “Please pick up the toy and give it to me." They may also complete lines in familiar books when you are reading to them.

Improved Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills

Your baby's brain is rapidly developing at this age. Some of the new and exciting developments include:

• Sorting shapes and colors
• Finding things hidden under multiple layers
• Building towers with four or more blocks
• Developing a dominant hand

At this age, children learn mainly through their senses, through movement, and through trial and error. They are learning to take ideas in their head and try them out in the real world. Because of this, talking about ideas with them is so important! It helps them process information while showing that you respect what they are thinking about.

Language and Cognitive Checklist

• Uses two-word sentences such as, "I go!"
• Repeats words heard in conversations
• Can find objects when you hide them
• Points to objects or pictures when you name them

2-Year-Old Movement, Hand, and Finger Milestones

You may notice 2-year-olds are just beginning to have better control over their hand and finger movements, which leads to a lot of fun milestones!

Improved Fine Motor Skills

You may notice 2-year-olds are just beginning to have better control over their hand and finger movements, which are signs that they're building  fine motor skills . Most 2-year-olds can stack at least four blocks and put round or square pegs into holes.

Your toddler's artwork is also drastically improving. Instead of chaotic (yet adorable) scribbling, they are more likely to draw more concentrated marks, including circles and lines that are horizontal, vertical, diagonal, or curved.

Running, Jumping, and Climbing

By 2-years-old, your child’s muscles begin to develop, which improves their climbing and running skills. Most 2-year-olds can climb over furniture, stand on their tiptoes, and run short distances. Your child will begin to walk more like an adult, be able to walk next to you without falling down, and should be able to navigate stairs with little assistance.

Throwing and Catching a Ball

Your little one loves trying to play catch now! By 2-years-old, toddlers are more capable of throwing a ball and trying to catch it with two hands. They may not be successful every time, but they are beginning to understand the concept of catching and throwing. Your budding soccer player is also learning how to kick a ball, so lots of outdoor time is a great way to help them master this new, fun skill!

Physical Milestones Checklist

• Learning how to use zippers and snaps on clothing
• May pull pants up and down
• Tries to brush own hair or teeth
• Carries or pulls toys behind them while walking

2-Year-Old Social and Emotional Milestones

There are a lot of big feelings in your 2-year-old's tiny body! Here are some of the main social and emotional behaviors at this age.

Learning to Express Themselves

It’s called the “terrible twos” for a reason! This age often marks the beginning of temper tantrums . That’s to be expected as little ones are learning how to express themselves when they are frustrated, upset, tired, or hungry.

Because 2-year-olds lack the verbal skills to say, “I’m mad,” or “I’m feeling lonely,” they can’t tell anyone how they’re feeling. So they’re more likely to show it. Don’t be surprised when your child drops to the ground and starts screaming. It’s part of typical toddler development.

"When very young children experience anger and frustration, they will react in their behaviors (e.g., tantrums, defiance, etc.) because their brain is still developing and they have not yet learned self-regulation to manage and respond to their ‘big’ emotions," explains Davis. "Generally, big emotions feel very overwhelming and scary for a child where the child seeks connection and attachment (e.g., needing a hug or being held) by the parent as a means to feel more in control."

The bottom line? Try your best to help them process and work through emotions with patience, love, and empathy. It's not easy being 2!

Gradual Interest in Other Kids

Most 2-year-olds are "egocentric" by nature, meaning they can't yet fathom that people may have their own thoughts or concerns outside of them. They think the world revolves around them and their needs at all times.

So, don't be surprised if your toddler isn't ready to play with other children in a traditional, give-and-take manner. Instead, they might prefer to play alongside other kids, as opposed to with them.

But, even in this phase, they'll love being around others. And being around others is a great opportunity for your child to learn about social interactions.

Imitates Behaviors

Between 2 and 3-years-old, your little one learns to imitate the behaviors of both children and adults. Not only do they mimic actions, but they repeat words they hear, often in the same tone. (So it's important to censor grown-up language around them!)

At this age, toddlers will imitate parents, older siblings, and those they see on TV. Not only do they do this to learn, but they also want to feel "included." If the mimicked behavior seems inappropriate, don't worry! They are unable to judge whether their behaviors are appropriate—and that's where you come in to guide them.

Other Milestones for Your 2-Year-Old

Now that your child has reached full-on toddlerhood, here is what else you might notice.

Eating and Snacking

Your 2-year-old is likely getting into more of a solid eating routine, with three meals a day plus one or two snacks. The AAP recommends your toddler eat from each of the following food groups per day:

• Vegetables and fruits
• Rice, potatoes, flour products, and cereals
• Poultry, fish, eggs, and other meats
• Cheese, milk, and additional dairy products

At this age, many kids start to become picky about the foods they eat—and it's totally common, according to Christine Randazzo Kirschner, MS, RDN, CDN and April Panitz, MS, RDN, CDN, registered dietician nutritionists and co-founders of Amenta Nutrition in New York. Their counseling and consulting firm specializes in pediatric nutrition, especially picky eating, mealtime stress, special diets, weight management, and digestive health.

"Toddler years may be the pickiest time for your children—food rejection is common at this age," explains Kirschner. "We often hear from parents that their child has stopped eating a food that they previously accepted or that they keep asking for the same foods every day. Don’t stress about it! Erratic food intake and shifts in preferences are completely normal."

She adds that children at this age are still figuring out their own independence, which can lead them to be more demanding in an attempt to gain more control.

How to Deal With Snacking

It's no secret that toddlers love snacks! While it's easy to worry about their snacking habits, Kirschner and Panitz invite parents to change their mindset. "Since a child’s belly is too small to rely on only three meals a day to reach their daily energy and nutrient requirements, snack time is necessary," says Kirschner.

She explains that you should think of snacks as "mini-meals," which should consist of two to three food groups. "For example, serve a half a piece of whole-wheat bread with almond butter and sliced banana on top or a low-fat yogurt with strawberries and crackers on the side," she says.

Kirschner and Panitz add that snacks are a great way to fill nutrient gaps that may have been lost at meals, along with the opportunity to get some fiber into your child’s diet.

Most importantly, snacks should focus on whole foods instead of ultra-processed, convenient foods that may contain large amounts of salt, saturated fats, and added sugars. While these foods are okay in moderation, it's important to include whole food options along with them.

More Consistent Sleep Schedule

Most toddlers are able to sleep for the majority of the night (at least 11 hours). If not, check to make sure that your infant has a good bedtime routine and has developed the proper sleep associations. They may start waking again at times of stress, illness, or after learning a new task (like walking).

Your toddler may still need two naps during the day or may only take one longer nap. A consistent napping schedule will make sure your child is getting plenty of sleep.

Once your child can climb out of their own crib (and you have already lowered the mattress and made other modifications), it is time to  move your child into a toddler bed . If your child is three feet tall, you may want to move them to a toddler bed even if they aren't climbing out of their crib yet. The usual age for moving out of a crib is about 18 months to three years.

Moving From the High Chair to the Dinner Table

This age is a great opportunity to transition your little one from a high chair to the dinner table! Their newfound independence may motivate them to be more of a "big kid" and grab their own place at the table.

"At the age of 2, children should be eating the same foods as the rest of the family. This includes a variety of fruits and vegetables," says Kirschner. "However, it’s important to remember that while they should be eating the same foods as you, their small tummies require smaller portions. A good rule of thumb is 1 tablespoon of each food per year of age (i.e., 2 tablespoons for 2-years-old)." 

Your 2-year-old has a new talent for keeping you on your toes all day! They are becoming more interactive with the world around them and are looking to you for guidance, consistency, exploration, and fun.

Throughout the day, remember to talk to your child often. Point out what you’re doing as you're cooking or performing household tasks. Keep things simple but avoid using too much baby talk.

Keep in mind that your child learns a lot through play and you don’t need to turn every activity into an opportunity to identify shapes or colors. Instead, let your child explore and play on their own terms.

Davis adds that playtime is also a chance to help your toddler work out their feelings and emotions. "Play is symbolic and schematic as a means to ‘play out’ rather than ‘talk out’ situations and stressors," she says.

Toddlers are notorious for resisting new foods, but fear not! This phase will pass, and in the meantime, all you can do is keep offering new options.

"Keep exposing your child to new and familiar foods by offering them a variety," says Kirschner. "They may need eight to 15 exposures to a new food before they become familiar with it and even more to begin liking it. If they are eating what the rest of the family is having, this is likely to happen organically. Plus it reduces the parent’s stress and workload by making one meal for the whole family!"

Additional Parenting Tips

If your 2-year-old comes down with the flu or a cold, you can try the following:

• A cool-mist humidifier
• Saline nose drops or sprays keep nasal passages moist and help avoid stuffiness
• Nasal suctioning with a bulb syringe
• Acetaminophen or ibuprofen to reduce fever
• Avoid cold and flu medicine in children under 6-years-old
• Always contact your pediatrician if you are concerned about your child's illness

Now that your toddler is able to run around with ease, it's important to keep your eyes peeled for any potential dangers. Here are some of the biggest safety tips to keep in mind for 2-year-olds.

Car Seat Safety

While it's tempting to turn your child from rear-facing to forward-facing in their car seat, research shows that they are five times less likely to avoid serious injury or death if they remain rear-facing.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all infants ride rear-facing as long as possible until they reach the highest weight or height limit allowed by their car seat manufacturer. Typically, this allows you to keep them rear-facing for two years or longer. Many convertible car seats can keep your child rear-facing up to 40 or 50 pounds.

Falls and Burns

Your 2-year-old has mastered climbing, which means there's an increased risk of falls . They can fall off playground equipment, down the stairs, off a bike, out of windows, or anything that they choose to climb on. It's important to keep a close eye on your little explorer and put up baby gates where needed to avoid dangerous situations.

You should also be incredibly careful while in the kitchen with your toddler. They can get severely burned from the stove, oven, hot liquids, grease, and hot foods. Always be extra cautious when cooking or baking.

Water Safety

It is crucial to never leave your child unattended around water. Unfortunately, drowning is one of the leading causes of death in children 1 to 4-years-old, and 69 percent of all of these drownings occur during non-swim times. Toddlers are incredibly curious, and the biggest threat at this age is having them wander off to swimming pools, hot tubs, bathtubs, natural bodies of water, and other types of water around the home.

The best actions to take are to add fences around your swimming pool, remove other water hazards from the backyard (such as birdbaths or fountains), prevent your child from wandering outside (using safety gates, door locks, or doorknob covers), empty any water containers after use, and always use life jackets when in the water.

There are some things that could signal potential developmental issues . According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, talk to your child’s doctor if your child:

• Doesn’t walk steadily
• Doesn’t copy actions and words
• Doesn’t follow simple instructions
• Loses skills they once had
• Doesn’t know what to do with common objects, like a phone, fork, spoon, or brush
• Doesn’t say two-word phrases like, “more milk”

Remember, all children develop at slightly different rates! If you are concerned, the best thing you can do is reach out to your pediatrician for reassurance.

A Word From Verywell

Being 2 comes with its challenges, but it's also an exciting time for both you and your child. They are starting to better understand the world around them, and it's fun to watch their newfound curiosity and imagination come alive. They are turning into their own little person!

Some days may be tougher than others, but no matter what, remember—they will fly by. Relish in the exciting moments, enjoy the snuggles when their big emotions take control, and soak in all the fun that comes with toddlerhood. Eventually, those "terrible twos" won't seem so terrible!

Dosman CF, Andrews D, Goulden KJ. Evidence-based milestone ages as a framework for developmental surveillance. Paediatr Child Health . 2012;17(10):561-8. doi:10.1093%2Fpch%2F17.10.561

UNICEF. Your toddler's developmental milestones at 2 years .

Bright Horizons. How Toddlers Think: Understanding and Supporting Toddlers' Brain Development .

Bedford R, Saez de urabain IR, Cheung CH, Karmiloff-smith A, Smith TJ. Toddlers' Fine Motor Milestone Achievement Is Associated with Early Touchscreen Scrolling. Front Psychol. 2016;7:1108. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01108

ZERO to THREE. Learning to Write and Draw .

Dosman C, Andrews D. Anticipatory guidance for cognitive and social-emotional development: Birth to five years . Paediatr Child Health. 2012;17(2):75-80. doi:10.1093%2Fpch%2F17.2.75

American Academy of Pediatrics. Feeding & Nutrition Tips: Your 2-Year-Old .

Hirshkowitz M, Whiton K, Albert SM, et al. National Sleep Foundation's sleep time duration recommendations: methodology and results summary . Sleep Health. 2015;1(1):40-43. doi:10.1016/j.sleh.2014.12.010

The Car Seat Lady. Why Ride Rear-Facing?

American Academy of Pediatrics. Car Seats: Information for Families .

American Academy of Pediatrics. Safety for Your Child: 2 to 4 Years .

American Academy of Pediatrics. Drowning Prevention for Curious Toddlers: What Parents Need to Know .

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Important Milestones: Your Child By Two Years.

Adapted from the  Your Child newsletter  and series of articles from keepkidshealthy.com and are used with the permission of Keep Kids Healthy, LLC.

