fun problem solving games for middle school

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17 Fun Problem Solving Activities & Games [for Kids, Adults and Teens]

Everyone should learn problem solving, as it is important in both our personal and professional lives. Problems occur all around us and many people react with spontaneous emotion. Instead, effective use of problem solving skills can lead to rational thinking, a component of any successful endeavor.

Creative problem involves using one or more of the basic steps of problem solving in exercises designed to challenge the thinking. Problem solving activities work for every age group. In this article, we will present problem-solving activities for adults and kids. We will also provide you with group and team building problem solving ideas.

Table of Contents

There are four basic steps in problem solving:

• define the problem
• generate possible solutions
• evaluate and select possible solutions
• implement solutions

Problem solving activities use one of more of these steps.

Group Problem Solving Activities

Group activities provide an effective way to learn problem-solving skills. The following list of activities present problem solving skills in the form of games, a non-threatening and fun way.

Divide your group into teams of equal numbers. Give each team a ball of yarn. Instruct the teams to create a web using only the yarn. Once the teams have finished (you may have to set an amount of time for completion), switch the teams around so that every team has a web other than their own. Each team then blindfolds one team member. The goal is for the blindfolded individual to unwind the web following the verbal instruction of their teammates. In order to be successful, team members must concentrate, and give/follow directions. The first team that has dismantled the web wins this game.

To Do Scavenger Hunt

This scavenger hunt game involves solving a list of problem activities. Begin by dividing your group into teams. Give each group a list of to do activities. The list should begin with some simple tasks, with increasingly more difficult activities. Some suggested activities are:

• Write a one hundred word poem on a given theme.
• Find an object readily available in the area in which you are playing
• Drink a whole can or glass of a liquid
• Solve a Sudoku or cross word puzzle
• Write out all the lyrics of a song (a Christmas carol works well at holiday time)

The team that completes all the activities first, wins.

Impromptu Skits

Prior to playing this game, write down a few appropriate situations that deal events in the venue in which you are playing. For example, for a group involved in customer service, use dealing with an angry customer on the phone. If you have a large group, divide them into teams of six to eight members. Have each group choose a folded piece of paper on which you have written the subject of a skit they must create.  Give a set amount of time to prepare the skit and then have each team present their skit to the group. If you have a small group, have each person create one side of a conversation dealing with the problem for presentation to everyone.

Block Duplicating

Build a model out of building blocks. Provide each group member (or divide into teams for a large group ) enough blocks to duplicate the model. Set a specific amount of time for completing the duplicated model. The team that is the first to finish – or gets the furthest on completing their model – wins. The more difficult the original model, the longer this task will take.

Team Building Problem Solving Activities

When choosing team building problem solving activities, make sure the game you use suits the group of people – their ages and interests. The activities we have listed will help with not only problem solving, but also build decision making, collaboration, and listening skills.

Tower Building

Although there are many variations to this game, this one using spaghetti and marsh mellows is our favorite. Divide you group into teams with an equal number of players. Provide each team with an equal amount of spaghetti and marsh mellows. The goal is to see which team can build the highest tower within a set amount of time.

Personalized Crossword

For this game to be effective, you need one or more teams of 8 to 10 people. Have each team list the first and last names of their group members. The goal is to create a crossword puzzle with clues composed of hints about the person, for example, if only one team member has red hair, the two clues for her first and last name could be, “Red hair,” and “Ginger.” It should take each team 20 to 30 minutes to complete their puzzle. When all the teams are finished, trade puzzles so that every team has a different one. Make sure you provide a list of names for the puzzle solvers.

Picture Pieces Puzzle Game

Prepare for this problem solving activity by choosing a well-known picture or cartoon full of detail. Cut the picture into equal sized squares and give one to each member of the group. You will need as many pieces as you have participants. Additionally, give each person a pencil, ruler for help enlarging the picture, colored markers, and a clean sheet of paper. Instruct them to make the puzzle piece five times larger.

Problem Solving Activities for Adults

Divide your group into two teams. Line up the two teams front to back. Have the two groups face each other. Using chalk, spray paint, or masking tape (depending on the play surface) mark a square space for each person to stand on with one extra empty space between the two facing rows. You may also use a piece of paper for each person. The goal is for the two facing lines of players to change places.

Place these restrictions on movement:

• Only one person may move at a time.
• A person may not move around anyone facing the same direction.
• A person may not move backward.
• A person may not move around more than one person on the other team at a time.

Playing Card Mix-up

Divide your group into teams of six to eight participants. Give each team two decks of cards randomly mixed together. Tell the group they must sort them out without talking. As they working at the task, after a few minutes, change the way in which they are doing so using one of the following:

• If a team is sorting by suits from ace to king (4 stacks), tell them to collect the suits together by number (13 stacks).
• If a team begins by collecting the suits together, i.e. all the ones, twos, threes, etc., tell them to sort the suits from ace to king.

The team(s) that do so successfully by the end of a given time (depending on the size of your group) share what methods they used to accomplish the task.

Blindfolded games are always fun and provide the perfect challenge for adult problem solving. We have provided two for you.

Blind Formations

Have your group of adults put on blindfolds and form a large circle. Tie the ends of a rope together and lay in it a circle in the middle of the group, close enough that each person can reach down and pick up the rope. Tell them they must create a shape – a square, triangle, pentagon, etc. If you have a very large group, divide them into teams and provide a rope for each team. Let them compete to see who forms a particular shape quickest.

Line up Blind

Blindfold everyone and number the group by whispering a number to each individual beginning at one. Tell them to line up in numerical order without talking. Variations are many, with some of the favorites not requiring the whispering step being to line up according to height, birthday, surname, color of hair, etc.

Balloon Tower

Divide you group into teams of three and provide ten balloons and four 3-foot long strips of masking tape for each team. The object of this problem solving activity is to build the tallest freestanding tower in ten minutes. They can break the balloons if they wish. However, they may not use any additional materials and the tower must be built on a table or the floor. If you wish, you may add the following instructions:

• No talking.
• Each team member may use only one hand.
• One team member may not touch the materials and only give directions.

You can use one or more of these limitations in 60-second intervals. The first team to complete their tower wins this challenge.

Problem Solving Activities for Kids

The purpose of problem solving activities for kids is to get kids to think about a problem in a different way and have fun while solving it. Children will develop their creativity as they seek to implement a solution.

Walking the Plank

For this problem solving activity for older kids or teens, you will need four 2×6 boards. Divide your group into two teams with an equal number of children on each team. Place two of the four boards end to end on the ground or floor. Set the other two parallel to the first two about two or three feet apart. The goal is for each team to pass one board forward while standing on the other board in single file. If someone steps off a board, the team must start over. The team that succeeds in passing the boards a set number of times, or reaches a predetermined spot is the winner.

“Laser” Web

Use a large ball of string to create a giant web from one end of a room to the other. The goal is for individuals or teams to move through the web without touching the string. If they do so, they have been “zapped by a laser” and must try again. For greater suspense and for older players, use blindfolds or turn off the lights, allowing players to touch the string, but not pull it down or out of its original shape.

Group Drawing

Divide your group of kids into teams of three. Each person on the team has a one of the following roles:

• Drawer . The drawer attempts to recreate a pre-drawn design they cannot see. They take directions from the talker. They stand with their back to the talker and viewer and may not talk.
• Talker . The talker describes the design to the drawer, without seeing the design. They may question the viewer. They may not use hand gestures.
• Viewer . The viewer sees the design. However, they are not allowed to talk and must communicate nonverbally to the talker.  Additionally, they must not draw the design in the air or actually show the design with their gestures.

The activity ends when the viewers say they are satisfied with the drawings. You may wish to award a prize to the best drawing.

Prior to playing this game, write on individual slips of paper the names of animal pairs, one name on each slip. Distribute the slips of paper to each group, instructing them not to share which animal name they received. The kids then move around performing activities their animal might do. The goal is for the kids to get into pairs successfully in a set amount of time without talking or making any noises. Suggest the following activities:

• Cleaning or grooming
• Eating and drinking
• Walking or running

Alphabet Game

Have your players sit or stand in a circle. The goal is to shout out words in alphabetical order. Give the kids one of the following categories (or choose your own):

If a player takes longer than five seconds to think of a word, they are out. The last player remaining wins the game.

People achieve more when they solve problems and make decisions together. Our problem solving activities teach participants how to work out a solution, a talent useful in many different environments. Problem solving:

• Improves team work
• Helps participants address complex situations
• Utilizes different thinking styles
• Increases creativity
• Collectively leads to decision making
• Teaches both negotiation and cooperation

After completing a problem solving activity, encourage participants to discuss what process(es) they used in the exercise. Even kids are able to participate in such discussions. Also ask what was learned and if they have any opinions about how they could have solved the problem more efficiently.

Team-building exercises can improve problem solving and decision making in a new or established team. They work with every age group and in many different environments. Use our exercises to help solve problems and have some fun doing so.

Susan majored in English with a double minor in Humanities and Business at Arizona State University and earned a Master’s degree in Educational Administration from Liberty University. She taught grades four through twelve in both public and private schools. Subjects included English, U.S. and world history and geography, math, earth and physical science, Bible, information technologies, and creative writing.

Susan has been freelance writing for over ten years, during which time she has written and edited books, newspaper articles, biographies, book reviews, guidelines, neighborhood descriptions for realtors, Power Point presentations, resumes, and numerous other projects.

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Thanks for your help!!

excellent ideas – thanks !

Excellent ideas.

Thank you. My students have requested we do team-building activities; I thought we would start with problem-solving.

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10 Awesome Middle School Icebreakers Your Students Will Love

Need a fun way to start your class and help your middle school students feel connected? Then check out these 10 awesome icebreakers for middle school students ! Icebreakers are great for fostering teamwork and developing students’ problem-solving skills. They are also fantastic for building trust and relationships in the classroom. So, if you’re teaching teenagers, check out these 10 super fun icebreaker ideas and games that your students will definitely enjoy. As always, everything is free to use in your class. Let’s get started.

Icebreaker 1: Put A Finger Down

This first icebreaker game is super simple but middle school students really love to play it! To prepare for this activity, all you need to do is make some sentences that start with “ Put a finger down if… “. For example, “ Put a finger down if you have ever called the teacher mom. “, “ Put a finger down if you have ever walked into a lamppost. “, etc. You can make your own sentences or use the pre-made activity video above.

Once you have your questions, tell students to stand up and hold up five fingers in the air. These are the students’ ‘lives.’ There are 15 rounds, and in each round, students must read the sentence, and if that sentence applies to them, they should put one of their fingers down. When a student loses all their lives (i.e., they have put down all five fingers), they are out and must sit down. The last students standing are the winners.

Icebreaker 2: I’m Going To A Deserted Island Game

This classic classroom icebreaker game requires no prep, and you can play again and again without your students getting bored. If you’ve never heard of the ‘I’m Going To A Deserted Island Game,’ here’s how to play.

Once you have decided on your secret rule, write the first item you will take to the deserted island (e.g., ‘Lemon’) on the board and say to the students, “ I’m going to a deserted island, and I’m taking a Lemon . “

If a student names an item that complies with your secret rule (i.e., a word beginning with the letter L), then you can tell them they can come to the island with you and write that word on the board. If a student names an item that doesn’t follow your secret rule (i.e., a word that doesn’t begin with the letter L), you can tell them they cannot come to the island.

The game is over once a student correctly guesses the secret rule. Then you can play again with a different rule. You can have many different rules, and you can make it as easy or as complicated as you want. For example, five-letter words , yellow fruits, words that begin and end in the same letter, etc.

Icebreaker 3: Would You Rather

A fantastic way to get to know your students is the activity ‘Would you rather..?’. All you need for this activity is lots of fun Would You Rather Questions . If you’ve never played this game before, here’s how to play.

First, ask students a ‘Would You Rather Question’. For example, “ Would you rather be super strong or super fast? “, “ Would you rather be a spider for the day or an ant for the day?” etc.

Icebreaker 4: Find Somebody Who

In this icebreaker game, students will walk around the classroom and talk with their classmates as they complete a worksheet. To prepare for this activity, you will need to print out one of our Find Somebody Who Worksheets (or make your own) and give one to each student.

Icebreaker 5: Guess Who

The guesser can ask five yes/no questions to figure out which student is ‘it’. For example, “ Is it a boy? “, “ Does he have glasses? “, “ Does he have a red jacket?” etc. After asking five questions, the student must guess who it is. If they guess correctly, they get another turn. If they guess wrong, then they must sit down, and another student gets to be the ‘guesser’ in the next round.

Icebreaker 6: All About Me

Icebreaker 7: the numbers game.

The student who says the last number (31) loses and must do a fun forfeit. This can be a silly dance, running around the classroom, giving the teacher a high-five, etc. After playing one time, the student who lost gets to make up a new rule for one of the numbers. For example, the student might decide that when it comes time to say the number 7, you must say “ banana “. After a few rounds, all the new rules make this activity incredibly funny, and teenagers really love playing this game.

Icebreaker 8: Have A Funny Debate

Icebreaker 9: who am i.

Once you have prepared your questions, put students into pairs or small groups and give them each something to write on. Then, have students read the questions and write down their answers. At the end, reveal the answers and award points for each correct answer.

Icebreaker 10: Top Five Quiz

We have many ready-made Top Five quizzes on our YouTube channel , or you can make your own using our Top Five Quiz PPT template .

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30 Thought-Provoking Math Puzzles for Middle Schoolers

Critical thinking, trial and error, and pure logic abound.

