Enhance Critical Thinking Skills with Squishy Circuits
As you know, Squishy Circuits provides kids with a fun, colorful, and hands-on way to learn about circuitry and engineering concepts. Throughout the process, children also explore and analyze while asking and answering their own questions. They become curious and investigative, spurring an interest in discovering the world around them. And we’re happy to be along for the journey. Keep reading to learn more about how kids can enhance critical thinking skills with Squishy Circuits.
Why Critical Thinking Is Important
A lot of school assignments involve remembering names, dates, or events. But critical thinking goes further than memorization. It’s about analyzing a situation and assessing potential outcomes or solutions before determining and implementing the best option. And because the world is always evolving, having the skills to think critically and adapt are becoming increasingly important.
So, how do children develop critical thinking skills? Believe it or not, a lot of that analysis and problem solving comes through play.
Through imagination and play, children either create or are confronted with scenarios that require them to examine ideas and develop solutions. Some of these situations are trial and error, but that’s all part of the learning process.
Ways to Encourage Critical Thinking
The best thing you can do to help children learn to develop critical thinking skills is to encourage them to play, explore, and be curious. The more they wonder, the more their minds are searching for explanations and answers. Invite questions and ask open-ended questions of them. Allow them to think and analyze and put pieces together to see what fits where or if they can place that piece somewhere else and get a different result.
When children can investigate and test their ideas through play, they build essential problem-solving skills. And not every child grasps understanding through the same methods. So, learning in their own way and at their pace also helps kids stay curious without becoming frustrated or discouraged.
And when they find a solution on their own, it helps build confidence. Hearing a child say, “Look what I did,” or, “I figured this out on my own,” are huge milestones and lay the foundation for a lifetime of exploration and discovery.
Using Squishy Circuits for Critical Thinking
Children learn better when they’re having fun. And at Squishy Circuits, we are all about utilizing play and fun to teach engineering and circuitry basics. With our play dough kits and electrical components, kids can imagine, analyze, test, and problem solve by building one of our projects or creating their own.
Working with these materials provides a more involved, hands-on experience where kids can touch and see and experiment with tangible objects in a real-world setting. Through exploration and investigation, they can ask and answer their own questions to connect circuits and watch their creations come to life.
And with each scientific success, they become more curious and more creative, leading them to become better problem solvers—all while playing and having fun.
Get Your Hands on Hands-on Learning
Children are naturally curious and have so many questions about the world around them. We’re here to help them develop the means to answer those questions and enhance critical thinking skills. Visit our website to find out how Squishy Circuits work, more about STEM learning, or to order kits for your home or classroom.