By Alex Vance Alex Vance is a freelance writer covering topics ranging from pregnancy and parenting to health and wellness. She is a former news and features writer for Moms.com and Blog Writer for The HOTH. Her motherhood-related pieces have been published on Scary Mommy, Motherhood Understood, and Thought Catalog.

17 Fun Problem Solving Activities for Kids

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As a child, I would spend hours putting together puzzles… whether it was 3-D puzzles or figuring out a crossword. I also loved it when teachers would give the class an open-ended question and we had to work in groups to figure out the answer in our own way.

Even something as simple as playing checkers with my brothers gave me the chance to use strategy as a way to win the game. I honestly believe that it’s so important for kids to solve problems at a young age, as it helps them think critically and outside the box.

Table of Contents

So, Why Is It Important To Teach Kids Problem Solving?

I think these kinds of activities are so important for kids to do because it helps them learn how to think analytically and solve problems on their own. It's a great way to get kids to use their imaginations and be creative.

Rote memorization simply does not have the same effect. This type of learning is great for learning facts like historical dates, but it’s not going to help kids figure out how events in history happened and the results.

We take these problem-solving skills into college, the workforce, and travel . My ability to problem solve since childhood has certainly got me through many sticky situations while in a new city or country.

Additionally, problem-solving helps children learn how to find creative solutions to challenges they may face both in and out of the classroom . These activities can also be fun and used in cohesion with school or playtime.

17 Fun Problem-Solving Activities for Kids

1. marble mazes.

This activity was selected because it requires them to think spatially. Spatial learning will benefit kids when they start driving, riding a bike, playing sports,etc.

To do this activity in its simplest form, you will need a piece of paper, a pencil, and some marbles. First, draw a maze on a piece of paper using a pencil.

Make sure to create a start and finish point. Then, place the marbles at the start of the maze. The goal is to get the marbles from the start to the finish by tilting the paper and using gravity to guide the marbles through the maze.

Another example of a marble maze can involve using toilet paper rolls taped together to create a three-dimensional maze. The larger the maze, the harder you can make it.

Check Price on Amazon!

If you are not into the DIY method, you can always buy a toy maze on Amazon. A good 48 piece puzzle is the Melissa & Doug Underwater Ocean Floor puzzle.

2. The Tower Challenge

Building a tower gives kids the chance to think about gravity, structure, and balance.

To do this activity, you will need some building materials like legos, blocks, or even toilet paper rolls. The challenge is to see how high they can stack the materials without the tower toppling over.

This can be done individually or in teams. An activity like this is good for younger kids and is the building block to learning about harder topics like engineering.

3. The Egg Drop Challenge

The egg drop challenge helps kids learn how to engineer a solution that prevents something from breaking. It requires them to think critically about which materials will best protect something fragile like an egg when dropped from a height.

To do this activity, you will need some eggs and various materials such as straws, cotton balls, bubble wrap, etc. The goal is to construct a device that will protect an egg from breaking upon impact.

This can be done individually or in teams . Teams can even have a competition for the best egg drop device.

As children begin handling, shopping for, and cooking their own food, activities like this will help them understand how to handle breakable items like bottles, eggs, delicate fruit,.etc. Ideally, this is best for age groups 8 and up.

4. The Penny Drop Challenge

This activity was selected because it requires kids to think about physics and how different materials affect sound.

To do this activity, you will need a penny ( or another coin), a cup, and various materials such as paper towels, cotton balls, etc.

The goal is to drop the penny into the cup without making any noise. Begin by placing different materials into the cup and then drop the penny into it. The children should also drop the penny from different heights into the same material to see if/how the impact from a higher drop affects sound.

Group kids into teams or let them try it on their own.

Kids should make note of what type of sounds are made when the penny hits different materials. This is a great activity for kids who are interested in science and physics.

5. The Balloon Race Challenge

This activity was selected because it helps kids learn about aerodynamics and Bernoulli’s principle . It also requires them to think creatively about how to design a balloon-powered vehicle.

To do this activity, you will need balloons, straws, masking tape, and markers. The goal is to design a balloon-powered vehicle that can travel a distance of at least 10 feet. Kids can begin this activity by sketching out their designs on paper.

After they have a basic design, they can begin building their vehicle from various materials. Then kids can explain why they think the balloon traveled or did not travel as far as it did.

6. The Marshmallow Challenge

Marshmallows are not only delicious, but they are also soft and malleable. So kids can have fun using it for some construction projects.

This activity was selected because it requires kids to think creatively about how to build a structure using limited materials. It also helps them learn about engineering and work as a team.

To do this activity, you will need marshmallows and spaghetti noodles. The goal is to build the tallest free-standing structure possible using only marshmallows and spaghetti noodles. If you don't have spaghetti noodles, use something similar like pretzel sticks.

You may even want to establish certain rules like each team can only use a certain number of marshmallows or noodles. A time limit can also make it more fun and challenging.

For more fun activities, check out our post on problem solving exercises for team building .

7. The Balloon Pop Challenge

If you remember your childhood, you probably remember popping balloons for fun at times. But this activity is different because it requires kids to use strategy and critical thinking.

This activity was selected because it helps kids learn about patterns and problem-solving. It is also a lot of fun for kids who like popping balloons. The goal is to create a device that will allow them to pop a balloon without using their hands.

To do this activity, you will need balloons and various materials such as straws, string, paper clips, etc.

8. Picture Pieces Puzzle Game

As mentioned earlier, puzzles are a great pastime – especially in childhood. Kids must think critically about how to put the pieces together to create a certain picture. It also helps them learn about shapes, colors, and other concepts.

You can take a medium to large picture and cut it into pieces. If you have younger kids, you may want to make the pieces larger. However, if you have kids closer to the 8-11 age range, you should be able to provide a challenge and make the pieces smaller.

9. Copy the Block Model

For this challenge, you can build a model out of blocks for the kids to copy. Put kids into groups and make sure each group has the same number of blocks you used for your model.

Make your model block as simple or complex as needed for your child's age group.

Set a time limit and make sure each group starts at the same time.

10. Team Scavenger Hunt

A scavenger hunt is great for kids because they have to search for items and use investigative skills. It is also a lot of fun and can be done both indoors and outdoors .

To do this activity, you will need to create a list of items for the kids to find. The items can be anything from common household items to things you would find outside.

These types of activities can also revolve around a theme like a holiday, movie, or book. For example, if the kids are fans of “Harry Potter” you can make a list of items to find that are related to the movie.

11. Obstacle Course

This activity requires kids to think creatively about how to get from one point to another while maneuvering around obstacles. If you have outdoor space, this can be done with common objects such as hula hoops, cones, etc.

If you don't have access to an outdoor space, you can use common household items to create an indoor obstacle course. For example, you can use chairs, blankets, pillows, etc.

Begin by setting up the course and then timing each child as they complete it. You can also have them race against each other to make it more fun.

Obstacle courses are also great because kids get to be physically active while they are thinking critically.

12. Reading Storybooks

There are many great benefits for kids that read storybooks.  One of the excellent benefits is the ability to problem-solve.  When they read the stories in the books, they see scenarios that cause them to be attached to the various characters they read about. 

So, when they encounter a real-life problem, it is often productive to ask a child how their favorite character would solve that problem.  Your kids can also be encouraged to come up with various options and possible outcomes for some of the situations they may encounter. 

This not only helps kids solve various problems but become more independent as well. 

13. Ask Them Open-Ended Questions

A good way to improve a child's ability to think critically and creatively and improve their ability to solve problems is by asking open-ended questions.  It also helps them to develop healthy personalities .

There are no right or wrong answers to these questions.  In addition, the solution requires more than a simple “yes” or “no” answer.  Furthermore, it allows kids to put some extra thought into their responses. 

Here are some examples of open-ended questions you may want to ask. 

• What did this experience teach you?
• Was this easy?  What was easy about it?
• What this difficult?  What is complicated about it?
• What may happen next in this situation?
• How did you come to this solution?
• What, if anything, would you do differently next time?
• What can we do to make things more fun next time?

14. Build Various Structures with Toys

Whether wooden blocks, LEGO blocks, or engineering blocks… giving your kid blocks to build whatever their minds can dream up is fun.  In addition, it requires them to think about how they will make a structure, put the pieces together, and creatively ensure the building's function and design. 

You may also want to challenge them to build something more complicated and watch them use their brain power to make it happen. 

15. Acting Out Skits

Impromptu activities like acting out skits help kids identify problems, develop solutions, and execute them.  This process works with multiple kids being divided into teams. 

First, you will want to write down different situations, such as resolving a disagreement between siblings or dealing with bullying on the playground on a piece of paper.  Second, you will fold the paper and place it in a hat or bowl.  

Third, each team will pick a scenario out of the hat.  Finally, you can give the kids a few minutes to discuss their solution and act out. 

16. Solving Moral Dilemmas   

In this simple game, you will help your kids solve simple dilemmas they may find themselves in.  You could write down a situation your child may find themselves in and help them learn the moral way to solve the problem.   

For instance, “The cashier gave them an additional $5 change back on my purchase.  What should they do?”  Another scenario could be, “I saw my friend cheating on a test.  Should I tell on them or let it go?”  A third one could be, “I caught my friends stealing some gum from the store.  What should I do?” 

After writing down the dilemmas and placing them in a bowl, get each child to select one and read it aloud.  Finally, you will help them devise morally correct solutions to the moral dilemma. 

17. Animal Pairing Game  

This is a fun and creative game to help your kids with focus, critical thinking, and team building skills .  In addition, this activity requires an even number of players to participate (4, 6, 8, etc.) 

Before starting the game, you will want to write the names of different animals twice, each on a separate slip of paper.  Then pass out the slips of paper to each individual or team member, instructing them not to share with anyone the name of the animal they received. 

Then the children will perform activities the animals might do without talking or making sounds.  Some of these activities might include:

• The way the animal cleans or grooms itself
• The way the animal sleeps
• The way the animal fights
• The way the animal eats or drinks
• The way the animal walks or runs

The goal is for each child to successfully pair up with the other child who has selected the same animal.

How Problem Solving in Childhood Helps in Adulthood

Children are not born with problem-solving skills. It is something that needs to be learned and developed over time .

From babies who learn how to communicate their needs to toddlers who figure out how to get what they want, to children who are starting to understand the consequences of their actions – problem-solving is a process that begins in childhood and continues into adulthood.

Some of the benefits of teaching problem-solving skills to children include:

• Improved critical thinking skills
• Better decision-making skills
• Enhanced creativity
• Improved communication and collaboration skills
• Increased confidence

There are many ways to teach problem-solving skills to children. The activities mentioned above are just a few examples. It is important to find activities that are appropriate for the age and abilities of the child.

With practice, children will develop these skills and be better prepared to face challenges in both childhood and adulthood.

Final Thoughts About Fun Problem Solving Activities For Kids

These are just a few ideas to get you started on teaching your child crucial problem solving skills. Perhaps they’ve inspired to come with some of your own, or seek out others? The important thing is to make sure the activity is age-appropriate and challenging enough to engage the kids.

Problem-solving skills are important for kids to learn because they can be applied to various situations in life. These skills also promote critical thinking, which is an important life skill.

There are many other problem-solving activities for kids out there. In time, you’ll find the ones that work best for your child.  And be sure not to forget about your own needs and self-improvement, both of which will make you a better parent and mentor. Here are some useful activities for adults to get your started.

Finally, if you want to level up your parenting skills, then check out this resource that will show you how to get your kids to listen WITHOUT yelling, nagging, or losing control .

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How Your Child Learns to Problem-Solve

Your preschooler is figuring out what things are, why things are, and how things work..

In the course of your child's day, dozens of questions like these arise: "What's inside this box?" "How can I get into it?" "How far can I throw this ball?" "What will happen if I spill all of the crayons out of the box?" "I wonder if my teddy bear floats?" "How can I get these pieces of paper to stick to that piece of paper?" "Why does my block tower keep falling over?"

By asking these questions, your child is identifying and figuring out ways to solve them, and trying out her ideas. Every time she experiments with and investigates things in her world, such as how far water will squirt from a sprayer and what's inside a seedpod, for example, she is building her ability to solve problems. This is also true when she selects materials for building or when she learns to resolve an argument with a friend or sibling over a toy.

If we look at this process more closely, we discover that problem solving involves both creative and critical thinking. Both are necessary to figure out the solutions to problems of all kinds.

Creative Thinking

Creative thinking is the heart of problem solving. It is the ability to see a different way to do something, generate new ideas, and use materials in new ways. Central to creative thinking is the willingness to take risks, to experiment, and even to make a mistake. Part of creative thinking is "fluent" thinking, which is the ability to generate or brainstorm ideas. So ask your child "wide-open" questions! For instance, ask him to:

• imagine all the different ways to get to school (walking, flying, driving, swimming!).
• name everything he can think of that's red.
• name everything he can think of that's round.
• imagine all the things he could make out of clay or paper bags or even an empty box.

These are good examples of thinking problems that have many right answers. Research has shown that the ability to think fluently has a high correlation to school success later on. Another part of creative thinking is "flexible" thinking, which is the ability to see many possibilities or to view objects or situations in different ways. The next time your child pretends a pot is a hat or a spoon is a microphone or speculates on all the reasons that a child in a picture might feel sad, he is practicing his flexible thinking.