Tired of your tried-and-true math routine? Chances are if you’re feeling the itch to incorporate new activities into your math time, your students are as well. Mixing it up in math class can bring fresh perspectives to stale concepts or standards, and your students will enjoy stretching their brains in different ways with these middle school math puzzles. Critical thinking, trial and error, and pure logic abound in these 30 though-provoking puzzles. Get ready to reignite your middle schoolers’ excitement for math!

(Just a heads up, WeAreTeachers may collect a share of sales from the links on this page. We only recommend items our team loves!)

Sudoku is way more than just an activity to pass the time on long-haul flights. This math puzzle is actually a fantastic problem-solving activity for middle schoolers. Kick-starting your typical math class with a Sudoku puzzle will have your students thinking critically, practicing trial and error, and looking at math in a totally different way. Plus, you can differentiate by providing Easy, Medium, and Difficult puzzles.

Learn more: Sodoku Puzzles To Print

2. 5 Pirates Puzzle

Ahoy and shiver me timbers! This logic puzzle is perfect for a small-group activity to get your middle schoolers working together to solve the conundrum of how pirates plan to share treasure among themselves. Multiple scenarios will play out in this puzzle, so scaffolding with problem-solving strategies is a must.

Learn more:  5 Pirates Puzzles/Math Is Fun

3. Fives Challenge Puzzle

This puzzle is perfect for reviewing addition, multiplication, division, and subtraction and would be a great activity to do when gearing up to teach order of operations. Students could work in pairs or small groups to riddle out each target number.

Learn more:  Fives Challenge Puzzle/Math = Love

4. Beehive Puzzle

Perfect for a station during math rotation or for a rainy-day recess activity, this logic puzzle involves creating a beehive shape without having any squares of the same color touching each other. Students can practice trial and error as well as problem-solving.

Learn more:  Beehive Puzzle/Math = Love ADVERTISEMENT

5. Guess My Number

Guess My Number is just as much a riddle as it is a math puzzle. Students use their number sense to determine the number in question. As an extension activity, students can come up with their own clues and trade them with a classmate to solve.

Learn more:  Guess My Number/Education.com

6. Math Riddles

Perfect for a morning warmup, these middle school math puzzles activate all kinds of math knowledge. You can poll the class and have them show their work before clicking to reveal the correct answer. This site even has more challenging puzzles if your middle schoolers fly through the easier ones.

Learn more:  Math Riddles/Get Riddles

My seventh graders loved playing this puzzle as an early-finisher activity. Though the idea is simple (move the tiles until two of the same numbers touch), it’s actually great for recognizing exponents and also for thinking strategically.

Learn more:  2048/Prodigy

8. Magic Squares

Magic Squares have been around for thousands of years, and they come in all shapes and sizes. The 3×3 grid is a great size to introduce to your students and then work up to larger and more complex grids. You can even bring this puzzle off the paper and have your students write the grid out in sidewalk chalk, or write the numbers on water bottle caps to make a fun tactile activity.

Learn more:  Magic Squares/Prodigy

9. Impossible Domino Bridge

Using dominoes to build a seemingly impossible bridge is a perfect activity for the first day or week of a new school year. Your students can work together in small groups and get to know one another as they attempt to construct the bridge that looks like it could turn into a game of Jenga at any moment.

Learn more:  Impossible Domino Bridge/Math = Love

10. Math Picture Puzzles

Your students communicate through emojis anyway, so why not get math involved? This self-checking site allows them to work independently (on the honor system) and also choose between three levels of difficulty. Students can take this idea to the next level, create their own emojis, and arrange them in number sentences for their classmates to solve.

Learn more: Picture Puzzles/MathEasily.com

11. What Is the Weight?

Sometimes you just need a quick resource to get your students working on solving a math puzzle. This puzzle comes from an app, so you can have it downloaded on your students’ iPads or tablets. Middle schoolers will focus on determining the weights of different animals, which is good practice for estimating and working with customary/metric units of measurement.

Learn more: Brain Teasers/Mental Up

12. Colorku

Math doesn’t always have to be just about numbers. This board game uses colors and patterns to focus on analyzing sequences, and would be great to have on hand for those rainy-day recesses as well as for inclusion in a math station. Further, Colorku can be used as a calm-down tool or even a fidget tool.

Buy it: Colorku at Amazon

13. Rubik’s Cube

Rubik’s Cubes made a major comeback in popularity when I taught fifth grade. My students would happily sit together at recess to race each other to see who could solve the cube faster. Though entertaining, Rubik’s Cubes are also suited to teach students about growth mindset, spacial awareness, and 3D space.

Buy it: Rubik’s Cube at Amazon

14. SafeCracker

Though this puzzle looks like something out of an Indiana Jones quest, it’s actually a tactilely engaging tool that will delight even your most resistant math learners. The goal is to align the wheel into columns where the sum adds up to 40. You might need to get more than one of these middle school math puzzles for your classroom.

Buy it: SafeCracker at Amazon

15. “T” Brain Teaser Puzzle

In addition to sparking structural design creativity, this boxed wooden puzzle challenges middle schoolers to engage in trial and error as they work at fitting 50+ pieces into a cube. Much of math is learning how to persevere through tricky problems or procedures, and this puzzle definitely fosters that.

Buy it: T Brain Teaser at Amazon

16. Multistep Equation Puzzle

Solve-and-sort puzzles add flair to repeatedly solving different variations of a math problem for practice. In this free puzzle, students will need to not only solve the equations with variables on both sides, they will also need to sort the problem based on if their solution is positive or negative in order to uncover the secret word.

Get it: Solve-and-Sort Puzzle/Teachers Pay Teachers

In this variation of a classic Sudoku puzzle, students practice critical thinking and exercise their knowledge of how the four math operations work. The best thing about these types of puzzles is that the differentiation potential is endless. Students can solve smaller puzzles with addition, or use only prime numbers in a more complex multiplication problem.

Learn more: Yohaku

18. Jigmaze

One of the Standards for Mathematical Practices is perseverance, and all teachers know that this is a tough one to instill in students, even more so if students are struggling in foundational skills. This type of puzzle can be used to strengthen perseverance as students physically arrange and rearrange pieces of a broken maze.

Learn more: Jigmaze/Math = Love

19. Flexagons

Flexagons, octaflexagons, and dodecaflexagons (say that one 10 times fast!) are a mathematical take on traditional origami. Through constructing these paper creations, your students will get exposure to geometrical terms such as faces ,  equilateral triangles , and all manner of types of 3D shapes.

Get it: Flexagons/Medium

20. Möbius Strip

Though the high-level mathematical equation may be well above your students’ heads (and mine too, if I’m being honest), the STEAM-centered concept of a Möbius strip can be a fun one to explore and create (no need to go into cosines and conversational belts). Middle school math puzzles for the win!

Get it for free: Make a Möbius/STEAMsational

In this complex-looking puzzle, the goal is for the sum of each vertical or horizontal line to match the number given at the beginning of the row or column. This site comes with a great explanation on exactly what that means and how to achieve it. A Kakuro puzzle would be a great “learn as you go” activity for students where they really must pay close attention to the instructions to be able to understand the goal.

Learn more: Kakuro/Braingle

22. Number Searches

This school district’s site has tons of grade-specific number puzzles that would be perfect for when you need to be out of the classroom and have a substitute teacher. They are ready to be printed and contain easy explanations for your students. Check out the number searches, patterns, and 3D riddles.

Learn more: Number Searches/Cranbury School District

23. Two Truths and One Lie

The tried-and-true icebreaker used at many a staff meeting and the first week of school, Two Truths and One Lie can also be used to review and practice tons of mathematical concepts. These middle school math puzzles cover concepts such as negative numbers, fractions, and a ton more.

Buy it: Two Truths & One Lie Math Edition at Amazon

24. Adding Integers Puzzle

The objective of this cuttable resource is for students to solve the integer problem and match up expressions that end up having the same sum. The multiple size options are great for differentiation or to make this independent activity into a small-group collaborative activity.

Buy it: Adding Integers at Teachers Pay Teachers

25. Perfect Square Roots

For upper middle school students, this square-roots puzzle helps with the recognition of perfect square roots. Rather than simply memorizing the perfect square roots, students work to identify and spell out the specific square root and ensure that it fits within the crossword. In this way, the puzzle is self-checking as well.

Buy it: Square Roots Crossword at Teachers Pay Teachers

26. Factor Tree Challenge

Factor trees are an effective way to visually show students the factors of numbers. Trees allow a chain of multiple factors, so you can start with a large number and end up with “branches” that show all of the factors. Once your middle schoolers are familiar with this concept, have them explore this self-checking challenge (and many others as well) that will test their knowledge of abstract factors.

Learn more: Prime Challenges/Transum

27. Ludicross

Another take on Sudoku, Ludicross is interactive in that students can drag and drop the number into position with the goal of making the sum of the numbers in both diagonals the same. Like several of the other puzzles mentioned in this list, students can take this number puzzle to the next level by creating their own and swapping with a classmate to solve.

Learn more: Ludicross/Transum

28. Interactive Mobiles

These colorfully shaped mobiles are a unique way for students to make pattern associations. Because these puzzles are self-paced, students can begin with a simple puzzle and work their way up to complex mobiles with three or more shapes.

Try it: Mobiles/SolveMe Puzzles

29. Deleting Sheep

This logic puzzle is a doozy! The objective is to remove only two numbers in each row with the result being that each horizontal and vertical line equals 30. Trial and error and problem-solving skills abound in this puzzle, and it will keep your middle schoolers engaged for quite some time.

Get it: Deleting Sheep/Dover Publications

30. Pips Puzzle

Have any spare decks of cards lying around your classroom? This inexpensive item provides a different take on a Magic Square. Students can work in small groups, and maybe you can ignite a little class competition to see which groups can complete the challenge the fastest.

Buy it: Pips Puzzle/Math = Love

Looking for more engaging math resources? Try these Magical Math Puzzles and Number Tricks To Wow Your Students .

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15 Problem-Solving Activities for Kids & Teens: Critical Thinking

What is one of the most important skills all students must learn? Is it math or coding? Reading? Writing? While all these skills are indeed vital to success, the one skill that underlines all disciplines is problem solving. All lines of work need great problem solvers to find tomorrow’s solutions, and students of any age can be honing their problem-solving skills. Check out some of these fun problem-solving activities for kids and teens below!

Problem-solving activities for elementary school kids (ages 5-10)

From traditional paper-and-pencil activities to online tools, below are some great activities for kids ages 5-10.

1. Coding Courses for Kids

It’s never too early to start learning the foundational concepts of computer programming! There are a number of courses appropriate for young students to start building their problem solving skills, including the award-winning Scratch Ninja course . For the uninitiated, Scratch is a user-friendly colorful drag-and-drop coding tool developed by MIT for making awesome games and animations while learning important coding logic. Or, for students who are visual learners, try a Minecraft Redstone Engineering course to find out how to build awesome inventions! There are many free coding classes to start with, to find your child's interests.

2. Tower Building

Turns out that kindergartners might be better engineers than grownups (at least according to this experiment)! The challenge was as follows: given 20 pieces of spaghetti, a yard of tape, and a yard of string, build the tallest possible tower that can support 1 marshmallow on top. After various groups of people tried it from Stanford and other universities, kindergartners ended up beating them for creating the tallest tower. Challenge your student to see how tall they can make their tower too!

3. Crosswords

Whether taken out of the newspaper or off of the web, crosswords are a useful logic puzzle for kids to work on. Crosswords encourage students to use context clues, as well as their reasoning skills by eliminating possible options as they progress. Plus, it’s easy to vary the difficulty of the puzzles, as well as find fun, themed crosswords for different holidays! There's even a Thanksgiving crossword for your student to try.

4. Jigsaw Puzzles

There’s nothing like a good, ole’ fashioned puzzle to challenge the mind. Each person takes a different approach to puzzle solving, whether they organize their pieces first, find all the corners, or do something totally different. Exploring different strategies for solving puzzles is an effective introduction to independently creating strategies for problem solving. This is a solid choice for students who are visual learners.

An age-old classic, LEGOs are a fantastic way to combine creative skills with problem solving. Students need to follow sequential steps and visualize to create their LEGO designs. It’s even better when students go beyond the kit instructions to create their own LEGO build, as students will have to learn to utilize limited resources while coming up with a structured plan for designing their idea. LEGO Mindstorms is a popular starting point.

Problem-solving activities for middle school tweens (ages 11-13)

Middle schoolers (ages 11-13) will want to be challenged more with their activities, and these are some effective activities for encouraging growth.

6. Middle School Coding Courses

By the time they reach middle school, students will be ready to take on more advanced coding concepts, regardless of their prior coding experience. For those who have no prior coding experience, the Accelerated Scratch course is an excellent option, as it will introduce students to basic coding concepts while allowing them to make their games and animations. Students with some prior coding experience may want to try the Minecraft Code to Mod course, builds upon basic coding concepts like loops, conditionals, and more while building students' creativity and critical thinking.

7. Birthday Ordering

An activity commonly done at summer camps, the silent birthday lineup is an excellent problem-solving activity for groups. The goal is for students to line up in chronological order based on their birthdays, without talking at all. Working in total science requires students to think outside the box to accomplish their goal, and to prioritize teamwork. Try timing the students to see how quickly they can get it done, then let them reflect on the activity afterwards to see what strategies worked and what didn’t.

8. Event Planning

Have students plan their own event, like a fundraiser, a social, or a competition for their coding club . This will require students to collaborate by delegating tasks, coordinating supplies, budgeting, and more. Even planning something as simple as a pizza party still requires some logistical planning, and students will benefit from struggling through the process. Plus, they can get to enjoy the results of their work when the event finally arrives!

Arduino circuit boards are an excellent choice for children interested in engineering. Because Arduino is widely-popular, there are countless tutorials demonstrating its capabilities, such as creating a controller, custom RGB lighting, robotics, or more. Once students learn the basics, they can use Arduino boards to come up with creative solutions to their own problems. This is an excellent idea for highly-motivated kids who like to work by themselves.

