Your 5-year-olds are not too young to have fun with brainteasers and riddles. An age appropriate brain teaser can be a great way to help them develop their critical thinking skills, and they can also teach them how fun it is to learn new things. Just make sure that you select brain teasers that are appropriate to their skill level, or it could end up discouraging them instead.
If you aren’t able to think up some brain teasers of your own, that’s not a problem. There are many great examples you can find online as well as games you can buy at a children’s toy store. Just remember to make the learning fun. Don’t put too much pressure on your child to find the answer, and show them that finding the answer and thinking about it is more important than the answer itself. That way they can grow up to be lifelong learners. Here are few types of brainteasers that can be fun, educational and age appropriate for your preschoolers.
Color and Shape Recognition
These are simple brainteasers that should be a great starting point for your child. Some examples include worksheets that ask your child to identify or match shapes and colors. Incorporating crayons and coloring can make these types of exercises even more fun.
Logic and Riddles
Depending on your child and the difficulty of the riddle, these types of brainteasers may also be age appropriate. One popular type of brainteaser is a “Who Am I” riddle. Give your child hints, such as describing the look, shape, or behavior of a person or animal. Then ask him or her to try to guess who you are. For even more fun, you can make it into a game of charades.
Basic Math
Very basic math problems can be great exercises for your child to complete. Stick to addition and try to use very small numbers, no higher than five. You should also use pictures or physical examples to help them count visually.
Mazes and Puzzles
Mazes and puzzles may not be the first thing you think of when you are coming up with brainteasers, but they can be a fantastic opportunity for learning. Preschoolers can learn problem solving as well as visual and spatial reasoning skills. When your child completes a maze or puzzle, it’s very easy to find a slightly more difficult one for him to work on next.
Sources:
http://www.earlychildhoodworksheets.com/brain-teaser.html