Critical Thinking

Critical, or logical, thinking is the ability to break an idea into its parts and analyze them. The math skills of sorting and classifying, comparing similarities and differences, are all parts of critical thinking. Whenever your child looks at, say, two glasses of juice and tries to figure out which one holds more, he is practicing this kind of thinking. To encourage it, ask your child:

• how many different ways he can sort his blocks.
• how many different ways he can make a building out of the blocks.
• how the building would be different if he used blocks of only one size.
• how a bottle of juice and his lunch box are alike and how they are different.
• how family members' shoes are alike and how they are different.

Asking questions about things that don't seem to make sense is another way children think critically. Questions such as "Why do I have a shadow on the playground but not inside?" or "Why can't I see the wind?" are examples of critical thinking. You don't need to have one right answer, but do encourage your child to express his ideas. There's one other thing to remember about problem solving: It's fun! So make room for spontaneity and prepare yourself to be surprised and delighted as you discover your child's unique way of thinking.

32 Top Learning Toys For 2 Year Old (Boost Development)

Is your 2-year-old walking or still crawling? Have you noticed they are still wobbly and unsure on their feet? Two-year-olds are clumsy and are all over the place. However, with the right guidance and the help of one of our suggested top learning toys for 2-year-olds, you can support their physical development and provide them with engaging opportunities to learn and grow.

They walk, crawl, run, climb, throw and drop things, and they make a ton of mess. Not their fault though. Their movements are awkward because they have not mastered their gross and fine motor skills yet. They can talk but not clearly, they keep falling, and need a lot of help.

What are the top learning toys for 2 year old? The best toys for 2 year old are those that help them learn important skills like gross and fine motor movements, spatial awareness, imaginative play, language, and vocabulary, and learn colors, numbers shapes, and other cognitive skills. Two-year-olds need a lot of help in gaining the confidence and independence to move freely. They need toys to help them build strong muscles for movement. Toys should be able to help them with literacy and pre-math skills to prepare them for preschool. Lastly, learning toys for 2 year old should be fun and provide a meaningful experience.

Learning Toys for 2 Year Old

Don’t you find it overwhelming when shopping for learning toys for 2 year old? There are just too many choices. Lucky for you, we have come up with a list of the best for your little one.

Building Blocks

Building blocks provide endless possibilities for fun. Your two-year-old can build, construct, and design anything they can imagine.

It helps to develop their language and expand their vocabulary. Building blocks teach early math skills. Two-year-olds will learn to plan and strategize by learning about positions, colors, shapes, and sizes.

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Playing with building blocks is so much fun your little one will learn about balance, gravity, and geometry without even knowing it!

Matching Toys

Matching may look simple and easy but that’s what makes it effective. Matching requires visual memory and discrimination, improving a young child’s cognitive skills.

It practices the child’s skill in identifying patterns, similarities, differences, and relationships of objects. These help children learn about representation and build their problem-solving skills.

Matching toys also help improve fine motor skills. Not to mention they are so much fun to do with family members and friends. So it improves language, vocabulary, and social interaction too!

Puzzles are a must-have for every child. They are fun and educational. It can be a topic specific if you have a specific goal or lesson to teach your child. For example, if your two-year-old is starting to learn ABCs or numbers, you can reinforce that by letting them play number or letter puzzles.

Puzzles help develop:

• Concentration
• Language and vocabulary
• Spatial awareness
• Shape, color, size, objects, letter, and number recognition
• Fine motor skills
• Hand-eye coordination
• Cognitive skills

Words, Letters, Colors, and Numbers

Two years old is a perfect age to start learning about basic words, letters, colors, and numbers. It is a good way to develop their language and support their growing vocabulary.

These can come in different forms like flashcards, board games, puzzles, wooden blocks, abacus, and many other toys.

Wooden Musical Instruments

Simple wooden musical instruments are great for introducing music, sounds, and noise while having different sensorial experiences.

Music stimulates a child’s brain and can make learning easy. It is calming and improves two-year-olds creativity and imagination. It facilitates brain development.

Think of simple musical instruments like maracas, tambourines, ukuleles, or a drum.

Outdoor Toys

Exploration, especially nature exploration , is important for young children. This is how they can learn to understand their physical world and develop a connection to nature – plants, and animals.

Learning toys for 2 year old for nature exploration like big catchers, gardening tools, catching nets, or a fishing rod is a good start.

Being exposed to nature keeps kids active. They learn compassion for animals and other living things. They are encouraged to move and be active, developing their fine and gross motor skills.

Toys for Physical Activities

Being active is important for your two-year-olds. They have so much energy they need an outlet to channel that. Learning toys for 2 year old that encourage physical activity can include training bikes, a wagon, a ball, a wooden balance board, a claiming triangle, and an outdoor gym.

Physical activities help build strong muscles to improve movement and sharpen their senses.

Toys that encourage physical activities to promote social interaction, language development, and develop good character traits.

Shape Sorters

Shape sorters help children learn about shapes, colors, and spatial awareness. They provide a hands-on experience in matching shapes to corresponding holes, enhancing fine motor skills and problem-solving abilities.

Picture Books

Picture books are excellent educational toys for 2-year-olds as they introduce them to new words, objects, and concepts. They stimulate language development, expand vocabulary, and enhance visual recognition skills.

Nesting Cups

Nesting cups come in different sizes and can be stacked or nested inside one another. These toys teach children about size relationships, coordination, and cause-and-effect. They also promote sensory exploration as kids can fill them with water, sand, or other materials.

Counting Toys

Counting toys, such as number puzzles or counting blocks, are perfect for introducing basic math concepts to 2-year-olds. These toys help children learn to recognize and associate numbers with quantities, promoting numeracy skills and early counting abilities.

Magnetic Letters and Numbers

Magnetic letters and numbers are great tools for introducing the alphabet and numerals to young learners. They can be stuck on the fridge or a magnetic board, allowing children to explore letter and number recognition, spelling, and basic math operations.

Art Supplies

Art supplies, such as washable markers, finger paints, and crayons, encourage creativity, self-expression, and fine motor skills. They provide a sensory experience and help children develop hand-eye coordination, color recognition, and early writing skills.

Pretend Play Sets

Pretend play sets, such as kitchen sets, doctor kits, or toolkits, foster imaginative play and social interaction. They allow children to mimic real-life scenarios, enhancing language skills, problem-solving abilities, and understanding of roles and responsibilities.#

STEM & Montessori-inspired Toys: Introducing Educational Toys for 2-Year-Olds

Discover the world of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and Montessori-inspired toys designed to engage and educate 2-year-olds. These educational toys for 2-year-olds offer hands-on learning experiences that promote problem-solving, critical thinking, and creativit y. With a focus on child-led exploration and independence, these toys provide a foundation for early learning and development.

Lovevery The Block Set

– The Lovevery Block Set is a play kit that promotes language, independence, and social-emotional skills.

– It is made from sustainably-harvested wood and other child-safe materials, ensuring the safety of your child.

– This toy offers educational value by encouraging problem-solving, balancing skills, learning numbers, imaginative play, and real-life skills.

– It is recommended for children aged 34-36 months.

– The set includes a wooden counting box, a land and sky puzzle board, a wooden camper van, and more.

– It is certified by the FSC, guaranteeing its sustainable sourcing.

– So far, there have been no product recalls for this toy.

– The only downside is that it can be a bit pricey.

KiwiCo Koala Crate

– The KiwiCo Koala Crate is a box that contains various arts and crafts, toys for imaginative play, and science activities.

– It meets safety standards, ensuring that the materials used are safe for children.

– The materials in the crate are a mixture of paper, wood, and cloth.

– It offers educational value through imaginative play, fine motor skills development, STEM learning, memory improvement, and creativity.

– This crate is recommended for children aged 2-4 years old.

– Each crate contains a random assortment of different preschool materials for hands-on learning.

– There have been no product recalls for this toy.

– The only drawback is that you cannot choose which items are included in the crate.

Montessori Generation Busy Board

– The Montessori Generation Busy Board is a bag filled with various activity options, including buckles, snap pockets, laces, buttons, and zippers.

– It is made of high-quality, child-safe materials to ensure durability and safety.

– The materials used in this toy are cloth.

– It provides educational value by promoting creativity, coordination, attention, memory, and fine motor skills.

– The recommended age range for this toy is 1-4 years old.

Magformers Basic Set

– Brand: Magformers

– Best features: Magnetic building blocks for open-ended creative play

– Product safety: BPA-free and made with high-quality materials

– Materials: ABS plastic magnets and high-quality construction

– Educational value: STEM learning, spatial awareness, problem-solving, and creativity

– Age range: 3+ years old

– Extra features: Includes various shapes for endless building possibilities

– Certification: ASTM and CPSIA compliant

– Product recall: None

– Cons: Some customers find the magnets to be a bit weak.

Learning Resources Code & Go Robot Mouse Activity Set

– Brand: Learning Resources

– Best features: Coding and programming game set with a robot mouse

– Product safety: Made with child-safe materials

– Materials: Plastic and electronic components

– Educational value: Introduction to coding and programming logic, critical thinking, problem-solving, and sequencing

– Age range: 5-9 years old

– Extra features: Includes coding cards, tunnels, maze pieces, and more

– Cons: Younger children may require adult assistance to fully understand the coding concepts.

Tinkering Labs Electric Motors Catalyst Kit

– Brand: Tinkering Labs

– Best features: Kit for building and experimenting with electric circuits and motors

– Product safety: Made with high-quality, child-safe materials

– Materials: Wood, plastic, metal, and electronic components

– Educational value: Hands-on exploration of engineering, circuitry, problem-solving, and creativity

– Age range: 8+ years old

– Extra features: Includes a variety of building parts, electric motors, and tools

– Cons: Requires adult supervision and guidance for younger children.

Educational Building Sets & Blocks: Building a Foundation with Learning Toys for 2-Year-Olds

Spark your child’s imagination and cognitive skills with educational building sets and blocks designed for 2-year-olds. These engaging toys foster creativity, hand-eye coordination, and problem-solving abilities . With a variety of shapes, colors, and sizes, these learning toys for 2-year-olds offer endless possibilities for construction and exploration.

– The Educational Building Sets & Blocks are a rainbow-shaped block set that comes with little people figures.

– These blocks are made of high-quality, child-safe materials, ensuring durability and safety.

– The materials used are wood with non-toxic paint.

– They offer educational value by promoting creativity, hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, logic, and problem-solving skills.

– These blocks are suitable for children aged 1 year and above.

– The only downside is that they can be a bit pricey.

Melissa & Doug 100 Piece Wood Blocks Set

– The Melissa & Doug 100 Piece Wood Blocks Set includes 100 pieces of solid wood blocks in nine shapes and four colors.

– These blocks are free from lead and phthalates, ensuring the safety of your child.

– They are made from sustainably sourced wood.

– This toy provides educational value by teaching early math concepts, engineering skills, color and shape recognition, fine motor skills, and dexterity.

– It is suitable for children aged 2 years and above.

– The box that the blocks come in can be converted into a carrying case.

– The set is certified by FSC, as well as US and EU conformity certificates.

– Some parents have complained about the block pieces being smaller than expected.

LEGO Classic Creative Bricks Set

– Brand: LEGO

– Best features: Classic LEGO bricks for unlimited building possibilities

– Product safety: Made with high-quality, non-toxic materials

– Materials: Plastic

– Educational value: Creativity, fine motor skills, problem-solving, and imagination

– Age range: 4+ years old

– Extra features: Includes a wide range of LEGO bricks in various shapes and colors

– Cons: The set does not come with specific building instructions.

PicassoTiles 100 Piece Set

– Brand: PicassoTiles

– Best features: Magnetic building tiles with vibrant colors

– Product safety: BPA-free and made with child-safe materials

– Educational value: STEM learning, creativity, spatial awareness, and problem-solving

– Extra features: Includes squares, triangles, windows, and more for endless building possibilities

– Cons: The magnets can be a bit weak, resulting in less stable constructions.

K’NEX Education Intro to Simple Machines: Gears Set

– Brand: K’NEX

– Best features: Building set for exploring simple machines and gears

– Materials: Plastic and metal

– Educational value: Introduction to engineering, gears, mechanics, problem-solving, and critical thinking

– Extra features: Includes gears, connectors, and building instructions for different models

– Cons: Younger children may require assistance in understanding the mechanical concepts.

Words, ABCs, Numbers, & Colors:  Fun and Learning Combined in Toys for 2-Year-Olds

Introduce your 2-year-old to the exciting world of words, ABCs, numbers, and colors through educational toys. These toys engage young minds in early literacy and numeracy skills while making learning fun . From alphabet puzzles to color recognition games, these interactive toys enhance vocabulary, letter recognition, and color awareness in an enjoyable and age-appropriate way.

Melissa & Doug ABC-123 Abacus

– The Melissa & Doug ABC-123 Abacus consists of 36 pieces of abacus wood blocks with ABCs and numbers or figures.

– The abacus blocks are made from sustainably sourced wood, ensuring their safety and durability.

– This toy offers educational value by helping children learn their ABCs, math concepts, colors, patterns, and fine motor skills.

– The blocks feature different illustrations, including animals and common objects or food items.

– The toy is certified by FSC, as well as US and EU conformity certificates.