Sudoku is an excellent number puzzle and a great problem-solving exercise. It requires students to evaluate multiple possible options as they try to fill in the puzzles, so students need to be able to create an organized approach to be successful. There are various difficulty levels for sudoku, so students can start easy, then advance as they become proficient at solving the puzzles.

Problem-solving activities for high school teens (ages 14+)

High school (14+) is a good time to incorporate group work into the activities, as students will need to learn to work collaboratively for their future in college and beyond.

11. Coding for Teens

Once reaching high school age, students are ready to tackle the complexities of text-based coding. This is where students can focus on their interests, whether it be web design , AI, app design , and more. Create & Learn’s Python for AI course is a good option, as Python is one of the most widely-used programming languages in the world. Students interested in game design might try the Roblox Studio course , which teaches students how to program their own Roblox games (or try the Beginner Roblox Game Coding course if they have limited previous coding experience.)

12. Robotics Club

Many different school programs offer robotics teams and robotics competitions , using tools such as VEX robotics . Robotics is a great way to combine computer science, mechanical engineering, and problem-solving skills. If there is no robotics team at your student’s school, consider trying a robotics kit such as the Makeblock mBot Ranger .

13. Egg Drop

This classic experiment is a lot of fun for students, and makes for a good competition as well. Students must build some sort of structure that will prevent an egg from breaking when dropped from a certain height (like the top of a staircase). It works best when students are restricted with the resources they can use; for instance, define a “ budget ” for parts that they can’t exceed, or give everyone the same materials to work with .

14. Debate Club

Whether deciding public policy or the best ice cream place in town, having the ability to engage in meaningful debate is critical. Debate forces students to self-analyze, listen, and think critically before making decisions. These skills benefit students’ futures by making them strong, independent thinkers. Check out these speech and debate competitions . And here are some tips for starting a debate club .

15. Science Fair

Science fairs pose an excellent opportunity for exploring the scientific method, both through creating personal projects and checking out other students’ presentations. By encouraging students to come up with their own projects, they must identify some question or problem and find a way to solve it. This can be the most challenging kind of problem-solving, as it requires the student to take initiative in finding their own ideas, but also can be the most rewarding. Try the Google Science Fair Competition .

Enjoy problem-solving activities for kids

And there you have it: problem-solving activities for students from elementary through high school age. Of course, there are many more ways to build critical-thinking abilities like problem-solving. For more ideas, check this list of awesome after-school enrichment activities !

Written by Create & Learn instructor Dominic Occhietti. Dominic is a graduate of Michigan State University, where he studied music performance and computer science. He thoroughly enjoys teaching, whether that be coding classes, French horn lessons, or even downhill skiing lessons!

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30 Educational Games Your Middle Schooler Will Love

Games are an important part of our homeschool routine here at The Waldock Way. We love learning through gameschooling! Educational games can help keep your middle schoolers engaged and excited about learning.

You can use games to teach just about every subject! There are board games and card games kids can play independently or with the whole family. Apps and virtual games can be used to add learning opportunities to screen time too. 

Keep reading to discover my favorite educational games your middle schooler will love. Plus, grab some great new resources for gameschooling in your homeschool at every grade level!

Using Games For Learning In Your Homeschool

Games have been a big part of our family long before we even considered homeschooling. Playing games together is an excellent way to spend quality time fostering a family connection. In the beginning, playing games together was just something we did for fun.

At first, I did not truly see games as a resource for learning in our homeschool. Then, we hit a roadblock with math facts. Emily just could not memorize her math facts and it was becoming a source of stress for both of us. 

Then, Kevin suggested we take a break from homeschool lessons and just enjoy the holidays together. So, we took Thanksgiving off and we played lots of games together. Kevin’s favorite game is Yahtzee so we played that a lot! 

Guess what? When we started back with lessons, Emily knew all her math facts! We all knew if was the result of all those Yahtzee games we played together. 

That’s when we realized that games weren’t just lots of fun, they were going to be an integral part of our homeschool too. That’s the day we became gameschoolers. 

You can use games for learning in your homeschool too. Grab my essential Guide to Gameschooling to help you get ideas and discover resources that will put you on the path to success with gameschooling in your homeschool. 

18 Educational Games Your Middle Schooler Will Love

When we think about adding games to our lesson plans, often we’re talking about playing games with elementary-age homeschoolers. But what about middle schoolers? Fortunately, there are lots of awesome educational games your middle schooler will love too!

Math Games for Middle Schoolers

Sudoku is a simple math game that’s great for middle schoolers. There are lots of versions to challenge your homeschoolers no matter what level of math they’re ready for this year. Plus, you can grab a Sudoku app to play on your phone or tablet when you’re on the go. If you’re looking for a game Sumoku is a great option too!

Prime Climb is fast becoming one of our favorite math games to play as a family. It’s a mathematical version of Monopoly and it’s fun in every way! Players have to earn as many segments and units as they can by solving simple math equations. 

One of the games I grabbed just for middle school math is Math Tac Toe . The simple rules of this math game mean you can start playing right away, but players soon consider more subtle and complex strategies. Middle schoolers will learn to calculate and choose the best options to complete the pattern or make 3 in a row.

Adsumudi is another one of our favorite math games for middle schoolers. This game gives your middle schoolers the opportunity to practice addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division all in one great game. Plus, it’s a lot of fun to play!

The OG in our gameschooling math cabinet is Yahtzee ! This game has taught Emily so much and it’s still just as fun to play as it was years ago. Yahtzee is great for kids of all ages, but it’s still fun for middle schoolers too.

A new game we’ve come to love is Blobby’s Pizza . This math game is simple enough to play with elementary students, but complex enough that middle schoolers will still learn a lot too. Can you make pizza for monsters and compare fractions faster than the other players?

Language Arts Games for Middle Schoolers

Apples to Apple s is a classic family game that’s great for helping kids build vocabulary skills while learning about all kinds of trivial facts. Plus, it’s tons of fun to play! 

If you’re looking for a game that’s easy to learn and fun for middle schoolers and their parents too, check out A Little Word y . In this game, you’ll work to guess your opponent’s secret word by looking at their letter tiles and clues. It’s a great way to test everyone’s word skills!

Scattergori es is great for practicing handwriting skills and getting kids to think outside the box. We love playing this game together as a family. There are tons of expansion packs available online for even more gameplay related to your lessons too.

Another great game to help build vocabulary with your middle schoolers is Splur t . This game gives players a category and a letter. Can you think of a word or name that begins with that letter and fits the category?

Want to work on grammar with your middle schoolers? Try playing with these Metaphor Dice together. You can even use them as a writing tool and poetry prompt generator to help your middle schooler think and write figuratively based on the understanding that a metaphor is an equation between an idea and an object.

Try adding the Wordzee app to your middle schooler’s tablet or phone this year. It’s filled with opportunities for kids to practice strategy, spelling, and build their vocabulary as they challenge the computer or their friends to build words worth points.

Geography & History Games for Middle Schoolers

Carcassonne is a great game for kids and adults. It is a tile-placement game that asks players to place a tile within the Southern French landscape. With no reading involved, this map making strategy game is perfect for family game night. 

Ticket to Ride is one of our favorite history and geography games! There are versions to cover the United States and other big cities all over the world including London, Berlin, and San Francisco. It’s full of strategy and landmarks from all over the world.

Another game series we really love for middle school is the Trekking game bundle. Trekking Through History will take your middle schooler on an adventure through history that’s perfect for hands-on learning. Trekking Through the National Parks will show your homeschoolers the National Parks in a way that’s interactive and educational even if you can’t travel to every park in person. Finally, Trekking the World explores monuments and wonders all over the world from the Sphinx to the Eiffel Tower.  

Another game that’s perfect for middle school history is American Trivia . We love trivia games! They’re great when you want to check for retention, learn new facts, or just have some fun on a long car ride together. 

If you’re looking for a virtual geography game, try Geoguessr . This addicting game exposes kids to geography, cultures, and landmarks all over the world. Plus, it’s great for building problem solving skills and learning to read a map.

Science Games for Middle Schoolers

What if you could cure a deadly disease? Pandemic is a board game that gets kids to think about how they would fight four deadly diseases if they were scientists. Can you find the cure before humanity is extinguished in this cooperative game?

Another science board game we really like is Photosynthesis . It’s an environmental strategy game perfect for teaching your middle schoolers about botany, life cycles, and forests.

Looking for a fun new science game you can use in your chemistry lessons? Get ready to learn more about the periodic table with your middle schoolers in this new board game! Periodic is a game that doesn’t just help you memorize the periodic table, it explains the relationships between the elements too. 

Organ Attack is another fun little game we have added to our middle school gameschooling routine. This game features adorable organ stickers and hilarious gameplay to help your middle schoolers learn more about anatomy. Plus, it’s a great way to build STEM skills too!

Planted is a unique deck building game that has players building and growing their houseplants. Players must balance both the growth of individual plants and the progression of everything in their nursery.

The NASA App is an informative app all about space with articles and videos that will get your kids interested in outer space. Plus, it’s free!

Critical Thinking Games for Middle Schoolers

ThinkFun’s Minecraft Magnetic Puzzle Game is perfect for your middle school Minecraft fan. Minecraft is full of opportunities to solve puzzles and practice critical thinking. This magnetic board game version is perfect for carschooling too. 

Want to teach your kids about coding? Try the Hacker Cyber Security Coding Game . It’s filled with challenges that will require your middle schoolers to plan ahead, use logic, and apply programming principles. 

The Genius Star Game is one of our favorites! In this game, you’ll use logic, spatial reasoning, problem-solving, and critical thinking to fill in the star-shaped board. 

Hive is a board game with a difference. There is no board. The pieces are added to the playing area thus creating the board. As more and more pieces are added the game becomes a fight to see who can be the first to capture the opposing Queen Bee.

These hands-on brain teasers from Foldology train your logical and spatial-reasoning skills while you’re having fun. Solving one feels so good, you’ll keep reaching for the next one.

Middle schoolers unravel hidden words using their language arts knowledge and critical thinking skills with ThinkFun’s Word A Round game. The instructions are easy to follow and this fun game also comes recommended by MENSA, so it’s the perfect addition to your gameschooling resources for middle school. 

More Resources For Gameschooling In Your Homeschool

Want to learn more about how to use gameschooling in your homeschool this year? Check out my Guide to Gameschooling and get even more resources for your game cabinet from the articles below.

• How to Play More Games in Your Homeschool
• Top 10 Logic Games For Your Homeschool
• The Best Math Games for Your Homeschool
• The Top Language Arts Games for Your Homeschool
• The Very Best Spelling Games For Homeschoolers
• The Best Geography & History for Your Homeschool
• The Top 20 Games For Learning About The 50 States
• The Top Science Games for Your Homeschool
• The Best Art & Music Games for Your Homeschool

We are always looking for more fun games to play together here at the Waldock house! Share your favorite games to play with your middle schoolers in the comments. I can’t wait to check them out with Emily this year!

Related Blog Posts:

• Why Games Are An Essential Part Of Interest-Led Learning
• The Ultimate Guide To Games For Every Subject In Your Homeschool

20 STEM Projects That Are Great for Middle School

Krystal DeVille

August 24, 2024

STEM projects allow middle school students to explore science, technology, engineering, and math in fun and hands-on ways. Check out these middle school STEM projects and activities designed to enhance STEM education by engaging students in hands-on learning.

Pick which middle school STEM activities you want to try first.

Simply click the title of each lesson in the list to get the full lesson plan for these great STEM challenges that align with the lessons they are working on.

Alongside these projects, we also offer a variety of easy STEM challenges that can serve as introductory activities for beginners.

I’ve gone through all the educational subscription boxes for teenagers and put together the best ones in this resource, teenagers’ top STEM subscription boxes .

Table of Contents

STEM Activities for Middle School Students

1.  i breathe what.

Students can improve their problem-solving skills and understanding of the scientific method by exploring air quality through pollen, dust, and particulates using their homemade ‘pollution detectors.’

They will hypothesize what causes the differences and explain why engineers look at the particulate matter when they observe air quality.

2. Design a Bridge

This is a classic to add to your middle school STEM activities.

It’s a fun way of using simple machines and various materials, students design bridges that can hold 100 pennies for 30 seconds without collapsing, teaching them fundamental principles of physics.

Review engineering concepts such as load and force with your classes before they get started. Consider using craft sticks as one of the materials, which are great for learning about weight distribution and structural integrity.

3. Spaghetti Soapbox Derby

In this science experiment, pairs of students design, build, and test model vehicles made from dry pasta and hot glue. The goal is to roll along a ramp and coast as far as possible. This STEM activity focuses on using somewhat challenging materials in the best possible ways.

For an added challenge, students can use rubber bands to enhance the propulsion of their pasta vehicles.

4. Trail Planning Using Topographic Quadrangle Maps

This earth science activity first calls for familiarity with US Geological Survey quadrangle maps. Working within set guideline requirements, students then use these maps to design a good route for a new recreational trail.

5. Bikini Bottom Genetics

Students apply an understanding of genetics in an analysis of sea creature genotypes that live in SpongeBob SquarePants’ neighborhood. Using Punnett squares, they predict the traits of offspring.

6. Design a Wristwatch for the Visually Impaired

Help your students review the engineering design process. They will then research, model, test and evaluate wristwatches for individuals with visual impairments as an exercise in applying engineering skills in the areas of bioengineering and biomedical engineering.

Take a look at our review of Groovy Lab in a Box . It’s hard to convey, but after reviewing about a dozen educational STEM subscription services, Groovy Lab Box has the most well-thought-out lesson plans!