– Some parents have complained about their kids’ fingers getting stuck between the blocks while turning them.

Battat Wooden Activity Cube

– The Battat Wooden Activity Cube offers different activity options on each side.

– It is constructed with sturdy and smooth materials, ensuring its safety and durability.

– The toy is made of wood with water-based, non-toxic paint.

– It provides educational value by promoting cognitive and problem-solving skills.

– This cube is recommended for children aged 1 year and above.

– It is certified to meet EU, US, and Canadian safety standards.

– The only potential drawback is that having too many activities to do in one toy might overwhelm your child.

Shape Sorter Puzzle

– This shape sorter puzzle offers a unique feature that allows your child to mix and match the slots to change their shape.

– It meets US product safety requirements, ensuring its safety for children.

– The materials used are child-safe plastic.

– This toy provides educational value by promoting problem-solving skills, spatial reasoning, and learning shapes.

– It is recommended for children aged 2 years and above.

– Some customers think it may be too complicated for a two-year-old.

Fat Brain Toys Count & Sort Stacking Tower

– The Fat Brain Toys Count & Sort Stacking Tower is a color-coded stacking and sorting tower designed to teach children about numbers and colors.

– The materials used in this toy are child-safe and meet international, US, and European safety standards.

– It is made of wood.

– This toy offers educational value by promoting cognition, sequencing, memory, counting, number recognition, and fine motor skills.

– The tower comes with number tiles, a stacking peg, and 45 color-coded discs.

– It is certified by ASTM, CPSC, European Safety Standards Commission, and the International Council of Toy Industries.

– The only downside is that the brand does not offer spare parts, so you cannot get new rings if you misplace any.

Leapfrog Storytime Buddy

– The Leapfrog Storytime Buddy is a cute plushie with a light-up tag button that makes Buddy talk and sing.

– It is made of soft cloth plushie materials, ensuring a safe and comfortable play experience.

– The toy is made of soft cloth and certified RoHS-compliant plastic.

– It provides educational value by promoting early reading, role play, and cognitive skills.

– This toy is recommended for children aged 2-5 years old.

– It comes with five read-along books.

– The toy is certified by RoHS.

– Some complaints have been made about the toy’s sound breaking down after a few days.

LeapFrog Mr. Pencil’s Alphabet Backpack

– Brand: LeapFrog

– Best features: Interactive backpack toy with alphabet and writing activities

– Educational value: Letter recognition, letter sounds, writing skills, and vocabulary development

– Age range: 3-6 years old

– Extra features: Includes interactive games, drawing, and music

– Cons: The backpack may be a bit small for older children.

Melissa & Doug See & Spell Learning Toy

– Brand: Melissa & Doug

– Best features: Spelling and vocabulary learning toy with colorful letters

– Materials: Wood and non-toxic paint

– Educational value: Letter recognition, spelling, vocabulary development, and fine motor skills

– Age range: 4-6 years old

– Extra features: Includes double-sided spelling boards and storage case

– Cons: Some parents find the letter pieces to be a bit small.

Lakeshore Learning All About Me! Personalized Photo Book

– Brand: Lakeshore Learning

– Best features: Personalized photo book for early literacy and self-expression

– Materials: Cardstock and non-toxic ink

– Educational value: Letter recognition, name recognition, early literacy, self-expression, and family engagement

– Age range: 2-4 years old

– Extra features: Allows personalization with child’s photos and names

– Cons: Limited customization options for the book’s content.

Puzzles: Engaging and Educational Toys for 2-Year-Olds

Unlock the cognitive abilities and problem-solving skills of your child with educational puzzles designed for 2-year-olds. These captivating toys provide a platform for your little one to explore and develop critical thinking, hand-eye coordination, and spatial awareness . From shape puzzles that foster early recognition to jigsaw puzzles that challenge their growing abilities, these learning toys offer endless opportunities for growth and development. With vibrant colors, engaging designs, and age-appropriate challenges, these puzzles empower 2-year-olds to unleash their potential while having fun.

Hape Farmyard Peg Puzzle

– The Hape Farmyard Peg Puzzle is a 3D puzzle featuring a farmyard scene

– It is made of non-toxic, child-safe materials, ensuring the safety of your child.

– The puzzle is made of sustainably harvested rubberwood with water-based stains.

– This toy provides educational value by promoting cognitive and problem-solving skills.

– The puzzle pieces are labeled with colors for easy identification.

– Some parents have complained that the puzzle pieces were smaller than expected.

Matching Toys: Building Connections with Educational Toys for 2-Year-Olds

Help your 2-year-old develop memory skills and visual recognition through matching toys. These educational toys provide opportunities for children to match and pair objects, fostering concentration and cognitive development . Whether it’s matching shapes, colors, or pictures, these toys offer engaging challenges that promote learning and cognitive growth.

VTech Mix and Match-a-Saurus

– The VTech Mix and Match-a-Saurus is a cute dinosaur toy with puzzle spikes for matching.

– It is made of BPA-free materials, ensuring the safety of your child.

– The toy is made of ABS plastic.

– It offers educational value by promoting cognitive and fine motor skills.

– The dinosaur moves around and makes sounds (requires batteries).

– It is certified to meet US and European safety standards.

– Some complaints have been made about the dinosaur playing the same song even with different puzzle combinations.

Puzzle Playhouse

– The Puzzle Playhouse is a puzzle that features colorful illustrations and child-friendly designs.

– It is made of eco-friendly recycled paper, ensuring sustainability and safety.

– The puzzle pieces are made of cardboard.

– It is recommended for children aged 2-5 years old.

– The puzzle features child-friendly illustrations.

– Some customers have complained that the pieces don’t click or fit snugly together.

Ravensburger My First Memory Game

– Brand: Ravensburger

– Best features: Classic memory game for young children

– Materials: Cardboard

– Educational value: Memory skills, concentration, turn-taking, and visual recognition

– Age range: 2+ years old

– Extra features: Includes large, colorful cards with familiar images

– Cons: The cards may be a bit thin and prone to bending.

ThinkFun Zingo Bingo

– Brand: ThinkFun

– Best features: Fast-paced bingo game for early learners

– Materials: Cardboard and plastic

– Educational value: Picture-word matching, vocabulary development, concentration, and social skills

– Extra features: Includes a Zinger device for dispensing tiles

– Cons: The Zinger device may require adult assistance for younger children.

Peaceable Kingdom Monkey Around

– Brand: Peaceable Kingdom

– Best features: Cooperative game for color and pattern matching

– Materials: Cardstock

– Educational value: Color and pattern recognition, cooperation, social skills, and turn-taking

– Extra features: Includes large, sturdy cards with adorable monkey illustrations

– Cons: Some customers find the game too simple for older children.

Imaginative Play, Role Play, & Pull Toys: Igniting Creativity with Learning Toys for 2-Year-Olds

Encourage imaginative play and role-playing skills with a range of educational toys designed to captivate 2-year-olds. From pretend kitchen sets to pull-along toys, these playtime companions inspire creativity, social interaction, and fine motor skills . With these toys, your child can embark on imaginative adventures and explore the world through imaginative and educational play.

Lovevery The Realist Play Kit

– The Lovevery The Realist Play Kit is a science experiment kit that includes lessons for volume and liquid conservation.

– It is made from sustainably-harvested wood and other child-safe materials, ensuring safety and sustainability.

– This toy offers educational value by promoting problem-solving, creativity, cognition, memory, fine motor skills, and basic science and math concepts.

– The recommended age range for this toy is 31-33 months.

– The kit includes a match-and-tap hammer box, memory game, board book, and a countdown timer with color indicators.

– It is certified by the FSC.

Little Tikes Spiralin’ Seas Waterpark Play Table

– The Little Tikes Spiralin’ Seas Waterpark Play Table is a two-tier toddler water table designed for showering splashes and waterfalls.

– It is free from phthalates and heavy metals, ensuring the safety of your child.

– The materials used are polyethylene and/or polypropylene plastics.

– This toy offers educational value through pretend play, sensory exploration, social development, and STEM learning, such as cause and effect, gravity, water flow, and volume.

– It is recommended for children aged 1½ years old.

– The table can be easily cleaned using household cleaners or disinfectant wipes.

– It is certified to meet ASTM safety standards.

– The lack of pre-drilled holes for assembly may make it a bit difficult to assemble.

Little Tikes Go & Grow Dino Ride On Toy

– The Little Tikes Go & Grow Dino Ride On Toy is a dinosaur ride that can grow with your child.

– It is free from BPA,

latex, PVC (polyvinyl chloride), and phthalates, ensuring the safety of your child.

– The toy is made of high-density polyethylene, low-density polyethylene, and polypropylene.

– It offers educational value through imaginative play and gross motor skills development.

– This toy is recommended for children aged 1-3 years old.

– It features oversized back wheels for stability.

– It is certified by CPSIA (Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act).

– Some customers have complained that it’s too small for their two-year-old.

WowWee Pinkfong Baby Shark Song Puppet

– The WowWee Pinkfong Baby Shark Song Puppet is a puppet that sings the popular “Baby Shark” song.

– It is made of soft plush fabric, providing a comfortable and safe play experience.

– This toy offers educational value through pretend play.

– Kids can control the tempo of the song by opening the shark’s mouth fast or slow.

– The only drawback is that the shark’s mouth has to be moved in a specific way for the song to play at normal speed.

Hape Roller Derby

– The Hape Roller Derby is a colorful ramp toy with toy cars.

– It is made of child-safe, BPA-free plastic.

– The materials used are ABS plastic and beechwood.

– It offers educational value by teaching children about colors, cause-and-effect, gravity, numbers, and colors.

– This toy is recommended for children aged 18 months and above.

– The cars can move forward or backward.

– Some customers have complained that the pieces don’t click or fit together snugly.

Green Toys Fire Truck

– Brand: Green Toys

– Best features: Sturdy fire truck toy made from recycled materials

– Product safety: BPA-free and made with 100% recycled plastic

– Materials: Recycled plastic

– Educational value: Imaginative play, storytelling, fine motor skills, and environmental awareness

– Age range: 1+ years old

– Extra features: Includes a working ladder and two removable firefighters

– Cons: The ladder may be a bit stiff to move for younger children.

KidKraft Uptown Espresso Kitchen

– Brand: KidKraft

– Best features: Large play kitchen for imaginative cooking and role play

– Materials: Wood, plastic, and metal

– Educational value: Imaginative play, pretend cooking, social skills, and creativity

– Extra features: Includes a refrigerator, oven, microwave, and other interactive elements

– Cons: Assembly can be time-consuming.

Hape Wooden Pull-Along Snail Toy

– Brand: Hape

– Best features: Adorable pull-along toy with a friendly snail design

– Educational value: Gross motor skills, coordination, imaginative play, and cause-and-effect

– Extra features: The snail’s shell spins as it rolls

– Cons: The string for pulling may be a bit short for taller toddlers.

What are learning toys? Learning toys are also called educational toys. They are designed for learning a new skill(s), a lesson(s), achieving a new milestone(s), or improving existing ones. These toys are specifically crafted to engage and stimulate the minds of 2-year-olds, providing them with a hands-on and interactive learning experience. Whether it’s through puzzles, building sets, or language development tools, educational toys for 2-year-olds play a crucial role in their cognitive, physical, and emotional development. These toys foster creativity, problem-solving abilities, fine motor skills, and social interaction, laying a strong foundation for future learning. With age-appropriate challenges and engaging features, learning toys for 2-year-olds create an exciting and fun-filled environment for exploration, discovery, and growth.

Why do toddlers need learning toys? Learning toys for 2 year old are important to help them achieve their developmental milestones. Toddlers need learning toys to stimulate their innate desire to learn and do things on their own. These educational toys for 2-year-olds provide hands-on experiences that promote cognitive, motor, and social development. By engaging with age-appropriate learning toys, 2-year-olds can enhance their problem-solving skills, fine motor coordination, language development, and early literacy and numeracy abilities. These toys foster a love for learning and exploration, setting a strong foundation for their future educational journey. Whether it’s building blocks, puzzles, or imaginative play toys, the right learning toys for 2-year-olds can make a significant impact on their growth and overall development.

Are learning toys necessary? Learning toys are necessary to aid your child’s overall development and growth. Learning toys can come in different forms. You can buy manufactured toys, make DIY items, or use regular household objects for playtime. Educational toys for 2-year-olds provide age-appropriate challenges and activities that stimulate their cognitive, motor, and social skills. These toys foster creativity, problem-solving, and early learning concepts such as numbers, letters, and colors. They encourage exploration, curiosity, and a love for learning. Incorporating learning toys into your child’s playtime helps them develop essential skills while having fun and building a strong foundation for future learning.

Where can I buy learning toys for 2 year old? You can buy learning toys from your favorite local toy stores or buy them online. There are many available resources nowadays to shop for learning toys. Visit well-known retailers or browse through dedicated websites that specialize in educational toys for 2-year-olds . Online marketplaces also offer a wide selection of learning toys for 2-year-olds , allowing you to compare prices and read reviews before making a purchase. Additionally, consider checking out educational supply stores or visiting local children’s boutiques that prioritize learning and development. Don’t forget to explore second-hand options like consignment stores or online marketplaces, as you might find gently used educational toys for 2-year-olds at a more affordable price.