7. Use Your Shoe!

Teachers collect shoe size data from the class.

As a group, they use the data to determine the mean, median, and mode. Students then use that information to make inferences about average shoe size and broader populations.

This STEM activity provides a review of how to calculate mean, median, and mode, along with methods to make inferences based on the sample.

While this article focuses on middle schoolers, we also recommend fun and educational STEM projects suitable for elementary students .

8. Mission to Mars

Following a storyline, task your students with completing various STEM challenges, including understanding chemical reactions through a Coke and Mentos experiment as part of a Mars emergency.

Teamwork, engineering design, and the use of science topics in real life are all addressed.

9. Snack Time!

Using nutritional information labels from various packaged foods, students will organize and describe that info to show the data in a box-and-whisker plot, bar graph, and pie chart.

This activity touches on both math and science standards.

10. No Valve in Vain

Teams of students employ the engineering design process to use tape and plastic tubing to create heart valve models. For this activity, the class reviews the engineering design process and the workings of a one-way valve.

For older kids, particularly high school students looking for more advanced challenges, please check out our article, The Best Science Sets for Teens .

11. Marble Speed Traps with Lego Mindstorms

Students review the formula for velocity . Using drag and drop programming, they code the speed traps to measure the distance between the sensors and time it takes the marble to travel between them.

They design the course, write the code, convert units, evaluate, and make changes as needed.

12. The Million Dollar Project

Students imagine inheriting and spending 1 million dollars with specific guidelines of how they may use that money. They research on the internet, record all purchases, learn to write checks, and track all their spending, which reinforces various mathematical concepts.

13. Explore the Law of Inertia using a Fidget Spinner

Review the equations for torque and inertia with students. By removing lights (weight) from spinners, they can explore how the amount of time the device will continue spinning is affected by the mass.

14. Backyard Weather Stations

Working in groups, students describe the current weather and predict future conditions by observing cloud formations. They design backyard weather stations that could gather data for actual forecasting. Technologies for forecasting would be explored, along with weather basics.

15. Leaning Tower of Pasta

Review compression and tension in structure stability with your class. Students use math and engineering concepts to design and build structures with long, dry spaghetti and marshmallows, to find which ones can withstand the largest amount of load.

16. Cleaning the Great Lakes

What better way to understand environmental science than by having students use limited materials to discover how to filter pollutants from dirty water? Teachers may use this challenge activity along with earth science units about water pollution or those concerning local lakes.

17. Soil Biosolarization: Sustainable Weed Killer

Serving as agricultural engineers, students explore the effectiveness of this sustainable weed control technique that uses organic waste instead of poisons.

By using seed starter pots, they plant “weeds” and test the use of organic matter, like oatmeal, to see if it kills the weeds, assessing the impact of products and systems.

18. Renewable Energy: Power Your School

In pairs, students use real data to assess the possible use of solar or wind power generation at their school.

Using science, math, and engineering concepts, they explore the differences between these two methods, use maps for an analysis of potential, and look at factors related to the feasibility of renewable energy at their location.

19. Generate Your Own Ocean Currents!

Encourage critical thinking and understanding of real-world applications as students design and construct ocean models to study wind-driven currents.

Through this challenge project, they will explore circulation patterns, the Coriolis effect, and the transfer of heat from the global ocean convection cycle.

20. Scaling Up Candy Wrappers

Students bring in their favorite candy bar wrappers, choose a scale factor (larger than 5), and enlarge their wrappers to that scale in a drawing on grid paper.

Scaling up candy wrappers is not just educational, but also a lot of fun, teaching kids about the math concept of scale factor. They can then color and display their finished projects!

21. Rube Goldberg Machines

What is a rube goldberg machine.

A Rube Goldberg machine is a deliberately complex contraption in which a series of devices perform simple tasks linked together to produce a domino effect, ultimately accomplishing a simple goal in a highly complex manner.

Named after the American cartoonist Rube Goldberg, these machines are fantastic tools for teaching students about physics, engineering, and critical thinking.

Why Include Rube Goldberg Machines in Middle School STEM?

• Encourages Creative Thinking : Building these machines requires students to think outside the box and use their imagination to solve problems.
• Teaches Basic Physics Principles : Concepts like energy transfer, motion, and simple machines come to life in a Rube Goldberg project.
• Enhances Teamwork and Collaboration : Students often work in teams, learning to communicate and collaborate to design and build their machines.
• Develops Problem-Solving Skills : Students learn to troubleshoot and iterate, key skills in any STEM field.

Implementing Rube Goldberg Machine Projects

• Introduce the Concept : Start with a brief history of Rube Goldberg and show examples of Rube Goldberg machines, either through videos or illustrations.
• Define the Project Scope : Set clear goals and parameters. For example, each machine must have a minimum number of steps or complete a specific task.
• Materials : Encourage creativity by allowing a wide range of materials, from household items to recycled materials.
• Documentation : Have students document their design process, challenges, and solutions. This can be in the form of a journal, video, or presentation.
• Presentation and Reflection : Allow students to present their machines to the class. Encourage them to discuss what they learned and how they overcame obstacles.

22. Egg Drop Challenge

What is the Egg Drop Challenge? An engaging physics experiment for middle schoolers, the Egg Drop Challenge involves designing a device to protect a raw egg from breaking when dropped from a height. It’s an excellent way for students to apply concepts of gravity, impact force, and material properties.

Why It’s Beneficial:

• Encourages creative problem-solving.
• Demonstrates physics principles like momentum and shock absorption.
• Promotes teamwork and collaborative skills.

Implementing the Challenge:

• Materials: Offer materials like straws, balloons, and craft sticks.
• Design and Build: Students design and construct their egg-protecting devices.
• The Drop: Test the devices by dropping eggs from a set height.
• Analysis: Discuss the outcomes, focusing on physics concepts and design strategies.

Curriculum Alignment: This challenge complements the middle school physics curriculum, applying theoretical concepts practically.

23. The Index Card Tower Challenge

What is the Index Card Tower Challenge? The Index Card Tower Challenge is a straightforward yet engaging activity that introduces students to basic principles of physical science and engineering. Using only index cards, students are challenged to build the tallest possible tower.

This activity is the best way to demonstrate concepts like balance, gravity, and kinetic energy, making it perfect for kids of all ages, including younger kids.

Why It’s Essential in STEM Curriculum:

• Introduces Physical Science Concepts: Focuses on basic principles like stability and kinetic energy.
• Encourages Creative Problem-Solving: Challenges students to think innovatively using simple materials.
• Accessible to All Ages: Easily adaptable for different age groups, making it suitable for both younger kids and older students.
• Prepares for Future Careers: Develops foundational skills useful in various STEM fields.
• Materials: Provide students with a stack of index cards.
• Build the Tower: Students experiment with different construction techniques to build their towers.
• Discussion on Physical Science: After the activity, discuss how forces like gravity and kinetic energy influenced their designs.
• Real-World Connection: Relate the activity to real-world structures and engineering challenges.

How It Fits Into STEM Courses: The Index Card Tower Challenge is a versatile activity that can be integrated into various STEM courses. It encourages students to apply scientific principles and think critically about engineering challenges, making it a valuable addition to any STEM curriculum.

How To Make The Most Of These Fun STEM Activities for Middle School Students

Whether in STEM labs, at home, or in the classroom, engaging students with discussion questions throughout these hands-on activities is vital.

To connect with students’ interests, some of these STEM activities offer different ways, including the design or analysis of simple video games, blending technology with creativity.

We rounded up these projects specifically because they align with learning objectives and lessons for 6th to 8th-grade students. Ask how this applies to what they’re currently learning in class? What did the project demonstrate?

Let us know in the comments what your favorite Middle School STEM projects! We’d love to hear them.

2 thoughts on “20 STEM Projects That Are Great for Middle School”

I taught bridge building to sixth grade students. The only thing I taught them was information and diagrams about trusses. They had to take notes for their own use during construction. Gave them the materials, formed groups and gave them them help without interfering with their own ideas. The amount of enthusiasm I have seldom seen in middle school. They were so excited they told their other teachers about the project. The bridges were beautiful and so strong. It was great to see the application of the trusses! I am all for STEM activities!

These are some great activities thanks for sharing and I’ll use them at my school.

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20 Critical Thinking Activities for Middle Schoolers

• Middle School Education

Introduction:

  Critical thinking is vital for middle school students, as it helps them develop problem-solving skills, make informed decisions, and understand different perspectives. Integrating critical thinking activities into classroom learning experiences can greatly enhance students’ cognitive abilities. The following are 20 engaging critical thinking activities designed for middle school students.

1. Brain Teasers: Use age-appropriate puzzles to challenge students’ cognitive abilities and encourage them to find creative solutions.

2. Socratic Circles: Divide the class into groups and encourage them to participate in a philosophical discussion on a given topic, asking questions that stimulate critical thinking and deeper understanding.

3. Compare and Contrast: Assign two similar but different texts for students to compare and contrast, analyzing similarities and differences between each author’s perspective.

4. What-If Questions: Encourage children to think critically about hypothetical scenarios by asking what-if questions, such as “What if the internet didn’t exist?”

5. Debate Club: Organize a debate club where students are encouraged to research and defend differing viewpoints on a topic.

6. Mind Mapping: Teach students how to create a mind map – a visual representation of their thoughts – to help them brainstorm complex issues effectively.

7. Mystery Bag: In small groups, give students a bag containing several random objects and ask them to invent an innovative product or story using all items in the bag.

8. Critical Thinking Journal: Have students maintain journals where they analyze their thought processes after completing activities, promoting self-reflection and metacognition.

9. Moral Dilemmas: Present students with moral dilemmas, requiring them to weigh pros and cons before making ethical decisions.

10. Fact or Opinion?: Give students various statements and ask them to differentiate between fact or opinion, helping them build critical thinking skills when handling information.

11. Research Projects: Assign project topics that require deep research from multiple sources, developing students’ abilities to sift through information and synthesize their findings.

12. Think-Pair-Share: Have students think individually about a complex question, then pair up to discuss their thoughts, and finally share with the class.

13. Art Interpretation: Display an artwork and ask students to interpret its meaning, theme, or message, pushing them to look beyond the surface.

14. Reverse Role Play: Assign roles for a scenario where students exchange positions (e.g., teacher-student, parent-child), fostering empathetic understanding and critical thinking skills.

15. Critical Evaluation of Media: Analyze news articles, commercials, or social media posts by asking questions about their purpose, target audience, and accuracy.

16. Six Thinking Hats: Teach students Edward de Bono’s “Six Thinking Hats” technique to improve critical thinking by exploring diverse perspectives when solving problems.

17. Analogy Building: Encourage students to create analogies from one concept to another, enhancing abstract thinking and problem-solving abilities.

18. Current Events Analysis: Keep track of current events and have students critically evaluate news stories or blog posts to encourage informed decision-making in real-world contexts.

19. Brainstorming Sessions: Hold group brainstorming sessions where students invent solutions for complex problems while practicing active listening and critical thinking.

20. Reflection Activities: Use reflective writing prompts at the end of lessons or activities to foster metacognition, self-awareness, and the development of critical thinking skills.

Conclusion:

Critical thinking activities are vital for middle schoolers as they foster intellectual growth and prepare them for future learning experiences. By incorporating these 20 activities into your classroom curriculum, you can help students develop essential critical thinking skills that will serve them throughout their academic careers and beyond.

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Problem-solving skills are necessary in all areas of life, and classroom problem solving activities can be a great way to get students prepped and ready to solve real problems in real life scenarios. Whether in school, work or in their social relationships, the ability to critically analyze a problem, map out all its elements and then prepare a workable solution is one of the most valuable skills one can acquire in life.

Educating your students about problem solving skills from an early age in school can be facilitated through classroom problem solving activities. Such endeavors encourage cognitive as well as social development, and can equip students with the tools they’ll need to address and solve problems throughout the rest of their lives. Here are five classroom problem solving activities your students are sure to benefit from as well as enjoy doing:

1. Brainstorm bonanza

Having your students create lists related to whatever you are currently studying can be a great way to help them to enrich their understanding of a topic while learning to problem-solve. For example, if you are studying a historical, current or fictional event that did not turn out favorably, have your students brainstorm ways that the protagonist or participants could have created a different, more positive outcome. They can brainstorm on paper individually or on a chalkboard or white board in front of the class.

2. Problem-solving as a group

Have your students create and decorate a medium-sized box with a slot in the top. Label the box “The Problem-Solving Box.” Invite students to anonymously write down and submit any problem or issue they might be having at school or at home, ones that they can’t seem to figure out on their own. Once or twice a week, have a student draw one of the items from the box and read it aloud. Then have the class as a group figure out the ideal way the student can address the issue and hopefully solve it.

3. Clue me in

This fun detective game encourages problem-solving, critical thinking and cognitive development. Collect a number of items that are associated with a specific profession, social trend, place, public figure, historical event, animal, etc. Assemble actual items (or pictures of items) that are commonly associated with the target answer. Place them all in a bag (five-10 clues should be sufficient.) Then have a student reach into the bag and one by one pull out clues. Choose a minimum number of clues they must draw out before making their first guess (two- three). After this, the student must venture a guess after each clue pulled until they guess correctly. See how quickly the student is able to solve the riddle.

4. Survivor scenarios

Create a pretend scenario for students that requires them to think creatively to make it through. An example might be getting stranded on an island, knowing that help will not arrive for three days. The group has a limited amount of food and water and must create shelter from items around the island. Encourage working together as a group and hearing out every child that has an idea about how to make it through the three days as safely and comfortably as possible.