The best toys for 2 year old are those that help them learn important skills like gross and fine motor movements, spatial awareness, imaginative play, language, and vocabulary, and learn colors, numbers shapes, and other cognitive skills. Two-year-olds need a lot of help in gaining the confidence and independence to move freely. They need toys to help them build strong muscles for movement. Toys should be able to help them with literacy and pre-math skills to prepare them for preschool. Lastly, learning toys for 2 year old should be fun and provide a meaningful experience.

© Montessori Toddler 2023.

Activities for a 2-year-old: Fostering your toddler’s development

Y ou’ve got a front-row seat to watching this tiny human become a thinking, feeling person before your very eyes. It’s a beautiful—and sometimes challenging—place to be. Your 2-year-old these days is getting more comfortable with expressing their opinions about everything, from what they eat (“more blueberries!”) to what they wear (“no socks!”) to what they want (“mine!”), and you’re just along for the ride. 

Just remember that they’re working on developing their independence at this stage, a milestone in and of itself. And to support their burgeoning do-it-myself skills and all those newfound likes and dislikes, we’ve compiled a list of our favorite 2-year-old activities to keep them entertained and engaged. 

Related: 2-year-old milestones

Sensory activities for 2-year-olds

1. scented playdough.

Add scents like vanilla, lavender, or citrus to homemade playdough , and let your child engage their senses as they knead, shape and explore the fragrant dough, promoting sensory development and relaxation. Kitchen tools like forks and cookie cutters can make fun shapes, too. 

2. Sensory bins

Now that your kiddo is over 18 months, sensory bins are a great way for them to explore new textures and tactile sensations. Try filling a large but shallow bin or baking pan with dried black beans, rice or kinetic sand, and then incorporate a few of their favorite toys into the mix, too, like mini metal cars or trucks for digging or items found in nature to discover and collect, like pinecones, acorns and flowers. 

3. The big dig

Freeze small toys or objects in a large block of ice and provide your child with tools like spoons or paintbrushes to chip away and melt the ice, promoting fine motor skills, problem-solving, and a cool sensory experience.

Related: 2-year-old health & growth guide

Developmental activities for 2-year-olds

1. pom pom party.

Give your child a pair of toddler-friendly tongs or two spoons and a bowl of colorful pom poms (find them at the craft store!), and encourage them to transfer the pom poms from one container to another to promote fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and concentration. Then, ask them to find just the red ones, or just the green. 

2. Shape treasure hunt

Hide paper or cardboard shape cutouts around the house and help your child search for them, encouraging shape recognition, problem-solving, and gross motor skills as they navigate and collect the triangles, squares, circles and stars.

3. Alphabet matching

Using index cards or small squares of construction paper, create flashcards with uppercase and lowercase letters, and have your child match the corresponding pairs and find the letters in their name, promoting letter recognition, memory skills, and early literacy development.

Related: 2-year-olds aren’t terrible–they’re just learning how to be human

Things to do with a 2-year-old

Week 1: coffee date.

Consider taking your 2-year-old out on a date to a nearby coffee shop. They’ll love the focused one-on-one time with you (maybe you can chat about your day, do some people watching or sketch the dogs you see) and they’ll also get a taste of what it’s like to be in the grown-up world for a bit. At home, you can play barista together! 

Week 2: Rainbow rice

Dye dried rice in different vibrant colors using food coloring, and let your child create colorful masterpieces by gluing the rice onto paper or cardboard, providing a sensory-rich art experience that promotes creativity and fine motor development.

Related: 75 activities to cherish while your child is still little

Week 3: Make a maze

Using painter’s tape, make a maze or car racing course on the floor. Your little one can drive an imaginary vehicle through the track or use a scooter or toy cars. Watch them flex their gross motor skills, balance and spatial awareness. 

Week 4: Bubble stomp

Got some bubble wrap tucked away? Lay out a sheet of bubble wrap and let your child stomp, jump and pop the bubbles with their feet, combining tactile and auditory experiences while encouraging movement, coordination and sensory stimulation.

Our favorite products for 2-year-olds

Our favorite christmas gifts for 2-year-olds, melissa & doug, 1. let's play house dust sweep mop 6 piece pretend play set.

Toddlers love to help with whatever household chores you are doing. A mop, dust pan and broom just their size allows them to clean alongside you. (After all, chances are good it’s their mess you’re cleaning up.)

2. Doctor & Ambulance Kit

Paging Dr. Toddler! With this kit budding physicians can tend to the medical needs of their dolls and teddies with an arsenal of tools (all made from recycled plastic, btw), that all packs away into a toy ambulance they can zip from one house visit to the next.

Banana Panda

3. super size memory game.

Sometimes bigger is better: That’s the case with this super-sized twist on the classic game of memory. The big cards boasting illustrations of cartoon critters are ideal for tiny toddler hands. Not to mention, the rules are easy enough to follow for game newbies, and littles will hone cognitive skills while they play the game.

Modest Fashion and Natural Lifestyle

10 Engaging Fine Motor Skill Activities for 2-Year-Old Toddlers: Enhancing Development through Engaging Play

In this article, we will explore 10 Engaging Fine Motor Skill Activities for 2-Year-Old Toddlers. These activities are not only fun and engaging but also help toddlers improve their hand-eye coordination, finger dexterity, and muscle control.

Fine motor skills refer to the small muscle movements of the hands and fingers.These activities are not only fun and engaging but also help toddlers improve their hand-eye coordination, finger dexterity, and muscle control which enable them to do many things in their daily lives, like eating, writing, manipulating objects, and getting dressed

Here are some reasons why fine motor skills are important for toddlers-

Hand-Eye Coordination: Hand-eye coordination is the ability to perform movements with the hands while guided by the eyes. A child’s hands and sight work together to perform fine motor skill activities.

• Preparing for Writing: Developing fine motor skills at an early age sets the foundation for later writing abilities. The control and precision required for holding a pencil and forming letters are developed through activities that strengthen the muscles in the hands and fingers.
• Independence in Daily Tasks: Fine motor skills enable children to become more independent in self-care activities. They need these skills to dress themselves, feed themselves with utensils, brush their teeth, wear shoes etc.
• Cognitive Development: As children engage in activities that require fine motor control, they also exercise their problem-solving, critical thinking, and spatial awareness skills.

Language Development: Fine motor activities often involve the exploration and manipulation of objects, which provide opportunities for language development. Children can describe the objects they use, follow instructions, and engage in conversations while participating in fine motor activities.

Safety Measures to Consider When Engaging in Fine Motor Skill Activities

• Adult supervision – Always have an adult supervise while doing these activities.
• Child-safe tools – Select materials that are safe and suitable for the age of the child. Avoid small objects that could be choking hazards for young children.

You might also like these related posts:

• Best Puzzles for 2-year old
• Easy Pattern Matching Activity (free printable) 
• Toddler Summer Essentials
• Eco-friendly Toy Storage Ideas
• 10 Fun Water Toys for Toddlers

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by 🦋 Suri Busa | Mom & Lifestyle Blogger (@dreamin.loud)

10 Engaging Fine Motor Skill Activities for 2-Year-Old Toddlers

1. Lacing Beads Fine Motor Skill Activity

Lacing beads is an excellent activity for hand-eye coordination. It involves threading beads onto a string or lace. Always ensure the beads are large enough to avoid choking hazards and supervise the child during the activity.

Lacing beads are from Lovevery play kit , Shop similar Lacing beads here

2. Color Sorting with Pom Poms and Tweezer Fine Motor Skill Activity

Using tweezers to pick up small objects like pom poms and sorting them by color helps develop hand-eye coordination and encourages children to discriminate and recognize different colors visually.

Materials needed:

• Pom poms in various colors
• Silicone cups or muffin cups in corresponding colors
• Tweezers or child-friendly tongs 

Instructions:

Set up pom poms in different colors and matching cups in a tray

• Demonstrate the activity to the child. Show them how to use the tweezers or tongs to pick up a pom pom and carefully transfer it to the corresponding colored silicone cup.
• Let your little one use tweezers to pick up the pom poms and place them in the correct color cup. They can practice their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination as they do so.

 3. Pounding Golf Tees Fine Motor Skill Activity

• I put the styrofoam in the cardboard box from old packing material. You can also use Foam noodles from dollar tree or cork board.
• Colorful golf tees
• Kid’s hammer or mallet
• Place the golf tees on the foam or corkboard. You can arrange them randomly or create specific patterns for the child to follow, like an alphabet shape.

Show them how to hold the hammer or mallet correctly and demonstrate the pounding motion.

• Encourage the child to use the hammer to pound the golf tees into the board. Whether the child uses the mallets or just their fingers, they build their finger muscles and practice their pincer grasp.

4. Water Transfer with Twisty Dropper Fine Motor Skill Activity

• Multiple small containers and one big container
• Twisty dropper or pipette 
• Fill the big container with water. Add a few drops of food coloring to make the water more visually engaging.
• Demonstrate how to use the twisty dropper. I say “squeeze” showing the squeezing action to draw water into the dropper and then I say “release” while releasing the squeeze to transfer the water.
• Encourage your little one to use the dropper and do the squeeze and release actions.

5.  Alphabet Tracing with Dot Stickers Fine Motor Skill Activity

Alphabet tracing with dot stickers is a wonderful fine motor activity that helps children practice letter formation and improve their hand-eye coordination.

• Dot stickers 
• Marker or pen
• On a piece of paper, draw the alphabet or print it. If you are adding more alphabets, make sure you leave enough space between each letter for the dot stickers to be placed.
• Place a dot sticker at the beginning of the alphabet. Demonstrate the activity to the child by picking up a dot sticker, placing it right after the first dot sticker, and following along the lines of the letter.
• Encourage the child to trace the letters using dot stickers.

You can also do a Name Tracing with the dot stickers- Write the child’s name on the paper, leaving enough space between each letter. Place dot stickers along the outline of each letter of their name, and let the child trace it using dot stickers.

6. Puzzles Fine Motor Skill Activity

Puzzles are fantastic for developing fine motor skills in children. Basic jigsaw puzzles or peg puzzles are ideal for younger children. Manipulating the puzzle pieces, grasping them, and fitting them into place helps improve hand-eye coordination and finger dexterity.

I introduce two peg puzzles at once to make it slightly challenging.

You can find the best puzzles for Toddler in this post

Best DIY Pattern Matching puzzle in this post

7. Rubber band Fine Motor Skill Activity

• Pool or foam noodle or a puzzle base , I used this one
• Assorted rubber bands
• Set up the puzzle or pool noodle in a stable position, ensuring it won’t tip over during the activity.
• Demonstrate how to stretch a rubber band over one of the bars. I say “hold” and “stretch” to hold one end of the rubber band with one hand while using the other hand to stretch and hook the opposite end onto the bar.

8. Working in the Kitchen

Working in the kitchen provides a wealth of opportunities for fine motor skill development. Here are some kitchen-based fine motor skill activities for Toddlers:

• Scooping and Pouring
• Cutting and chopping
• Mixing and stirring
• Rolling dough
• Squeezing and Juicing
• Cracking egg
• Whisking and Beating
• Sprinkling and Decorating
• Washing and cleaning

9. Cutting Tape with Scissors Fine Motor Skill Activity

• Masking Tape (recommend using colorful masking tape, we didn’t have any so used transparent packing tape)
• Child-safe scissors
• Use masking tape and create straight lines. Be sure to press down the tape firmly to secure it to the tray. You can also create checks.
• Show the child how to hold the scissors correctly and demonstrate the cutting motion.
• Encourage your little one to cut the tape using the scissors carefully. In the beginning, they will only to able to make one cut per section; encourage them to move the scissor forward and cut until the tape is separated into two halves.

10. Gluing and Pasting Fine Motor Skill Activity

• Precut shapes
• Glue stick or liquid glue  with a brush
• Construction paper or Cardstock or cardboard (I cut the Amazon boxes and use them)
• Show a picture of the thing you are making or tell them today we are making a flower.
• Draw the image of the thing on the cardboard.
• Demonstrate the activity: Show the child how to apply glue to the back of an item or on the cardboard with a brush and then stick the shape on it. Explain the importance of using just the right amount of glue (not too much, not too little).
• Encourage the child to glue and stick the shapes.
• If the child is ready for more advanced fine motor practice, encourage them to cut out shapes or images from magazines using the kid-safe scissors before gluing them onto the cardstock or cardboard.

The craft set is from Lovevery play kit , you can shop similar in the slider below

Let me know in the comments if you want to do part #2.

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The Mind-Expanding Value of Arts Education

As funding for arts education declines worldwide, experts ponder what students — and the world at large — are losing in the process.

By Ginanne Brownell

This article is part of our special report on the Art for Tomorrow conference that was held in Florence, Italy.

Awuor Onguru says that if it were not for her continued exposure to arts education as a child, she never would have gotten into Yale University.

Growing up in a lower-middle-class family in Nairobi, Kenya, Ms. Onguru, now a 20-year-old junior majoring in English and French, started taking music lessons at the age of four. By 12, she was playing violin in the string quartet at her primary school, where every student was required to play an instrument. As a high school student on scholarship at the International School of Kenya, she was not only being taught Bach concertos, she also became part of Nairobi’s music scene, playing first violin in a number of local orchestras.