5. Moral dilemma

Create a number of possible moral dilemmas your students might encounter in life, write them down, and place each item folded up in a bowl or bag. Some of the items might include things like, “I saw a good friend of mine shoplifting. What should I do?” or “The cashier gave me an extra $1.50 in change after I bought candy at the store. What should I do?” Have each student draw an item from the bag one by one, read it aloud, then tell the class their answer on the spot as to how they would handle the situation.

Classroom problem solving activities need not be dull and routine. Ideally, the problem solving activities you give your students will engage their senses and be genuinely fun to do. The activities and lessons learned will leave an impression on each child, increasing the likelihood that they will take the lesson forward into their everyday lives.

You may also like to read

• Classroom Activities for Introverted Students
• Activities for Teaching Tolerance in the Classroom
• 5 Problem-Solving Activities for Elementary Classrooms
• 10 Ways to Motivate Students Outside the Classroom
• Motivating Introverted Students to Excel in the Classroom
• How to Engage Gifted and Talented Students in the Classroom

Categorized as: Tips for Teachers and Classroom Resources

Tagged as: Assessment Tools ,  Engaging Activities

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15 Problem solving activities for students

In this guide

• 1. The detective game
• 2. Help ‘em out
• 3. What if…
• 4. Move IT!
• 5. The build
• 6. Just survive
• 7. Good old scavenger hunt maybe with a twist
• 9. Tower of terror
• 10. Community problem solving
• 11. Community problem solving documentary
• 12. Digital storytelling
• 13. Minefield/Lead the blind
• 14. Design sprints
• 15. Debates

Problem solving entails identifying, analyzing, and addressing challenges or obstacles using critical thinking, creativity, analytical skills, and reasoning. The World Economic Forum consistently ranks critical thinking and problem solving as top skills for the future in their list of essential abilities. 

Why is problem solving an important skill for students?

In a 2020 report, the World Economic Forum emphasized the growing significance of critical thinking and problem-solving skills in the upcoming years ( Whiting, 2020 ). These skills are vital not only for academic success but also for navigating challenges beyond the classroom. Let’s explore four key benefits of problem-solving skills for students.

• Student centered learning: Problem solving encourages student engagement by encouraging hands-on exploration and discovery. Students fully engage with a topic, they are not expected to simply absorb and memorize information. It recognizes and honors students’ individual learning pace, as well as their unique strengths, interests, and motivations. 
• Enhanced critical thinking: By tackling problems from diverse perspectives and evaluating information from various sources and viewing the problem from various angles, students are able to develop improved critical thinking skills.  Problem solving also cultivates systems thinking, enabling students to grasp the interconnectedness of systems, complex issues, and devise holistic solutions. 
• Confidence building: Through regular practice, students gain confidence in their problem solving skills, equipping them to address challenges across a wide variety of subject areas and real-life scenarios. “The goal in teaching problem-solving is for it to become second nature, and for students to routinely express their curiosity, explore innovative solutions, and analyze the world around them to draw their own conclusions.” (Marshall, 2022)
• Teamwork and communication: Engaging in problem solving activities nurtures essential teamwork skills such as communication and collaboration. Students learn to actively listen, respect diverse perspectives, and resolve conflicts in a constructive manner. Moreover, they develop goal setting abilities, organization, and build a sense of personal accountability within a team environment. 

Problem solving activities for elementary

Problem solving activities can range from simple to complex and short to long.

1) The detective game

• Gather 5-10 clues about a person, place, historical event, pop culture phenomenon, animal, etc. these can be physical clues or images of clues. 
• Place the clues to a bag and have students draw one clue at a time. 
• Encourage students to work in small groups to solve the mystery. 
• Require a minimum number of clues to be drawn (2-3) before attempting their first guess. 

2) Help ‘em out

• Engage students in brainstorming sessions while reading about historical events or fictional characters.
• Encourage small group discussion and decision making. 
• Students can work at desks or on whiteboards. 
• Challenge the students to identify the problems faced and devise creative solutions to alter the outcomes. 

3) What if…

• Create a list of moral dilemmas for students to ponder, ChatGPT would be perfect for this.
• Cut them up and put them in a bag for students to pull out of or use an online randomizing tool like WheelPicker to make the selection. 
• Students then have to share how they would handle the situation using ethical reasoning and decision making skills.

Here are the prompts I used on ChatGPT:

I am looking for a list of 15 moral dilemmas for elementary students to try and solve.

And a follow-up prompt:

Could you give 10 more that are based around honesty, fairness, respect, and peer pressure?

And here are 10 dilemmas ChatGPT came up with in seconds: 

• Truth dilemma: Your friend breaks something and asks you not to tell anyone. Should you keep their secret or tell an adult what happened?
• Fairness dilemma: You’re playing a game and your friend keeps losing. Do you let them win to make them feel better or play your best?
• Respecting property dilemma: You find money on the ground. Do you keep it, try to find the owner, or turn it into a teacher?
• Honesty dilemma: You accidentally take something that belongs to someone else. Do you return it, keep it, or ignore what happened?
• Respect dilemma: Your friend likes a certain game, but you don’t. They invite you to play. Do you decline and risk hurting their feelings, or play to make them happy?
• Cheating dilemma: You notice someone cheating during a class assignment. Should you tell the teacher or keep quiet?
• Environment dilemma: You see someone littering in the park. Do you pick up the trash, ignore it, or say something to the person?
• Privacy dilemma: You find a diary belonging to your sibling or friend. Should you read it or respect their privacy?
• Homework dilemma: You finish your homework but notice that your friend forgot to complete theirs. They ask to copy your work. What do you do?
• Peer pressure dilemma: Your friends want to gossip about another classmate. Do you join in, stay silent, or change the subject?

4) Move IT!

In this activity students are required to move an object across the classroom while navigating various constraints. 

• Introduce limitations such as restrictions on carrying the object, it can’t touch the floor, limited steps, use of specific body parts, or communication limitations with team members. 
• Encourage collaborative problem solving and creative thinking to overcome the obstacles.

5) The build

Provide students with materials like straws, marshmallows, paper cups, etc. and challenge them to build. Challenges can be the tallest freestanding tower, a bridge that can hold a certain weight, or other structures following specific rules. Students must learn to think creatively, collaborate, and iterate. 

Problem solving activities for middle school

Middle school problem solving can also utilize those activities mentioned for elementary school with some slight tweaks. But, here are some more middle school style activities.

6) Just survive

Use survival scenarios to encourage small groups to employ critical thinking, collaboration, and creative problem solving skills. These scenarios immerse students in real-world situations and foster resilience and adaptability. 

Many scenarios can be found online. Here are a few:

• Survival Island (complete with Google Slides)
• Plane Crash (survival game with a Hatchet by Gary Paulsen feel)
• Moon Landing (space survival game)

7) Good old scavenger hunt maybe with a twist

Scavenger hunts require problem solving skills to solve clues, think critically, and collaborate to complete the hunt. A fun and innovative way to do this was created by a friend named Kathi Kersznowski, co-author of Sail the 7Cs with Microsoft Education, called FlipHunt: 

A Fliphunt is a video-based scavenger hunt that is completely organized and run in the AMAZING Flip (formerly Flipgrid) environment. It is a wonderfully fun way to get students up and moving while exploring new learning or documenting understanding using the most beloved edtech site for amplifying student voice and student engagement in ways never known before! https://kerszi.com

Escape rooms are an amazing way to promote problem solving and critical thinking with middle school students. Students are presented with a scenario or challenge within a controlled environment, such as a themed classroom or designated area, where they must work together to decipher puzzles, uncover clues, and solve challenges within a set time limit. Escape rooms provide immersive and engaging problem-solving experiences.

There are a number of places teachers can go to find escape rooms, some paid, some free or freemium, and some physical with locked boxes or digital using Google Sites or Google Forms.

• BreakoutEDU – Standards aligned Escape Room games.
• Digital Escape Rooms from Ditch That Textbook
• How to make your own digital escape room with Google Forms

9) Tower of terror

This is a “Red Solo Cup” cup stacking game. 

• Students are given 3 cups and 2 large index cards. 
• Cups are stacked with a card in between each cup. 
• Student teams have 3-10 minutes (be fluid with your time depending on the class) to pull the cards and get the cups to nest on top of each other, earning a point for each successful attempt. Check out this X (Twitter post) by Jonathan Alsheimer , Tower Of Terror . This quick, simple game encourages teamwork, communication, critical thinking, and collaboration in a fun fast paced way.

10) Community problem solving

Empower students to address real-world problems from the local community or your school community. Maybe it’s a dangerous intersection, food waste with school lunches, or single-use plastics in the cafeteria. Students can research, analyze data, and propose solutions, fostering civic engagement and social responsibility. This is an activity that can also be used for high school students. 

Problem solving activities for high school

High school problem-solving activities build on foundational skills while providing opportunities for deeper exploration and application. Here are some elevated ideas tailored to high school students:

11) Community problem solving documentary

Challenge students to create short documentaries using their phones as cameras about solving problems they see in the community, in school, or in the world. Students can edit directly on their phones, on sites like Canva , WeVideo , or Capcut . 

12) Digital storytelling

Encourage students to harness the power of Digital storytelling to promote problem solving. Whether through videos, graphics, podcasts, or interactive presentations, data visualization, or digital books ( BookCreator ), students can craft compelling narratives that inspire action and promote a problem-solving mindset.

Check out Michael Hernandez’s book Storytelling with Purpose Digital Projects to Ignite Student Curiosity and you can listen to Michael on the TeacherNerdz Podcast .

13) Minefield/Lead the blind

This is an outstanding activity created by Dr. Krista Welz & Melissa Welz which involves communication, collaboration, and planning. The “Minefield” activity is  where one student navigates through a “Minefield” guided only by verbal commands from their peers. This hands-on exercise promotes teamwork, planning, and effective communication skills. Here is a detailed Google Slides explanation by the creators.

14) Design sprints

Introduce students to the concept of design sprints, a structured process for solving complex problems through rapid prototyping and user feedback.  Small teams collaborate intensely over a short period, usually five days (can be shorter a class period or a few days), to ideate, prototype, and validate solutions. Here is a famous design sprint from IDEO shown on ABC’s Nightline, the shopping cart design sprint:

Here are a few ideas:

• Redesigning the school cafeteria menu: Students work collaboratively to identify issues with the current cafeteria menu, brainstorm innovative solutions, create prototypes of redesigned menus, and gather feedback through testing sessions to ultimately present improved menu designs to school administrators.
• Redesigning classroom layouts for enhanced learning: This sprint focuses on reimagining classroom setups to optimize student learning experiences. Students research, ideate, prototype, test, and present innovative classroom layouts designed to foster a more engaging and effective learning environment.
• Creating solutions for reducing school waste: Students address sustainability concerns by identifying sources of waste within the school, brainstorming eco-friendly solutions, prototyping waste reduction strategies, testing their effectiveness, and pitching refined solutions aimed at minimizing waste and promoting environmental stewardship.
• 11 Activities from IDEO’s d.school for educators: Link

15) Debates

Facilitate lively debates on contemporary issues to stimulate critical thinking and persuasive communication skills.  Topics could include:

• Establishing a universal basic income to address poverty.
• Social media regulation to address misinformation and hate speech on platforms. 
• Banning TikTok or any social media platform
• Animal testing for cosmetics and scientific purposes.
• Space exploration funding: Should governments invest more resources in space exploration and colonization efforts, or should these funds be allocated to other pressing issues on Earth? 

As we navigate an era of unprecedented change and uncertainty, the need for problem-solving skills has never been more pressing. Gone are the days of lifelong careers; instead, today’s students face a landscape where adaptability and innovation are key. By integrating problem-solving activities tailored to elementary, middle school, and high school students, educators play a pivotal role in equipping the next generation with the tools they need to thrive.

As educators, parents, and stakeholders, we must acknowledge the role of problem-solving skills in shaping resilient, creative, and adaptable individuals. Educators should prioritize the cultivation of these essential skills in our schools and communities, empowering students to confront challenges with confidence, innovation, and creativity. When we do,  we not only prepare them for the future but also foster a generation capable of shaping a brighter tomorrow.

*Many, if not all, of the activities above can be adapted up or down the grade levels. *

• Daneshgari, F. (2023, March 29). High School Problem-Solving: 6 Activities That Work . Safes Parental Control App. Retrieved April 7, 2024, from https://www.safes.so/blogs/problem-solving-activities-for-high-school-students/
• Educator Guides: Activities from d.school Books — Stanford d.school . (n.d.). Stanford d.school. Retrieved April 7, 2024, from https://dschool.stanford.edu/resources/educators-guides-books
• Engaging Problem Solving Activities for Middle School Students . (n.d.). Everyday Speech. Retrieved April 3, 2024, from https://everydayspeech.com/sel-implementation/engaging-problem-solving-activities-for-middle-school-students/
• 5 Problem-Solving Activities for the Classroom . (2013, February 14). Resilient Educator. Retrieved April 7, 2024, from https://resilienteducator.com/classroom-resources/5-problem-solving-activities-for-the-classroom/
• Foshay, W. R., & Kirkley, J. (1998). Principles for Teaching Problem Solving . PLATO Learning Inc. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/262798359_Principles_for_Teaching_Problem_Solving
• Khanna, B. (2023, September 29). World Economic Forum Warns of Skills Gap in the Future of Work . LinkedIn. Retrieved April 3, 2024, from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/world-economic-forum-warns-skills-gap-future-work-bhupendra-khanna
• Marshall, M. (2022, October 5). Benefits of Problem-Solving in the K-12 Classroom – Institute of Competition Sciences . Institute of Competition Sciences. Retrieved April 3, 2024, from https://www.competitionsciences.org/2022/10/05/benefits-of-problem-solving-in-the-k-12-classroom/
• Understanding the Importance of Teaching Creative Problem-Solving in Elementary Schools . (n.d.). Everyday Speech. Retrieved April 3, 2024, from https://everydayspeech.com/sel-implementation/understanding-the-importance-of-teaching-creative-problem-solving-in-elementary-schools/
• Weil, Z. (2016). The World Becomes What We Teach: Educating a Generation of Solutionaries . Lantern Publishing & Media.
• Whiting, K. (2020, October 21). What are the top 10 job skills for the future? The World Economic Forum. Retrieved April 3, 2024, from https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/10/top-10-work-skills-of-tomorrow-how-long-it-takes-to-learn-them/

Ronald M. Nober

Technology/STEAM Teacher

Ron Nober is a technology/STEAM teacher and co-host of the TeacherNerdz Podcast. He has a focus on using the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the classroom as well as connecting technology to social good.