During her high school summer breaks, Ms. Onguru — who also has a strong interest in creative writing and poetry — went to the United States, attending the Interlochen Center for the Arts ’ creative writing camp, in Michigan, and the Iowa Young Writers’ Studio . Ms. Onguru, who recently returned to campus after helping organize Yale Glee Club’s spring tour in Kenya, hopes to become a journalist after graduation. She has already made progress toward that goal, serving as the opinion editor for the Yale Daily News, and getting her work published in Teen Vogue and the literary journal Menacing Hedge.

“Whether you’re in sports, whether you end up in STEM, whether you end up in government, seeing my peers — who had different interests in arts — not everyone wanted to be an artist,” she said in a video interview. “But they found places to express themselves, found places to be creative, found places to say things that they didn’t know how else to say them.”

Ms. Onguru’s path shows what a pivotal role arts education can play in a young person’s development. Yet, while the arts and culture space accounts for a significant amount of gross domestic product across the globe — in the United Kingdom in 2021, the arts contributed £109 billion to the economy , while in the U.S., it brought in over $1 trillion that year — arts education budgets in schools continue to get slashed. (In 2021, for instance, the spending on arts education in the U.K. came to an average of just £9.40 per pupil for the year .)

While experts have long espoused the idea that exposure to the arts plays a critical role in primary and secondary schooling, education systems globally have continually failed to hold it in high regard. As Eric Booth, a U.S.-based arts educator and a co-author of “Playing for Their Lives: The Global El Sistema Movement for Social Change Through Music,” said: “There are a whole lot of countries in the world that don’t have the arts in the school, it just isn’t a thing, and it never has been.”

That has led to the arts education trajectory heading in a “dark downward spiral,” said Jelena Trkulja, senior adviser for academic and cultural affairs at Qatar Museums , who moderated a panel entitled “When Arts Education is a Luxury: New Ecosystems” at the Art for Tomorrow conference in Florence, Italy, organized by the Democracy & Culture Foundation, with panels moderated by New York Times journalists.

Part of why that is happening, she said, is that societies still don’t have a sufficient and nuanced understanding of the benefits arts education can bring, in terms of young people’s development. “Arts education is still perceived as an add-on, rather than an essential field creating essential 21st-century skills that are defined as the four C’s of collaboration, creativity, communication and critical thinking,” Dr. Trkulja said in a video interview, “and those skills are being developed in arts education.”

Dennie Palmer Wolf, principal researcher at the U.S.-based arts research consultancy WolfBrown , agreed. “We have to learn to make a much broader argument about arts education,” she said. “It isn’t only playing the cello.”

It is largely through the arts that we as humans understand our own history, from a cave painting in Indonesia thought to be 45,000 years old to “The Tale of Genji,” a book that’s often called the world’s first novel , written by an 11th-century Japanese woman, Murasaki Shikibu; from the art of Michelangelo and Picasso to the music of Mozart and Miriam Makeba and Taylor Swift.

“The arts are one of the fundamental ways that we try to make sense of the world,” said Brian Kisida, an assistant professor at the University of Missouri’s Truman School of Public Affairs and a co-director of the National Endowment for the Arts-sponsored Arts, Humanities & Civic Engagement Lab . “People use the arts to offer a critical perspective of their exploration of the human condition, and that’s what the root of education is in some ways.”

And yet, the arts don’t lend themselves well to hard data, something educators and policymakers need to justify classes in those disciplines in their budgets. “Arts is this visceral thing, this thing inside you, the collective moment of a crescendo,” said Heddy Lahmann , an assistant professor of international education at New York University, who is conducting a global study examining arts education in public schools for the Community Arts Network. “But it’s really hard to qualify what that is.”

Dr. Lahmann’s early research into the decrease in spending by public schools in arts education points to everything from the lack of trained teachers in the arts — partly because those educators are worried about their own job security — to the challenges of teaching arts remotely in the early days of the Covid pandemic. And, of course, standardized tests like the Program for International Student Assessment, which covers reading, math and science, where countries compete on outcomes. “There’s a race to get those indicators,” Dr. Lahmann said, “and arts don’t readily fit into that.” In part, that is because standardized tests don’t cover arts education .

“It’s that unattractive truth that what gets measured gets attended to,” said Mr. Booth, the arts educator who co-authored “Playing for Their Lives.”

While studies over the years have underscored the ways that arts education can lead to better student achievement — in the way that musical skills support literacy, say, and arts activities lead to improved vocabulary, what have traditionally been lacking are large-scale randomized control studies. But a recent research project done in 42 elementary and middle schools in Houston, which was co-directed by Dr. Kisida and Daniel H. Bowen, a professor who teaches education policy at Texas A&M, is the first of its kind to do just that. Their research found that students who had increased arts education experiences saw improvements in writing achievement, emotional and cognitive empathy, school engagement and higher education aspirations, while they had a lower incidence of disciplinary infractions.

As young people are now, more than ever, inundated with images on social media and businesses are increasingly using A.I., it has become even more relevant for students these days to learn how to think more critically and creatively. “Because what is required of us in this coming century is an imaginative capacity that goes far beyond what we have deliberately cultivated in the schooling environment over the last 25 years,” said Mariko Silver, the chief executive of the Henry Luce Foundation, “and that requires truly deep arts education for everyone.”

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• Open access
• Published: 11 May 2024

Nursing students’ stressors and coping strategies during their first clinical training: a qualitative study in the United Arab Emirates

• Jacqueline Maria Dias 1 ,
• Muhammad Arsyad Subu 1 ,
• Nabeel Al-Yateem 1 ,
• Fatma Refaat Ahmed 1 ,
• Syed Azizur Rahman 1 , 2 ,
• Mini Sara Abraham 1 ,
• Sareh Mirza Forootan 1 ,
• Farzaneh Ahmad Sarkhosh 1 &
• Fatemeh Javanbakh 1  

BMC Nursing volume  23 , Article number:  322 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

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Understanding the stressors and coping strategies of nursing students in their first clinical training is important for improving student performance, helping students develop a professional identity and problem-solving skills, and improving the clinical teaching aspects of the curriculum in nursing programmes. While previous research have examined nurses’ sources of stress and coping styles in the Arab region, there is limited understanding of these stressors and coping strategies of nursing students within the UAE context thereby, highlighting the novelty and significance of the study.

A qualitative study was conducted using semi-structured interviews. Overall 30 students who were undergoing their first clinical placement in Year 2 at the University of Sharjah between May and June 2022 were recruited. All interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim and analyzed for themes.

During their first clinical training, nursing students are exposed to stress from different sources, including the clinical environment, unfriendly clinical tutors, feelings of disconnection, multiple expectations of clinical staff and patients, and gaps between the curriculum of theory classes and labatories skills and students’ clinical experiences. We extracted three main themes that described students’ stress and use of coping strategies during clinical training: (1) managing expectations; (2) theory-practice gap; and (3) learning to cope. Learning to cope, included two subthemes: positive coping strategies and negative coping strategies.

Conclusions

This qualitative study sheds light from the students viewpoint about the intricate interplay between managing expectations, theory practice gap and learning to cope. Therefore, it is imperative for nursing faculty, clinical agencies and curriculum planners to ensure maximum learning in the clinical by recognizing the significance of the stressors encountered and help students develop positive coping strategies to manage the clinical stressors encountered. Further research is required look at the perspective of clinical stressors from clinical tutors who supervise students during their first clinical practicum.

Peer Review reports

Nursing education programmes aim to provide students with high-quality clinical learning experiences to ensure that nurses can provide safe, direct care to patients [ 1 ]. The nursing baccalaureate programme at the University of Sharjah is a four year program with 137 credits. The programmes has both theoretical and clinical components withs nine clinical courses spread over the four years The first clinical practicum which forms the basis of the study takes place in year 2 semester 2.

Clinical practice experience is an indispensable component of nursing education and links what students learn in the classroom and in skills laboratories to real-life clinical settings [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]. However, a gap exists between theory and practice as the curriculum in the classroom differs from nursing students’ experiences in the clinical nursing practicum [ 5 ]. Clinical nursing training places (or practicums, as they are commonly referred to), provide students with the necessary experiences to ensure that they become proficient in the delivery of patient care [ 6 ]. The clinical practicum takes place in an environment that combines numerous structural, psychological, emotional and organizational elements that influence student learning [ 7 ] and may affect the development of professional nursing competencies, such as compassion, communication and professional identity [ 8 ]. While clinical training is a major component of nursing education curricula, stress related to clinical training is common among students [ 9 ]. Furthermore, the nursing literature indicates that the first exposure to clinical learning is one of the most stressful experiences during undergraduate studies [ 8 , 10 ]. Thus, the clinical component of nursing education is considered more stressful than the theoretical component. Students often view clinical learning, where most learning takes place, as an unsupportive environment [ 11 ]. In addition, they note strained relationships between themselves and clinical preceptors and perceive that the negative attitudes of clinical staff produce stress [ 12 ].

The effects of stress on nursing students often involve a sense of uncertainty, uneasiness, or anxiety. The literature is replete with evidence that nursing students experience a variety of stressors during their clinical practicum, beginning with the first clinical rotation. Nursing is a complex profession that requires continuous interaction with a variety of individuals in a high-stress environment. Stress during clinical learning can have multiple negative consequences, including low academic achievement, elevated levels of burnout, and diminished personal well-being [ 13 , 14 ]. In addition, both theoretical and practical research has demonstrated that increased, continual exposure to stress leads to cognitive deficits, inability to concentrate, lack of memory or recall, misinterpretation of speech, and decreased learning capacity [ 15 ]. Furthermore, stress has been identified as a cause of attrition among nursing students [ 16 ].

Most sources of stress have been categorized as academic, clinical or personal. Each person copes with stress differently [ 17 ], and utilizes deliberate, planned, and psychological efforts to manage stressful demands [ 18 ]. Coping mechanisms are commonly termed adaptation strategies or coping skills. Labrague et al. [ 19 ] noted that students used critical coping strategies to handle stress and suggested that problem solving was the most common coping or adaptation mechanism used by nursing students. Nursing students’ coping strategies affect their physical and psychological well-being and the quality of nursing care they offer. Therefore, identifying the coping strategies that students use to manage stressors is important for early intervention [ 20 ].

Studies on nursing students’ coping strategies have been conducted in various countries. For example, Israeli nursing students were found to adopt a range of coping mechanisms, including talking to friends, engaging in sports, avoiding stress and sadness/misery, and consuming alcohol [ 21 ]. Other studies have examined stress levels among medical students in the Arab region. Chaabane et al. [ 15 ], conducted a systematic review of sudies in Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Pakistan, Oman, Palestine and Bahrain, and reported that stress during clinical practicums was prevalent, although it could not be determined whether this was limited to the initial clinical course or occurred throughout clinical training. Stressors highlighted during the clinical period in the systematic review included assignments and workload during clinical practice, a feeling that the requirements of clinical practice exceeded students’ physical and emotional endurance and that their involvement in patient care was limited due to lack of experience. Furthermore, stress can have a direct effect on clinical performance, leading to mental disorders. Tung et al. [ 22 ], reported that the prevalence of depression among nursing students in Arab countries is 28%, which is almost six times greater than the rest of the world [ 22 ]. On the other hand, Saifan et al. [ 5 ], explored the theory-practice gap in the United Arab Emirates and found that clinical stressors could be decreased by preparing students better for clinical education with qualified clinical faculty and supportive preceptors.

The purpose of this study was to identify the stressors experienced by undergraduate nursing students in the United Arab Emirates during their first clinical training and the basic adaptation approaches or coping strategies they used. Recognizing or understanding different coping processes can inform the implementation of corrective measures when students experience clinical stress. The findings of this study may provide valuable information for nursing programmes, nurse educators, and clinical administrators to establish adaptive strategies to reduce stress among students going clinical practicums, particularly stressors from their first clinical training in different healthcare settings.

A qualitative approach was adopted to understand clinical stressors and coping strategies from the perspective of nurses’ lived experience. Qualitative content analysis was employed to obtain rich and detailed information from our qualitative data. Qualitative approaches seek to understand the phenomenon under study from the perspectives of individuals with lived experience [ 23 ]. Qualitative content analysis is an interpretive technique that examines the similarities and differences between and within different areas of text while focusing on the subject [ 24 ]. It is used to examine communication patterns in a repeatable and systematic way [ 25 ] and yields rich and detailed information on the topic under investigation [ 23 ]. It is a method of systematically coding and categorizing information and comprises a process of comprehending, interpreting, and conceptualizing the key meanings from qualitative data [ 26 ].

Setting and participants

This study was conducted after the clinical rotations ended in April 2022, between May and June in the nursing programme at the College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, in the United Arab Emirates. The study population comprised undergraduate nursing students who were undergoing their first clinical training and were recruited using purposive sampling. The inclusion criteria for this study were second-year nursing students in the first semester of clinical training who could speak English, were willing to participate in this research, and had no previous clinical work experience. The final sample consisted of 30 students.

Research instrument

The research instrument was a semi structured interview guide. The interview questions were based on an in-depth review of related literature. An intensive search included key words in Google Scholar, PubMed like the terms “nursing clinical stressors”, “nursing students”, and “coping mechanisms”. Once the questions were created, they were validated by two other faculty members who had relevant experience in mental health. A pilot test was conducted with five students and based on their feedback the following research questions, which were addressed in the study.