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16 Team Building Activities For Middle School (With Video Examples)

Middle school can be a tough time for children.

At this stage in a student’s life, they are more interested in connecting with peers and making friends than anything else.

This is why team-building activities are a great way to start the school year out right or to help reconnect an existing class that needs a little help.

Also, team building allows students to develop stronger relationships and trust among each other.

As well, team building activities are a great way to help students learn how to communicate with each other effectively which is one of the most important skills a middle school student can learn.

In this article, we have found 16 of the best team building activities for middle school students and we have also included video examples so it is much easier for you to implement them at your school.

Feel free to change and mold the activities to what works best for your students.

If you are not a teacher, these activities still work great in any situation where team building is necessary.

Before we get into the more intricate team building games I wanted to remind everyone that just some good ol’ outside time on the court or play area is one of the best ways to get kids to work together.

Whether it is just traditional recess or a more structured game getting kids to work together through physical activities is one of the best ways to create a team both inside and outside the classroom.

Here is some good quality equipment to get you started:

Click on the picture or link below for more information and pricing.

Easy Play Sports and Outdoor Equipment

The effort you put into getting kids to work together, in the beginning, will pay dividends thought the whole school year.

1. Group Paper Tower

In this great team building activity, students will be tasked with building the tallest tower possible with 20 sheets of plain computer paper.

Students are timed but feel free to make a time limit that best fits your students and schedule.

This game is excellent at helping students be creative and really encourages problem-solving.

At the end of the time, each group’s tower is measured to see which one is the tallest.

The activity is also great at helping students learn from their mistakes and learn from how other’s solved a problem.

This activity is not only a great team building activity for middle school but it is a lot of fun.

A very important part of any team building activity is the student’s ability to listen to both peers and teachers alike.

To get more information about how parents and teachers can help children listen go to our article How To Get A Child To Listen In School .

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2. Centipede Ski Challenge

The Centipede or Group Ski Challenge is most likely an outdoor activity.

Although, you could do the activity in the hallway or large space in the school.

In this activity, a group of students will step on the group skis and hold onto the handles.

In order for the students to move, they have to move in un

ison with each step or the ski will not move.

The students will race and move together to see who can get to the finish line first.

The activity does a great job of teaching students about cooperation and how without the help of others it can hard to accomplish a goal.

This activity will not only get the student’s heart racing but it will also be a class favorite.

4 Legged Race Bands is designed to spice up team-building and any outdoor activities as long as 4 players are involved! Work together as a team to walk faster and farther to win the competition.

Click on the picture or link above for pricing and information!

3. Magic Carpet

The Magic Carpet or Tarp Flip is a great way to get kids moving and problem-solving at the same time.

This is a great activity that can be done inside or outside depending on the size of each group.

If you would like to make the number of students smaller in each group you could use a towel rather than a “carpet”.

A group of students stand on a “carpet”, tarp or blanket and try to flip it over while all the students are standing on it.

If a student steps off the “carpet” then the group has to start over.

The students that are able to flip over the “carpet” first (without stepping off of it) are the winners.

This activity does an excellent job of encouraging students to communicate efficiently in order to complete a goal.

Artoflifer Hole Tarp Team Building Game The aim of the challenge is for the tennis ball to travel around the tarp for the longest time possible without falling through the holes or coming off the tarp.

Click on the picture or the link above more more information and pricing

4. Team Pen

Team Pen is a perfect in classroom team building activity.

The teacher will need to tape strings to a large pen before the activity begins.

Students will be placed into teams and each student will hold on to one of the strings connected to the pen.

The teacher will give each group a word to write on a piece of blank paper.

The students within the group will have to navigate the pen together to write the word.

Start out with easy and short words at first but eventually once the kids get better at it this can be a great way to help students practice for their spelling tests or phonics work.

The best part of this activity is seeing what the word ends up looking like once the students are done.

This is such a fun activity I can hear the laughter from here!

Laughter makes everything better! For more laughs please read our article T eacher Jokes (One For Each Day Of The School Year)

Cooperative Stretchy Band 

Made with soft, elastic latex tube and multi-colored fleece fabric that is both strong and stretchy. When children run to different directions, it will not hurt them, making it very safe to use.

Cooperative band adopts soft latex tube that covered with soft multi-colored fabric that encourages group cooperation, interaction and creative movement.

Click on the picture or link above for more information and pricing

5. Pipe Line

Pipe Line can be an indoor or outdoor activity.

Students will each get half of a PVC pipe or long “U” shaped item.

If you do not have a half-pipe piece you can have students create a “U” shape out of a piece of paper or even better a piece of card stock.

This does work well but does increase the difficulty as it is hard to keep the paper stable enough to create the “U” shape and in enough time to let the ball pass through it.

Once you have your “U” shaped item for each of the students they will be put into groups.

The teacher will place a ping pong ball or golf ball at the beginning of their half-pipe and they must tilt it until the ball starts to roll down it.

Once the ball gets to the end another student will have to catch the ball with their half-pipe to continue the ball rolling down the track.

The student who just had a turn and the ball is off their half-pipe will run to the end of the line to help continue the game.

The team that gets to the finish line without their ball falling off the track will win.

6. Knee Relay Race

This is a classic relay race with a twist.

Students will be split into teams and each team will have a medium size ball.

Each team will have to put the ball between their knees and run knock-kneed to a hola-hoop or bucket at the end of the relay.

Once they get to the hula-hoop or bucket they must drop the ball from their knees into the hula-hoop or bucket.

Depending on how difficult you want the game to be you can make a rule that if the student drops the ball outside of the hula-hoop or bucket they have to start over.

Which ever team gets all their balls to their target and back wins.

This game will help create a sense of comradery as it can be a difficult challenge.

7. Cross The Lava Challenge

Cross The Lava is both a great indoor or outdoor team building activity depending on the sizes of the teams.

In this activity, students are put into teams and each student on the team will get a ” Magic Lava Stone” otherwise known as a carpet square, piece of fabric or piece of paper (card stock will work better than regular paper).

The students in each team will stand in a line and the first person will start laying the “Lava Stone” down for them and other students to stand on.

Each student in the team will step forward on the stones until there are no more stones to put down.

At this time the last person in the team will have one empty stone and they will pass the stone up to the front of the line so they can use it to continue the path.

This will continue until one of the teams crosses the finish line or the end of the “Lava”.

This team building activity for middle school students is extremely fun and it fosters critical thinking and teamwork.

This activity really gets kids moving. To learn more about keeping kids healthy please read our article A Complete List Of The Best Exercises For Kids

8. Caterpillar Race

The Caterpillar Race is a fun team building activity for middle school students that promotes teamwork and communication.

Before this activity, the teacher must tape together strong pieces of paper or sew together a long piece of fabric in order to make the “Caterpillar”.

Students will be placed in teams and each team will step into the paper or cloth caterpillar.

They will have to move their feet and their hands to help move it in the direction of the finish line.

Students will have to keep pace with the students in front of them and behind them to be successful.

The students that are able to navigate their caterpillar to the finish line first are the winners.

To make the activity more difficult, use paper to make the caterpillar so that the students have to be very careful not to tear it before they finish which could be quite difficult depending on the materials used.

Learning and having fun is the best way to teach and the Caterpillar Race is a perfect example of that.

Run Mat for Kids is a roll mat race. A racing game that requires team work and coordination, in order to keep tour team running and your mat rolling

For Field Day, Active Play, Balance and Flexibility Team Building & Collaboration, Obstacle Course, Training Tool, Kids Grown-Ups, Group Work, etc.

Group activity for 3-4 adults or 5-7 children

Click on the picture and link above for information and pricing

9. Hula Hoop Pass

One of the best parts about team building is that it helps students understand both their strengths and weaknesses.

It also helps them by seeing how other students handle problems and how they handle the stress associated with those problems.

the Hula Hoop pass seems like an easy task until you try it yourself.

Students will get into teams, make a circle and link hands.

Two people will start the game by putting their hands through the middle of the hula hoop and then linking hands with their partners.

Once the game has started each team will have to move the hula hoop across and over their body to the next student where they will do the same.

The team that is able to move the hula hoop around the entire circle ending with the students who started the game are the winners.

While this game seems simple it does take some coordination.

This game is the perfect opportunity to help teach your students constructive praise techniques.

10. Quadropus Cup Stacking

The Quadropus Cup Stacking game is one of the coolest on our list but it does take a little “crafting” to get started.

Before the game, the teacher or the students will need to make the “cup mover” by fastening a certain number (depending on the size of the teams) of pipe cleaners to a rubber band to create a contraption that will allow the students to pull the pipe cleaners to expand the rubber band and relax the pipe cleaners to contract the rubber band.

The cup mover contraption will allow the students to grasp the cups only if they work cooperatively.

Once the cup mover has been made then students are given different tasks to move and stack the cups in certain patterns.

The best part of this game is that the students must work together in order to move the cup.

If even one student is not working with the team the cup mover will not be effective.

The game is the perfect example of how teamwork is only accomplished when everyone works together.

11. The Human Knot

The Human Knot is similar to the Hula Hoop pass but now there is no hula hoop but you still need to maneuver your body and work together to win the challenge.

The students will be placed into teams and will need to make a circle.

Each student will hold out their right hand and grasp the student’s hand cross from them.

They will do the same with their left hand.

Now it is time for the students to try to maneuver themselves so that they are back in a similar position as they started and “untied”.

This game is a great game to teach direction skills and to help students problem-solve when things don’t go quite right (and they will!).

While this game can get complicated it sets up so many teachable moments that you will have to try it.

12. Marshmellow Tower Challenge

The Marshmallow Tower Challenge is the pinnacle of problem-solving and critical thinking challenges.

Students must use all their team building strategies to complete this task.

Students will be given a certain number of materials and one marshmallow to build a structure the best they can.

While the materials are helpful, there is only a limited amount which makes using them efficiently important and encourages strategy.

Students are encouraged to plan and strategize before making their structure which is a great lesson in itself.

When students are given the opportunity to work together and communicate regardless of how the tower turns out the activity will be successful.

13. Escape Classroom

The Escape Room or Escape Classroom is one of the most engaging and exciting team building activities ever but it takes a lot of planning.

The idea behind this team building activity is that the students are locked in the classroom and have to get out by finding all of the clues left by their capture. ( This is all pretend of course)

The students are split up into teams and must find clues (activities) to move on to the next clue.

The Teacher sets up a group of activities that the students must do in order to get to the next clue which leads them closer to solving the main problem which is escaping from the classroom.

The theme of this team building activity can be anything from a book theme to having students solve certain math problems to escape and win the game.

The first team that can “escape” (by solving all the clues) from the classroom is the winner.

If the teacher can pull off this activity, it will be talked about all school year long.

14. Blind Minefield

The Blind Minefield game is not only a great team-building activity but it is an amazing game for building trust within the teams as the students are blindfolded and they have to rely on their teammates to be successful.

The teacher will set up obstacles either outside or inside the classroom and the students have to navigate through the obstacle course while blindfolded.

Students will be put into teams and each person is selected one at a time to go through the course blindfolded.

The other team members have to call out directions to help the blindfolded person get through the course without touching any of the obstacles.

If the blindfolded person from a team touches an obstacle they lose their turn and another team member gets a turn.

The team with the most people that can get through the obstacle course without touching anything wins.

Everyone will love this one!

15. Pencil Grab

The great part of the team building activity is that it is super simple and it uses one of the most abundant school supplies in the classroom…

The teacher will place pencils on a table or a desk in four or five groups with the number of pencils ranging from smallest to largest. (Group 1- two pencils, Group 2- 4 pencils…)

The students will start the game off with small increments of pencils such as one or two in the first pile.

Students get into teams and they race to see who can grab the most pencils by placing them on the back of their hand.

Once the pencils are placed on the back of the student’s hand they will pop up the pencils in the air and try to grab them with the palm of their hand.

If they can grab all of the first group of pencils they will go to the next group of pencils until they complete all of them or they can not grab them all at the same time and they lose their turn.

The team that can grab the most pencils is the winner!

16. Balloon Pyramid Relay Race

The Balloon Pyramid Relay Race is a great cooperative team building activity.

In this game, each student has to help stack the cups into a pyramid by inflating and deflating a balloon.

Only one student is allowed to work at a time.

Once they are finished with their task they stop and go to the end of the line.

Then it is the next student’s turn to continue the next step of the pyramid.

If a student knocks down a cup they must set the cup up where they found it, go to the end of the line and let another student try. (You can come up with your own rule here that best fits your class).

The team that creates the pyramid first wins.

For more information about why team building is so important please read Michigan State’s article Why is team building so important?

Please Comment Below!

If you have any comments or you have another team building activity that you would like to add to the list, we would love to hear from you!

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10 thoughts on “ 16 team building activities for middle school (with video examples) ”.

This is really a great and useful piece of information. I am glad that you shared this useful information with us. Please keep us informed like this. Thank you for sharing.

Awesome games! I’m looking for fun games for our 8th grade retreat and these are great examples.

Thank you so much!

These are great! Thanks for sharing!

Loved these easy and affordable ideas for games!

These are very useful, thanks for sharing. Definitely will use them!

So happy to help! Middle school can be a tough time but with the right activities and help they grown into amazing people!

Fantastic team-building activities! thank you for sharing!

I’m so glad that you found them helpful. Middle school friends need all the help they can get! =)

Thank you for sharing these activities! These will really be enjoyed by students. I think it would be good to try these at the start of the school year and also at the end to see how much they have grown with each other.

We agree wholeheartedly!

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25 Fun Math Problems For Elementary And Middle School (From Easy To Very Hard!)

Fun math problems and brainteasers are loved by mathematicians; they provide an opportunity to apply mathematical knowledge, logic, and problem-solving skills all at once.

In this article, we’ve compiled 25 fun math problems and brainteasers covering various topics and question types. They’re aimed at students in upper elementary (3rd-5th grade) and middle school (6th grade, 7th grade, and 8th grade). We’ve categorized them as:

How should teachers use these math problems?

Teachers could make use of these math problem solving questions in a number of ways. They can:

• incorporate the questions into a relevant math lesson.
• set tasks at the beginning of lessons.
• break up or extend a math worksheet.
• keep students thinking mathematically after the main lesson has finished.

Some are based on real life or historical math problems, and some include ‘bonus’ math questions to help extend the problem-solving fun! As you read through these problems, think about how you could adjust them to be relevant to your students and their grade level or to practice different math skills. 

These math problems can also be used as introductory puzzles for math games such as those introduced at the following links:

• Math games for grade 4
• Middle school math games

25 Fun Math Problems

Engage your elementary and middle school students with these fun math problems, suitable for individuals, pairs and small groups! Includes a range of challenge levels to engage all learners.

Math word problems

1. home on time – easy .

Type: Elapsed time, Number, Addition

A movie theater screening starts at 2:35 pm. The movie lasts for 2 hours, 32 minutes after 23 minutes of previews. It takes 20 minutes to get home from the movie theater. What time should you tell your family that you’ll be home?

Answer: 5:50 pm

2. A nugget of truth – mixed

Type: Multiplication Facts, Multiplication, Multiples, Factors, Problem-Solving 

Chicken nuggets come in boxes of 6, 9 or 20, so you can’t order 7 chicken nuggets. How many other impossible quantities can you find (not including fractions or decimals)?

Answer: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, 17, 19, 22, 23, 25, 28, 31, 34, 37, or 43

There is actually a theorem which can be used to prove that every integer quantity greater than 43 can be ordered.

3. A pet problem – mixed

Type: Number, Problem Solving, Forming and Solving Equations, Simultaneous Equations, Algebra

Eight of my pets aren’t dogs, five aren’t rabbits, and seven aren’t cats. How many pets do I have?

Answer: 10 pets (5 rabbits, 3 cats, 2 dogs)

Looking for more word problems, solutions and explanations? Read our article on word problems for elementary school.

4. the price of things – mixed.

Type: lateral thinking problem

A mouse costs $10, a bee costs $15, and a spider costs $20. Based on this, how much does a duck cost?

Answer: $5 ($2.50 per leg)

Math puzzles

5. a dicey math challenge – easy.

Type: Place value, number, addition, problem-solving

Roll three 6 sided dice to generate three place value digits. What’s the biggest number you can make out of these digits? What’s the smallest number you can make?

Add these two numbers together. What do you get?

Answer: If the digits are the same, the maximum is 666 and the minimum is 111. Then, if you add the numbers together, 666 + 111 = 777. If the digits are different, the maximum is 654 and the minimum is 456. Then, if you add the numbers together, 654 + 456 = 1,110.

Bonus: Who got a different result? Why?

6. PIN problem solving – mixed

Type: Logic, problem solving, reasoning

I’ve forgotten my PIN. Six incorrect attempts locks my account: I’ve used five! Two digits are displayed after each unsuccessful attempt: “2, 0” means 2 digits from that guess are in the PIN, but 0 are in the right place. No two digits in my PIN are the same.

What should my sixth attempt be?

Answer: 6347

7. So many birds – mixed

Type: Triangular Numbers, Sequences, Number, Problem Solving

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave me one gift. On the second day they gave me another pair of gifts plus a copy of what they gave me on day one. On day 3, they gave me three new gifts, plus another copy of everything they’d already given me. If they keep this up, how many gifts will I have after twelve days?

Answer: 364

Bonus: This could be calculated as 1 + (1 + 2) + (1 + 2 + 3) + … but is there an easier way? What percentage of my gifts do I receive on each day?

8. I 8 sum math questions – mixed

Type: Number, Place Value, Addition, Problem Solving, Reasoning

Using only addition and the digit 8, can you make 1,000? You can put 8s together to make 88, for example.

Answer: 888 + 88 + 8 + 8 + 8 = 1,000 Bonus: Which other digits allow you to get 1,000 in this way?

Fraction problems

4 friends entered a math quiz. One answered \frac {1}{5} of the math questions, one answered \frac {1}{10} , one answered \frac{1}{4} , and the other answered \frac{4}{25} . What percentage of the questions did they answer altogether?

Answer: 71%

10. Ancient problem solving – easy

Type: Fractions, Reasoning, Problem Solving

Ancient Egyptians only used unit fractions (like \frac {1}{2} , \frac{1}{3} or \frac{1}{4} . For \frac {2}{3} they’d write \frac{1}{3} + \frac{1}{3} . How might they write \frac{5}{8} ?

Answer: 

\frac {1}{8} + \frac{1}{8} + \frac{1}{8} + \frac{1}{8} + \frac{1}{8} is correct. So is \frac {1}{2} + \frac{1}{8} (They are both still unit fractions even though they have different denominators.)

Bonus: Which solution is better? Why? Can you find any more? What if subtractions are allowed?

Learn more about unit fractions here .

11. everybody wants a pizza the action – hard.

An infinite number of mathematicians buy pizza. The first wants \frac{1}{2} . The second wants \frac{1}{4} pizza. The third & fourth want \frac{1}{8} and \frac{1}{16} each, and so on. How many pizzas should they order?

Answer: 1 Each successive mathematician wants a slice that is exactly half of what is left:

12. Shade it black – hard

Type: Fractions, Reasoning, Problem Solving What fraction of this image is shaded black?

Answer:  

Look at the L-shaped part made up of two white and one black squares: 

\frac{1}{3} of this part is shaded. Zoom in on the top-right quarter of the image, which looks exactly the same as the whole image, and use the same reasoning to find what fraction of its L-shaped portion is shaded. Imagine zooming in to do the same thing again and again…

Multiplication and division problems

13. giving is receiving – easy.

Type: Number, Reasoning, Problem Solving

5 people give each other a present. How many presents are given altogether?

14. Sharing is caring – mixed

I have 20 candies. If I share them equally with my friends, there are 2 left over. If one more person joins us, there are 6 candies left. How many friends am I with?

Answer: 6 people altogether (so 5 friends!)

15. Multiplication facts secrets – mixed

Type: Area, 2D Shape, Rectangles

Here are 77 letters:

B Y H R C G N E O E A A H G C U R P U T S A S H H S B O R E O P E E M E E L A T P E F A D P H L TU T I E E O H L E N R Y T I I A G B M T N F C G E I I G

How many different rectangular grids could you arrange all 77 letters into?

Can you reveal the secret message?

Answer: Four: 1 × 77, 77 × 1, 11 × 7 and 7 × 11. If the letters are arranged into one of these, a message appears, reading down each column starting from the top left.

Bonus: Can you find any more integers with the same number of factors as 77? What do you notice about these factors (think about prime numbers)? Can you use this system to hide your own messages?

16. Laugh it up – hard

Type: Multiples, Least Common Multiple, Multiplication Facts, Division, Time

One friend jumps every \frac{1}{3} of a minute. Another jumps every 31 seconds. When will they jump together? Answer: After 620 seconds

Geometry problems

17. pictures of matchstick triangles – easy.

Type: 2D Shapes, Equilateral Triangles, Problem Solving, Reasoning

Look at the matchsticks arranged below. How many equilateral triangles are there?

Answer: 13 (9 small, 3 medium, 1 large)

Bonus: What if the biggest triangle only had two matchsticks on each side? What if it had four?

18. Dissecting squares – mixed

Type: Reasoning, Problem Solving

What’s the smallest number of straight lines you could draw on this grid such that each square has a line going through it?

19. Make it right – mixed

Type: Pythagorean theorem

This triangle does not agree with Pythagorean theorem. 

Adding, subtracting, multiplying or dividing each of the side lengths by the same whole number can fix it. What is the number?

Answer: 3 

The new side lengths are 3, 4 and 5 and  32 + 42 = 52.

20. A most regular math question – hard

Type: Polygons, 2D Shapes, tessellation, reasoning, problem-solving, patterns

What is the regular polygon with the largest number of sides that will self-tessellate?

Answer: Hexagon.

Regular polygons tessellate if one interior angle is a factor of 360 ° . The interior angle of a hexagon is 120°. This is the largest factor less than 180°.

Problem-solving questions

21. pleased to meet you – easy.

Type: Number Problem, Reasoning, Problem Solving

5 people meet; each shakes everyone else’s hand once. How many handshakes take place?

Person A shakes 4 people’s hands. Person B has already shaken Person A’s hand, so only needs to shake 3 more, and so on.

Bonus: How many handshakes would there be if you did this with your class?

22. All relative – easy

Type: Number, Reasoning, Problem-Solving

When I was twelve my brother was half my age. I’m 40 now, so how old is he?

23. It’s about time – mixed

Type: Time, Reasoning, Problem-Solving

When is “8 + 10 = 6” true?

Answer: When you’re telling the time (8am + 10 hours = 6pm)

24. More than a match – mixed

Type: Reasoning, Problem-Solving, Roman Numerals, Numerical Notation

Here are three matches:

How can you add two more matches, but get eight? Answer: Put the extra two matches in a V shape to make 8 in Roman Numerals:

25. Leonhard’s graph – hard

Type: Reasoning, Problem-Solving, Logic

Leonhard’s town has seven bridges as shown below. Can you find a route around the town that crosses every bridge exactly once?

Answer: No!

This is a classic real life historical math problem solved by mathematician Leonhard Euler (rhymes with “boiler”). The city was Konigsberg in Prussia (now Kaliningrad, Russia). Not being able to find a solution is different from proving that there aren’t any! Euler managed to do this in 1736, practically inventing graph theory in the process.

Math puzzles are everywhere!

Many of these 25 math problems are rooted in real life, from everyday occurrences to historical events. Others are just questions that might arise if you say “what if…?”. The point is that although there are many lists of such problem-solving math questions that you can make use of, with a little bit of experience and inspiration you could create your own on almost any topic – and so could your students. 

For a kick-starter on creating your own math problems, read our article on middle school math problem solving .

READ MORE :

• Math problems for 3rd graders
• 4th grade math problems
• 5th grade math problems
• 6th Grade Math Problems
• 7th Grade Math Problems

Do you have students who need extra support in math? Give your students more opportunities to consolidate learning and practice skills through personalized math tutoring with their own dedicated online math tutor. Each student receives differentiated instruction designed to close their individual learning gaps, and scaffolded learning ensures every student learns at the right pace. Lessons are aligned with your state’s standards and assessments, plus you’ll receive regular reports every step of the way. Personalized one-on-one math tutoring programs are available for: – 2nd grade tutoring – 3rd grade tutoring – 4th grade tutoring – 5th grade tutoring – 6th grade tutoring – 7th grade tutoring – 8th grade tutoring Why not learn more about how it works ?

The content in this article was originally written by primary school teacher Tom Briggs and has since been revised and adapted for US schools by math curriculum specialist and former elementary math teacher Katie Keeton.

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15 Best Problem Solving Activities: Foster Critical Thinking

1. Rolling Dice

2. build a tower, 3. tic tac toe, 4. scavenger hunt, 6. activity books, 7. board games, 9. human knot, 10. open-ended questions.

Problem solving activities for kids are a great way to teach them how to think critically and creatively, and how to develop a growth mindset . We’re sure you must have also played many educational games as a kid that helped you develop critical thinking or problem-solving- skills you’re using even today. These activities can be tailored to be fun and engaging, and they help kids understand that challenges and difficulties are opportunities to learn and grow instead of things to be feared.

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By providing kids with problem-solving activities, we can give them the tools to develop their problem-solving skills and build the confidence to tackle difficult challenges, which will be valuable to them throughout their life. It will also help them understand that their abilities can be developed with practice and hard work, encouraging them to persevere through difficult tasks and not give up easily when faced with obstacles. If you’re looking for some fun and engaging problem solving activities for children to develop a growth mindset, we have curated a list of activities for you.

15 Best Problem Solving Activities for Kids

Things you’ll need: A die or dice, some flashcards and a pen

How to do: You can play tons of different games with dice. Playing with two dice encourages kids to quickly add up numbers and learn math in a fun way . One fun game you can play with a single die involves flashcards. For this game, you can assign a category to each number on the die and when the kid rolls the die, they have to name any 3 examples from the category assigned to the number rolled. For example, if number 4 is assigned to animals and it is rolled, they will have to name any 3 animals. 

Things you’ll need: Building blocks, lego, toilet rolls or anything that can be stacked

How to do: If you’re looking for problem solving activities for 5 year olds, this is for you. To play this game, just give the kids anything that can be stacked on top of the other. This can be building blocks, lego, Jenga blocks, toilet rolls, etc. The challenge is to stack one on top of the other and see how high a tower they can build. This game can be played in teams or individually as well. 