How would you describe your clinical experiences during your first clinical rotations?

In what ways did you find the first clinical rotation to be stressful?

What factors hindered your clinical training?

How did you cope with the stressors you encountered in clinical training?

Which strategies helped you cope with the clinical stressors you encountered?

Data collection

Semi-structured interviews were chosen as the method for data collection. Semi structured interviews are a well-established approach for gathering data in qualitative research and allow participants to discuss their views, experiences, attitudes, and beliefs in a positive environment [ 27 ]. This approach allows for flexibility in questioning thereby ensuring that key topics related to clinical learning stressors and coping strategies would be explored. Participants were given the opportunity to express their views, experiences, attitudes, and beliefs in a positive environment, encouraging open communication. These semi structured interviews were conducted by one member of the research team (MAS) who had a mental health background, and another member of the research team who attended the interviews as an observer (JMD). Neither of these researchers were involved in teaching the students during their clinical practicum, which helped to minimize bias. The interviews took place at the University of Sharjah, specifically in building M23, providing a familiar and comfortable environment for the participant. Before the interviews were all students who agreed to participate were provided with an explanation of the study’s purpose. The time and location of each interview were arranged. Before the interviews were conducted, all students who provided consent to participate received an explanation of the purpose of the study, and the time and place of each interview were arranged to accommodate the participants’ schedules and preferences. The interviews were conducted after the clinical rotation had ended in April, and after the final grades had been submitted to the coordinator. The timings of the interviews included the month of May and June which ensured that participants have completed their practicum experience and could reflect on the stressors more comprehensively. The interviews were audio-recorded with the participants’ consent, and each interview lasted 25–40 min. The data were collected until saturation was reached for 30 students. Memos and field notes were also recorded as part of the data collection process. These additional data allowed for triangulation to improve the credibility of the interpretations of the data [ 28 ]. Memos included the interviewers’ thoughts and interpretations about the interviews, the research process (including questions and gaps), and the analytic progress used for the research. Field notes were used to record the interviewers’ observations and reflections on the data. These additional data collection methods were important to guide the researchers in the interpretation of the data on the participants’ feelings, perspectives, experiences, attitudes, and beliefs. Finally, member checking was performed to ensure conformability.

Data analysis

The study used the content analysis method proposed by Graneheim and Lundman [ 24 ]. According to Graneheim and Lundman [ 24 ], content analysis is an interpretive technique that examines the similarities and differences between distinct parts of a text. This method allows researchers to determine exact theoretical and operational definitions of words, phrases, and symbols by elucidating their constituent properties [ 29 ]. First, we read the interview transcripts several times to reach an overall understanding of the data. All verbatim transcripts were read several times and discussed among all authors. We merged and used line-by-line coding of words, sentences, and paragraphs relevant to each other in terms of both the content and context of stressors and coping mechanisms. Next, we used data reduction to assess the relationships among themes using tables and diagrams to indicate conceptual patterns. Content related to stress encountered by students was extracted from the transcripts. In a separate document, we integrated and categorized all words and sentences that were related to each other in terms of both content and context. We analyzed all codes and units of meaning and compared them for similarities and differences in the context of this study. Furthermore, the emerging findings were discussed with other members of the researcher team. The final abstractions of meaningful subthemes into themes were discussed and agreed upon by the entire research team. This process resulted in the extraction of three main themes in addition to two subthemes related to stress and coping strategies.

Ethical considerations

The University of Sharjah Research Ethics Committee provided approval to conduct this study (Reference Number: REC 19-12-03-01-S). Before each interview, the goal and study procedures were explained to each participant, and written informed consent was obtained. The participants were informed that participation in the study was voluntary and that they could withdraw from the study at any time. In the event they wanted to withdraw from the study, all information related to the participant would be removed. No participant withdrew from the study. Furthermore, they were informed that their clinical practicum grade would not be affected by their participation in this study. We chose interview locations in Building M23that were private and quiet to ensure that the participants felt at ease and confident in verbalizing their opinions. No participant was paid directly for involvement in this study. In addition, participants were assured that their data would remain anonymous and confidential. Confidentiality means that the information provided by participants was kept private with restrictions on how and when data can be shared with others. The participants were informed that their information would not be duplicated or disseminated without their permission. Anonymity refers to the act of keeping people anonymous with respect to their participation in a research endeavor. No personal identifiers were used in this study, and each participant was assigned a random alpha-numeric code (e.g., P1 for participant 1). All digitally recorded interviews were downloaded to a secure computer protected by the principal investigator with a password. The researchers were the only people with access to the interview material (recordings and transcripts). All sensitive information and materials were kept secure in the principal researcher’s office at the University of Sharjah. The data will be maintained for five years after the study is completed, after which the material will be destroyed (the transcripts will be shredded, and the tapes will be demagnetized).

In total, 30 nursing students who were enrolled in the nursing programme at the Department of Nursing, College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, and who were undergoing their first clinical practicum participated in the study. Demographically, 80% ( n  = 24) were females and 20% ( n  = 6) were male participants. The majority (83%) of study participants ranged in age from 18 to 22 years. 20% ( n  = 6) were UAE nationals, 53% ( n  = 16) were from Gulf Cooperation Council countries, while 20% ( n  = 6) hailed from Africa and 7% ( n  = 2) were of South Asian descent. 67% of the respondents lived with their families while 33% lived in the hostel. (Table  1 )

Following the content analysis, we identified three main themes: (1) managing expectations, (2) theory-practice gap and 3)learning to cope. Learning to cope had two subthemes: positive coping strategies and negative coping strategies. An account of each theme is presented along with supporting excerpts for the identified themes. The identified themes provide valuable insight into the stressors encountered by students during their first clinical practicum. These themes will lead to targeted interventions and supportive mechanisms that can be built into the clinical training curriculum to support students during clinical practice.

Theme 1: managing expectations

In our examination of the stressors experienced by nursing students during their first clinical practicum and the coping strategies they employed, we identified the first theme as managing expectations.

The students encountered expectations from various parties, such as clinical staff, patients and patients’ relatives which they had to navigate. They attempted to fulfil their expectations as they progressed through training, which presented a source of stress. The students noted that the hospital staff and patients expected them to know how to perform a variety of tasks upon request, which made the students feel stressed and out of place if they did not know how to perform these tasks. Some participants noted that other nurses in the clinical unit did not allow them to participate in nursing procedures, which was considered an enormous impediment to clinical learning, as noted in the excerpt below:

“…Sometimes the nurses… They will not allow us to do some procedures or things during clinical. And sometimes the patients themselves don’t allow us to do procedures” (P5).

Some of the students noted that they felt they did not belong and felt like foreigners in the clinical unit. Excerpts from the students are presented in the following quotes;

“The clinical environment is so stressful. I don’t feel like I belong. There is too little time to build a rapport with hospital staff or the patient” (P22).

“… you ask the hospital staff for some guidance or the location of equipment, and they tell us to ask our clinical tutor …but she is not around … what should I do? It appears like we do not belong, and the sooner the shift is over, the better” (P18).

“The staff are unfriendly and expect too much from us students… I feel like I don’t belong, or I am wasting their (the hospital staff’s) time. I want to ask questions, but they have loads to do” (P26).

Other students were concerned about potential failure when working with patients during clinical training, which impacted their confidence. They were particularly afraid of failure when performing any clinical procedures.

“At the beginning, I was afraid to do procedures. I thought that maybe the patient would be hurt and that I would not be successful in doing it. I have low self-confidence in doing procedures” (P13).

The call bell rings, and I am told to answer Room No. XXX. The patient wants help to go to the toilet, but she has two IV lines. I don’t know how to transport the patient… should I take her on the wheelchair? My eyes glance around the room for a wheelchair. I am so confused …I tell the patient I will inform the sister at the nursing station. The relative in the room glares at me angrily … “you better hurry up”…Oh, I feel like I don’t belong, as I am not able to help the patient… how will I face the same patient again?” (P12).

Another major stressor mentioned in the narratives was related to communication and interactions with patients who spoke another language, so it was difficult to communicate.

“There was a challenge with my communication with the patients. Sometimes I have communication barriers because they (the patients) are of other nationalities. I had an experience with a patient [who was] Indian, and he couldn’t speak my language. I did not understand his language” (P9).

Thus, a variety of expectations from patients, relatives, hospital staff, and preceptors acted as sources of stress for students during their clinical training.

Theme 2: theory-practice gap

Theory-practice gaps have been identified in previous studies. In our study, there was complete dissonance between theory and actual clinical practice. The clinical procedures or practices nursing students were expected to perform differed from the theory they had covered in their university classes and skills lab. This was described as a theory–practice gap and often resulted in stress and confusion.

“For example …the procedures in the hospital are different. They are different from what we learned or from theory on campus. Or… the preceptors have different techniques than what we learned on campus. So, I was stress[ed] and confused about it” (P11).

Furthermore, some students reported that they did not feel that they received adequate briefing before going to clinical training. A related source of stress was overload because of the volume of clinical coursework and assignments in addition to clinical expectations. Additionally, the students reported that a lack of time and time management were major sources of stress in their first clinical training and impacted their ability to complete the required paperwork and assignments:

“…There is not enough time…also, time management at the hospital…for example, we start at seven a.m., and the handover takes 1 hour to finish. They (the nurses at the hospital) are very slow…They start with bed making and morning care like at 9.45 a.m. Then, we must fill [out] our assessment tool and the NCP (nursing care plan) at 10 a.m. So, 15 only minutes before going to our break. We (the students) cannot manage this time. This condition makes me and my friends very stressed out. -I cannot do my paperwork or assignments; no time, right?” (P10).

“Stressful. There is a lot of work to do in clinical. My experiences are not really good with this course. We have a lot of things to do, so many assignments and clinical procedures to complete” (P16).

The participants noted that the amount of required coursework and number of assignments also presented a challenge during their first clinical training and especially affected their opportunity to learn.

“I need to read the file, know about my patient’s condition and pathophysiology and the rationale for the medications the patient is receiving…These are big stressors for my learning. I think about assignments often. Like, we are just focusing on so many assignments and papers. We need to submit assessments and care plans for clinical cases. We focus our time to complete and finish the papers rather than doing the real clinical procedures, so we lose [the] chance to learn” (P25).

Another participant commented in a similar vein that there was not enough time to perform tasks related to clinical requirements during clinical placement.

“…there is a challenge because we do not have enough time. Always no time for us to submit papers, to complete assessment tools, and some nurses, they don’t help us. I think we need more time to get more experiences and do more procedures, reduce the paperwork that we have to submit. These are challenges …” (P14).

There were expectations that the students should be able to carry out their nursing duties without becoming ill or adversely affected. In addition, many students reported that the clinical environment was completely different from the skills laboratory at the college. Exposure to the clinical setting added to the theory-practice gap, and in some instances, the students fell ill.

One student made the following comment:

“I was assisting a doctor with a dressing, and the sight and smell from the oozing wound was too much for me. I was nauseated. As soon as the dressing was done, I ran to the bathroom and threw up. I asked myself… how will I survive the next 3 years of nursing?” (P14).

Theme 3: learning to cope

The study participants indicated that they used coping mechanisms (both positive and negative) to adapt to and manage the stressors in their first clinical practicum. Important strategies that were reportedly used to cope with stress were time management, good preparation for clinical practice, and positive thinking as well as engaging in physical activity and self-motivation.

“Time management. Yes, it is important. I was encouraging myself. I used time management and prepared myself before going to the clinical site. Also, eating good food like cereal…it helps me very much in the clinic” (P28).

“Oh yeah, for sure positive thinking. In the hospital, I always think positively. Then, after coming home, I get [to] rest and think about positive things that I can do. So, I will think something good [about] these things, and then I will be relieved of stress” (P21).

Other strategies commonly reported by the participants were managing their breathing (e.g., taking deep breaths, breathing slowly), taking breaks to relax, and talking with friends about the problems they encountered.

“I prefer to take deep breaths and breathe slowly and to have a cup of coffee and to talk to my friends about the case or the clinical preceptor and what made me sad so I will feel more relaxed” (P16).

“Maybe I will take my break so I feel relaxed and feel better. After clinical training, I go directly home and take a long shower, going over the day. I will not think about anything bad that happened that day. I just try to think about good things so that I forget the stress” (P27).

“Yes, my first clinical training was not easy. It was difficult and made me stressed out…. I felt that it was a very difficult time for me. I thought about leaving nursing” (P7).

I was not able to offer my prayers. For me, this was distressing because as a Muslim, I pray regularly. Now, my prayer time is pushed to the end of the shift” (P11).

“When I feel stress, I talk to my friends about the case and what made me stressed. Then I will feel more relaxed” (P26).

Self-support or self-motivation through positive self-talk was also used by the students to cope with stress.

“Yes, it is difficult in the first clinical training. When I am stress[ed], I go to the bathroom and stand in the front of the mirror; I talk to myself, and I say, “You can do it,” “you are a great student.” I motivate myself: “You can do it”… Then, I just take breaths slowly several times. This is better than shouting or crying because it makes me tired” (P11).

Other participants used physical activity to manage their stress.

“How do I cope with my stress? Actually, when I get stressed, I will go for a walk on campus” (P4).

“At home, I will go to my room and close the door and start doing my exercises. After that, I feel the negative energy goes out, then I start to calm down… and begin my clinical assignments” (P21).

Both positive and negative coping strategies were utilized by the students. Some participants described using negative coping strategies when they encountered stress during their clinical practice. These negative coping strategies included becoming irritable and angry, eating too much food, drinking too much coffee, and smoking cigarettes.

“…Negative adaptation? Maybe coping. If I am stressed, I get so angry easily. I am irritable all day also…It is negative energy, right? Then, at home, I am also angry. After that, it is good to be alone to think about my problems” (P12).

“Yeah, if I…feel stress or depressed, I will eat a lot of food. Yeah, ineffective, like I will be eating a lot, drinking coffee. Like I said, effective, like I will prepare myself and do breathing, ineffective, I will eat a lot of snacks in between my free time. This is the bad side” (P16).

“…During the first clinical practice? Yes, it was a difficult experience for us…not only me. When stressed, during a break at the hospital, I will drink two or three cups of coffee… Also, I smoke cigarettes… A lot. I can drink six cups [of coffee] a day when I am stressed. After drinking coffee, I feel more relaxed, I finish everything (food) in the refrigerator or whatever I have in the pantry, like chocolates, chips, etc” (P23).

These supporting excerpts for each theme and the analysis offers valuable insights into the specific stressors faced by nursing students during their first clinical practicum. These insights will form the basis for the development of targeted interventions and supportive mechanisms within the clinical training curriculum to better support students’ adjustment and well-being during clinical practice.

Our study identified the stressors students encounter in their first clinical practicum and the coping strategies, both positive and negative, that they employed. Although this study emphasizes the importance of clinical training to prepare nursing students to practice as nurses, it also demonstrates the correlation between stressors and coping strategies.The content analysis of the first theme, managing expectations, paves the way for clinical agencies to realize that the students of today will be the nurses of tomorrow. It is important to provide a welcoming environment where students can develop their identities and learn effectively. Additionally, clinical staff should foster an environment of individualized learning while also assisting students in gaining confidence and competence in their repertoire of nursing skills, including critical thinking, problem solving and communication skills [ 8 , 15 , 19 , 30 ]. Another challenge encountered by the students in our study was that they were prevented from participating in clinical procedures by some nurses or patients. This finding is consistent with previous studies reporting that key challenges for students in clinical learning include a lack of clinical support and poor attitudes among clinical staff and instructors [ 31 ]. Clinical staff with positive attitudes have a positive impact on students’ learning in clinical settings [ 32 ]. The presence, supervision, and guidance of clinical instructors and the assistance of clinical staff are essential motivating components in the clinical learning process and offer positive reinforcement [ 30 , 33 , 34 ]. Conversely, an unsupportive learning environment combined with unwelcoming clinical staff and a lack of sense of belonging negatively impact students’ clinical learning [ 35 ].

The sources of stress identified in this study were consistent with common sources of stress in clinical training reported in previous studies, including the attitudes of some staff, students’ status in their clinical placement and educational factors. Nursing students’ inexperience in the clinical setting and lack of social and emotional experience also resulted in stress and psychological difficulties [ 36 ]. Bhurtun et al. [ 33 ] noted that nursing staff are a major source of stress for students because the students feel like they are constantly being watched and evaluated.

We also found that students were concerned about potential failure when working with patients during their clinical training. Their fear of failure when performing clinical procedures may be attributable to low self-confidence. Previous studies have noted that students were concerned about injuring patients, being blamed or chastised, and failing examinations [ 37 , 38 ]. This was described as feeling “powerless” in a previous study [ 7 , 12 ]. In addition, patients’ attitudes towards “rejecting” nursing students or patients’ refusal of their help were sources of stress among the students in our study and affected their self-confidence. Self-confidence and a sense of belonging are important for nurses’ personal and professional identity, and low self-confidence is a problem for nursing students in clinical learning [ 8 , 39 , 40 ]. Our findings are consistent with a previous study that reported that a lack of self-confidence was a primary source of worry and anxiety for nursing students and affected their communication and intention to leave nursing [ 41 ].

In the second theme, our study suggests that students encounter a theory-practice gap in clinical settings, which creates confusion and presents an additional stressors. Theoretical and clinical training are complementary elements of nursing education [ 40 ], and this combination enables students to gain the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to provide nursing care. This is consistent with the findings of a previous study that reported that inconsistencies between theoretical knowledge and practical experience presented a primary obstacle to the learning process in the clinical context [ 42 ], causing students to lose confidence and become anxious [ 43 ]. Additionally, the second theme, the theory-practice gap, authenticates Safian et al.’s [ 5 ] study of the theory-practice gap that exists United Arab Emirates among nursing students as well as the need for more supportive clinical faculty and the extension of clinical hours. The need for better time availability and time management to complete clinical tasks were also reported by the students in the study. Students indicated that they had insufficient time to complete clinical activities because of the volume of coursework and assignments. Our findings support those of Chaabane et al. [ 15 ]. A study conducted in Saudi Arabia [ 44 ] found that assignments and workload were among the greatest sources of stress for students in clinical settings. Effective time management skills have been linked to academic achievement, stress reduction, increased creativity [ 45 ], and student satisfaction [ 46 ]. Our findings are also consistent with previous studies that reported that a common source of stress among first-year students was the increased classroom workload [ 19 , 47 ]. As clinical assignments and workloads are major stressors for nursing students, it is important to promote activities to help them manage these assignments [ 48 ].

Another major challenge reported by the participants was related to communicating and interacting with other nurses and patients. The UAE nursing workforce and population are largely expatriate and diverse and have different cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Therefore, student nurses encounter difficulty in communication [ 49 ]. This cultural diversity that students encounter in communication with patients during clinical training needs to be addressed by curriculum planners through the offering of language courses and courses on cultural diversity [ 50 ].

Regarding the third and final theme, nursing students in clinical training are unable to avoid stressors and must learn to cope with or adapt to them. Previous research has reported a link between stressors and the coping mechanisms used by nursing students [ 51 , 52 , 53 ]. In particular, the inability to manage stress influences nurses’ performance, physical and mental health, attitude, and role satisfaction [ 54 ]. One such study suggested that nursing students commonly use problem-focused (dealing with the problem), emotion-focused (regulating emotion), and dysfunctional (e.g., venting emotions) stress coping mechanisms to alleviate stress during clinical training [ 15 ]. Labrague et al. [ 51 ] highlighted that nursing students use both active and passive coping techniques to manage stress. The pattern of clinical stress has been observed in several countries worldwide. The current study found that first-year students experienced stress during their first clinical training [ 35 , 41 , 55 ]. The stressors they encountered impacted their overall health and disrupted their clinical learning. Chaabane et al. [ 15 ] reported moderate and high stress levels among nursing students in Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, and Sudan. Another study from Bahrain reported that all nursing students experienced moderate to severe stress in their first clinical placement [ 56 ]. Similarly, nursing students in Spain experienced a moderate level of stress, and this stress was significantly correlated with anxiety [ 30 ]. Therefore, it is imperative that pastoral systems at the university address students’ stress and mental health so that it does not affect their clinical performance. Faculty need to utilize evidence-based interventions to support students so that anxiety-producing situations and attrition are minimized.

In our study, students reported a variety of positive and negative coping mechanisms and strategies they used when they experienced stress during their clinical practice. Positive coping strategies included time management, positive thinking, self-support/motivation, breathing, taking breaks, talking with friends, and physical activity. These findings are consistent with those of a previous study in which healthy coping mechanisms used by students included effective time management, social support, positive reappraisal, and participation in leisure activities [ 57 ]. Our study found that relaxing and talking with friends were stress management strategies commonly used by students. Communication with friends to cope with stress may be considered social support. A previous study also reported that people seek social support to cope with stress [ 58 ]. Some students in our study used physical activity to cope with stress, consistent with the findings of previous research. Stretching exercises can be used to counteract the poor posture and positioning associated with stress and to assist in reducing physical tension. Promoting such exercise among nursing students may assist them in coping with stress in their clinical training [ 59 ].

Our study also showed that when students felt stressed, some adopted negative coping strategies, such as showing anger/irritability, engaging in unhealthy eating habits (e.g., consumption of too much food or coffee), or smoking cigarettes. Previous studies have reported that high levels of perceived stress affect eating habits [ 60 ] and are linked to poor diet quality, increased snacking, and low fruit intake [ 61 ]. Stress in clinical settings has also been linked to sleep problems, substance misuse, and high-risk behaviors’ and plays a major role in student’s decision to continue in their programme.

Implications of the study

The implications of the study results can be grouped at multiple levels including; clinical, educational, and organizational level. A comprehensive approach to addressing the stressors encountered by nursing students during their clinical practicum can be overcome by offering some practical strategies to address the stressors faced by nursing students during their clinical practicum. By integrating study findings into curriculum planning, mentorship programs, and organizational support structures, a supportive and nurturing environment that enhances students’ learning, resilience, and overall success can be envisioned.

Clinical level

Introducing simulation in the skills lab with standardized patients and the use of moulage to demonstrate wounds, ostomies, and purulent dressings enhances students’ practical skills and prepares them for real-world clinical scenarios. Organizing orientation days at clinical facilities helps familiarize students with the clinical environment, identify potential stressors, and introduce interventions to enhance professionalism, social skills, and coping abilities Furthermore, creating a WhatsApp group facilitates communication and collaboration among hospital staff, clinical tutors, nursing faculty, and students, enabling immediate support and problem-solving for clinical situations as they arise, Moreover, involving chief nursing officers of clinical facilities in the Nursing Advisory Group at the Department of Nursing promotes collaboration between academia and clinical practice, ensuring alignment between educational objectives and the needs of the clinical setting [ 62 ].

Educational level

Sharing study findings at conferences (we presented the results of this study at Sigma Theta Tau International in July 2023 in Abu Dhabi, UAE) and journal clubs disseminates knowledge and best practices among educators and clinicians, promoting awareness and implementation of measures to improve students’ learning experiences. Additionally we hold mentorship training sessions annually in January and so we shared with the clinical mentors and preceptors the findings of this study so that they proactively they are equipped with strategies to support students’ coping with stressors during clinical placements.

Organizational level

At the organizational we relooked at the available student support structures, including counseling, faculty advising, and career advice, throughout the nursing program emphasizing the importance of holistic support for students’ well-being and academic success as well as retention in the nursing program. Also, offering language courses as electives recognizes the value of communication skills in nursing practice and provides opportunities for personal and professional development.

For first-year nursing students, clinical stressors are inevitable and must be given proper attention. Recognizing nursing students’ perspectives on the challenges and stressors experienced in clinical training is the first step in overcoming these challenges. In nursing schools, providing an optimal clinical environment as well as increasing supervision and evaluation of students’ practices should be emphasized. Our findings demonstrate that first-year nursing students are exposed to a variety of different stressors. Identifying the stressors, pressures, and obstacles that first-year students encounter in the clinical setting can assist nursing educators in resolving these issues and can contribute to students’ professional development and survival to allow them to remain in the profession. To overcome stressors, students frequently employ problem-solving approaches or coping mechanisms. The majority of nursing students report stress at different levels and use a variety of positive and negative coping techniques to manage stress.

The present results may not be generalizable to other nursing institutions because this study used a purposive sample along with a qualitative approach and was limited to one university in the Middle East. Furthermore, the students self-reported their stress and its causes, which may have introduced reporting bias. The students may also have over or underreported stress or coping mechanisms because of fear of repercussions or personal reasons, even though the confidentiality of their data was ensured. Further studies are needed to evaluate student stressors and coping now that measures have been introduced to support students. Time will tell if these strategies are being used effectively by both students and clinical personnel or if they need to be readdressed. Finally, we need to explore the perceptions of clinical faculty towards supervising students in their first clinical practicum so that clinical stressors can be handled effectively.

Data availability

The data sets are available with the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to all second year nursing students who voluntarily participated in the study.

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Jacqueline Maria Dias, Muhammad Arsyad Subu, Nabeel Al-Yateem, Fatma Refaat Ahmed, Syed Azizur Rahman, Mini Sara Abraham, Sareh Mirza Forootan, Farzaneh Ahmad Sarkhosh & Fatemeh Javanbakh

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Contributions

JMD conceptualized the idea and designed the methodology, formal analysis, writing original draft and project supervision and mentoring. MAS prepared the methodology and conducted the qualitative interviews and analyzed the methodology and writing of original draft and project supervision. NY, FRA, SAR, MSA writing review and revising the draft. SMF, FAS, FJ worked with MAS on the formal analysis and prepared the first draft.All authors reviewed the final manuscipt of the article.

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Dr Fatma Refaat Ahmed is an editorial board member in BMC Nursing. Other authors do not have any conflict of interest

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Dias, J.M., Subu, M.A., Al-Yateem, N. et al. Nursing students’ stressors and coping strategies during their first clinical training: a qualitative study in the United Arab Emirates. BMC Nurs 23 , 322 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-024-01962-5

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Received : 06 January 2024

Accepted : 22 April 2024

Published : 11 May 2024

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-024-01962-5

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