Things you’ll need: A tic tac tow board or pen and paper

How to do: This is one of the most exciting problem solving fun activities for students. You can either play this game on a tic tac toe board or on paper. If you’re playing it on paper, draw a table so that you have 9 boxes. Now each player must choose X or O and try to make a continuous row of their chosen symbol. Whoever succeeds wins. 

Things you’ll need: Small toys, stationery items, or anything you want to include in a scavenger hunt

How to do: Assign the teams or individual players specific items they have to find in a defined area. This can be an indoor or outdoor activity for kids . Give them a list of the things they need to find, and you can also give them hints on where to find these things. Whoever or whichever team finds all the things first wins. 

Things you’ll need: A puzzle game

How to do: Get a puzzle set. This can be a regular cardboard puzzle or a wooden puzzle and ask the players or teams to arrange it. You can make this a timed challenge or just let the kids solve the puzzle in their own time and have fun. 

Things you’ll need: Activity books and pencils

How to do: This is one of the best problem solving activities for kids. Activity books are great for children’s problem-solving skills to develop. Buy them activity books containing games like find the element, what’s wrong with the pictures, or hidden picture books. 

Things you’ll need: Board games like Ludo, Snakes and Ladders, Monopoly Junior, and Go Fish

How to do: Give them board games like Ludo, Snakes and Ladders, Monopoly Junior, Go Fish, etc. These board games help kids to develop logic, think deeper, plan ahead and solve problems. 

Things you’ll need: A chalk

How to do: Build a maze with chalk on the sidewalk. Make sure you add a few dead-end ways to make it more challenging for the kids. Once the kid is able to walk through and come out of the maze, take the game to the next level by adding even more dead-end ways and see how they overcome the challenge. 

Things you’ll need: Just a playground or garden

How to do: This is a great group activity for kids that’ll also teach them lots of skills. Ask the kids to form a circle and raise their right arm up. Now ask them to reach out to someone standing opposite to them in the circle and hold their left hand with their left hand. Now ask them to raise their left hands up and repeat the process with their right hands. The objective is to entangle them completely and then ask them to detangle themselves without letting go of anyone’s hands. 

Things you’ll need: Pen and paper 

How to do: Once you’re done with an activity, ask kids open-ended questions. These are questions that have no right or wrong answers. Some examples of such questions are- “Did you find this activity easy?”, “What did you enjoy the most about this activity?”, “How would you make this activity more fun?”, etc. 

11. Wool Web

Things you’ll need: Balls of yarn

How to do: This is one of the most exciting group problem solving classroom activities for kids . Divide the players into equal teams and ask them to form a circle. Hand them over one ball of yarn each and ask them to make a web of it amongst the teams. Set a time limit for this step, and once it is done, switch the webs so that none of the teams has their own webs. Now the teams will decide on one player from each team to be blindfolded. This blindfolded player will have to untangle to web assigned to their team with the help of verbal instructions from their teams. The team that untangles the web first wins. 

12. Fingertip Hula Hoop

Things you’ll need: Hula hoops

How to do: Divide the kids into teams of 6-8 for this game. Each team will stand in a circle and then be asked to raise their hands up. Now, place a hula hoop on top of their fingertips and ask them to bring it down slowly and make it touch the ground without it falling down or leaving the fingertips. The team to finish the task first wins. 

13. Obstacle Course

Things you’ll need: Pillows, blankets, mattresses, cones, balls, chairs, etc. 

How to do: Build an obstacle course indoors or outdoors with whatever you can find. This makes for one of the most engaging problem solving games for kids. Ask your kids to cross the obstacle course as fast as they can. To make it a bit more challenging, you can also ask them to race against each other to cross the obstacle course. 

14. Memory Games

Things you’ll need: Playing cards

How to do: For this fun cards game, place all the cards face down and take turns to turn 2-4 cards. If you are able to open two similar cards (in number), you get to keep the pair. The player with the highest number of cards with them in the end wins.  

15. Impromptu Plays

Things you’ll need: A stage

How to do: This is one of the best problem-solving exercises for kids to play in groups. If you have a large group, divide the kids into teams of 6-8. If the group is smaller, just make the kids stand individually. Now make a few chits on a theme that has questions that form a difficult situation or a challenge. For example, you can put in chits with questions like “You just found your friend cheating in an exam. What do you tell them?” or “Your younger sibling just broke your favorite toy. How do you react?”. Each team must enact a scene that includes the situation their chit has. If the group isn’t that big, each kid must speak about the same chit but have different perspectives. 

Why Are Problem Solving Skills Important for Kids?

Developing problem solving skills is extremely important for kids as it helps them to navigate easily around difficulties later on in life. As adults, we’re faced with challenging situations every day, and without our basic problem-solving skills, we wouldn’t be able to survive.

Problem solving skills also help kids to make effective decisions. It helps them resolve problems all at once without reducing them to smaller problems. Once kids develop problem solving skills, it is easier for them to develop other skills as well like critical thinking, cooperation and collaboration with others.

Having problem solving skills helps kids to become more creative and think differently than others and enables them to become independent. These skills also help kids develop decision-making skills and build their confidence along the way as they take the right decisions.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What are the 5 problem solving skills.

The five problem solving skills are identifying the problem, producing possible results that might work, picking one solution from these, applying the chosen solution and evaluating the results.

What are some examples of problem-solving skills in kids?

Some of the problem solving skills in kids are research, creativity, team-building, communication, active listening, decision-making, and analysis. If you find some of these skills in a kid, chances are they’re great at problem solving.

What is problem solving learning?

According to cornell.edu, Problem solving learning is an approach wherein students are asked open-ended questions about a certain topic, and they must resolve and answer  the same in groups.

At what age do children begin problem-solving?

According to a study by Shaffer , kids can start developing basic problem solving skills from the age of three. This further continues to develop as they grow.

What are three problem-solving techniques

According to deakin.edu , the three most basic problem solving techniques are defining the problem, listing out all the possible solutions, and evaluating the options.

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10 Best Problem Solving Activities For Middle School

Published on april 24, 2017 at 8:43 am by amber hewitt in lists , news.

If you’re a teacher or a parent looking to engage young students in a more interesting way, you might like this list of the best problem solving activities for middle school .

I wonder if middle schoolers could solve my life problems. Can they file my taxes or pay my rent? Those are some real problems that I have and I think they could be somewhat fun activities for middle schoolers. It’s interesting how problem-solving scenarios change as we age because I genuinely can’t identify with the struggle of theoretical problems involving trains or the alphabet, but I’m sure I enjoyed them when I was younger. I think my friends and I really used to love finding these things and solving them together, which is kind of a cute group activity.

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Problem solving is a great way to strengthen and train the brain for more difficult things as we age. They teach you teamwork, logic, and skill, which are all extremely important for developing minds. Even into adulthood you should continue solving theoretical problems like these because they’ll keep your brain strong and focused so your other issues like “how late can I sleep while still getting to work on time?” or “how much money will I have in my bank account if I order dinner every single night this week?” Those are obviously much more challenging than the fun problem-solving activities for preschoolers , or even this list with activities for kids in middle school.

In order to create this list, we used Concordia University and IceBreaker as some primary sources. We took the suggestions that were the highest ranked on both sources and averaged their rankings. If they were on both lists, they’re at a higher position on ours. Overall, each of these activities is well suited for middle school-aged children who need a little mental exercise.

Without further ado, let’s take a look at the best problem solving activities for middle school.

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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.

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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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Critical Thinking Activities For Middle Schoolers: PBL, Outdoor Ideas, Discussions, Games, And More

January 17, 2024 //  by  Lesa M.K. Bullins, EdS

Critical thinking is the process of using higher-order thinking skills in which students observe, conceptualize, apply, evaluate, and synthesize information that they learn in order to solve problems and make decisions effectively. Critical thinking is crucial for middle school students to be equipped to respond to academic, social, and emotional challenges successfully.

As an educator, developing critical thinking in students is paramount. Critical thinking skills are built through exploration, inquiry, questioning, discussion, and collaboration. Below are my top 20 classroom activities to transform your middle school students into critical thinkers!

1. Service Projects

Service projects support the development of global-mindedness in addition to building creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving. Service projects allow students the opportunity to engage their interests, apply learning to real-world situations, and actively problem-solve. Service projects could relate to classroom topics, holidays, or community areas in which students have concerns.

Learn More: Kid Activities

2. Project-Based Learning

Project-based learning builds creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving while creating opportunities for student motivation and engagement. You can learn about how to execute project-based learning here.

Learn More: PBL Works

3. Problem-Based Learning

The other “PBL” of education is problem-based learning. Problem-based learning activities are critical to the development of problem-solving skills. You can learn how to implement problem-based learning approaches here.

Learn More: Educators for Social Change

4. Get Outside the Classroom

Take learning outside the classroom. Applying learning to the world around them will support students in making crucial connections that build critical thinking. Check this video for ways to bring the outdoors to your classroom!

Learn More: Edutopia

5. Promote Inquiry

Inquiry-based learning is a cornerstone of critical thinking skills that creates in students an avid thinker of creative solutions. Instead of giving students the questions and then the answer, flip it! Give students information and have them build questions from their own thinking, or give students questions then allow them the space needed to find comprehensive solutions. Inquiry builds analytical skills.

Learn More: Taylor & Francis Online

6. Incorporate Turn and Talks

Turn and talks allow students to briefly share, review, and make connections to things they are learning. It is one of the top critical thinking resources when executed effectively in the classroom. Turn and talks allow for the exploration of an array of topics.

Learn More: Smekens Education and The Thinker Builder

7. Group Work Galore

While group work teaches cooperation, it also provides an opportunity for building critical thinking attributes like task deconstruction, planning, and explanation of thinking.

Learn More: Mrs. Spangler in the Middle

8. Bring Centers Back

Centers are not just for elementary students. Centers create a diverse learning interaction that allows opportunities for students to be more expressive in the learning process. Critical thinking skills come out of such active learning. It is also a great way to leverage resources, especially teacher one-on-one time!

Learn More: Rachel Mccollum

9. Revive Reader’s Theatre

Using a reader’s theatre gives students a more enriching reading comprehension experience due to the highly engaging and interactive approach. Read more here about why you should use this reading approach to support critical thinking.

Learn More: Mrs. Beers

10. Hold Debates

Debate is an opportunity for individuals to consider, discuss, and analyze a controversial topic. Middle school students have ideas that they want to express and discuss. Giving them healthy opportunities for expression not only builds their critical thinking but also their confidence and sense of self.

11. Provide Creative Choices

Choice prompts critical thinking because it allows students to practice in a safe learning environment. Student choice can enhance the learning environment through deeper interest and engagement as well. Providing choice is a very effective opportunity for differentiation, and can even support metacognitive development.

Learn More: The Modern Classrooms Project

12. Promote Invention and Innovation 

Creating inventions and innovations involved analyzing situations, considering outcomes, developing processes, and making connections to prior and related knowledge. Innovation and invention are essentially complete critical thinking activities.

Learn More: Invention and Education

13. Make Opportunities for Students to Teach

The deepest learning occurs when we teach others. Your kids will really be able to tap into their critical thinking skills in this exercise where you’ll invite them to play teacher! It’s a fantastic way to deepen their understanding of concepts as you’ll encourage them to reteach learning material to their peers.

Learn More: ASCD

14. Always Make Time for Reflection

Reflection is indispensable to the critical thinking process. Reflection empowers students as learners and prompts deeper thinking. Reflection allows students to tackle higher levels of thinking resulting in better consciousness of self and learning. You can provide opportunities for silent reflection, exit tickets, journals, etc.

Learn More: Responsive Classroom

15. Create Mysteries

Critical thinking hinges significantly on students interpreting, analyzing, and drawing conclusions. Mystery activities are exciting ways to engage these elements of critical thinking in a variety of subjects! Check out the example of a classroom mystery lesson here to inspire the use of mysteries in your own classroom subjects.

Learn More: Engaging Effective Teaching

16. Create Escape Rooms

It is not just mysteries that present logical thinking challenges and encompass the elements of critical thinking for practice in the classroom! Escape rooms are exceptional critical thinking activities. For some ideas on how to create escape rooms for different subjects in your class, check here.

Learn More: 23 Escape Room Games for Kids of All Ages

17. Prompt Class Discussions

Class discussions are the most naturally occurring critical thinking resources, so just harness the power by guiding and building skills for class discussion processes in your classroom. Class discussion fosters enhanced articulation, deep thinking, stronger connections to prior knowledge, deeper connections across content, and much more!

Learn More: University of Waterloo

18. Create a Job Board

Application of critical thinking skills in real-life scenarios like work is essential. Having classroom jobs is a practical way to put skills into practice. Classroom jobs can build a sense of community and responsibility in the classroom culture. I suggest using a job board approach and incentives for taking jobs such as free choice activities, extra time, etc. instead of assigned jobs. You can also make the job board a game similar to the popular Among Us game (minus the killing of course), to grab student interest.

Learn More: The Literary Maven

19. Encourage Habits of Mind

Habits of Mind are the same skills that make up the critical thinking concepts. Habits of Mind prompt analytical thinking, build strong learning habits, and sufficiently change patterns of thinking for students to truly become critical thinkers.

Learn More: Increasing Autonomy with Habits of Mind

20. Push a Growth Mindset

In conjunction with the skills of habits of mind, a growth mindset also presents students with an avenue to build lasting change in thinking patterns to become skillful critical thinkers. Students with a strong growth mindset have the power of resiliency.  Resilience is a crucial aspect of critical thinking as it helps us to manage stress and adapt to change. Analyzing and solving problems requires adaptability.

Learn More: In Control Middle School SEL