Social Intelligence + Problem-Solving

Curriculum: Social Intelligence + Problem-Solving (Day 7 - Day 9)

Day 7: Building Friendships Through Shared Physical Play

Goal: Focus on cooperation, empathy, and creative play with others to improve social intelligence.

• On-Screen Activity:

  • Interactive Social Games (Cooperative Play)
    • Play a cooperative social game like Overcooked or Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime, where teamwork is essential to success. Discuss the importance of communicating, sharing ideas, and listening in group situations.
    • Resource: Overcooked or Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime on Nintendo Switch or PC.

• Off-Screen Activity:

  • Group Role-Playing Game
    • Set up a role-playing scenario with friends or family. Each person plays a character with a unique problem that needs to be solved. This encourages social problem-solving, listening, and collaboration.
    • Location: Home or at a park with friends.

• Event in Singapore:

  • Storytelling or Role-Playing Workshop at The Improv
    • Attend a social event where kids can practice storytelling, role-playing, and acting, promoting creativity and collaboration in problem-solving.
    • Resource: Check event schedules on The Improv or The Little Improv Company.

Day 8: Social Problem-Solving Through Games

Goal: Introduce social problem-solving games that require collaboration and creative communication.

• On-Screen Activity:

  • Logic Puzzle Games
    • Play logic games that require collaboration with others to solve, such as Escape Rooms or Puzzle Break online games.
    • Resource: Puzzle Break or Escape Room games on Steam or iOS.

• Off-Screen Activity:

  • Physical Problem-Solving Games
    • Engage in group activities like team-based scavenger hunts or physical puzzles. Each clue or problem solved helps move the team forward.
    • Location: Home or nearby outdoor park.

• Event in Singapore:

  • Escape Room Experience at Xcape Singapore
    • Visit an escape room designed for children, which will encourage teamwork, critical thinking, and problem-solving in a social setting.
    • Resource: Book a session at Xcape Singapore.

Day 9: Creative Problem-Solving with Friends

Goal: Focus on how creative thinking can solve social challenges with others.

• On-Screen Activity:

  • Creative Group Building Games
    • Play creative virtual games that require teamwork, such as Minecraft or Roblox (with parent supervision). The objective is to design a project as a team, like building a house or solving a mystery together.
    • Resource: Minecraft or Roblox.

• Off-Screen Activity:

  • Collaborative Crafting Challenge
    • Work with a friend or family member to create something out of household objects (e.g., building a fort, creating a joint piece of artwork). Emphasize how working together creatively can lead to solving a challenge.
    • Location: Home or local park.

• Event in Singapore:

  • Collaborative Art Exhibit at National Gallery Singapore
    • Visit an art exhibit where children can contribute to creating a collective piece of art, promoting social collaboration and creative problem-solving.
    • Resource: Check the National Gallery Singapore events page.

Great! Let's continue with the remaining categories to complete the curriculum.

Curriculum: Unique Problem-Solving (Day 10 - Day 12)

Day 10: Unconventional Problem-Solving with Everyday Objects

Goal: Engage in thinking outside the box and apply creative solutions using everyday materials.

• On-Screen Activity:

  • Design a Rube Goldberg Machine Online
    • Watch a YouTube video or use an app like Fantastic Contraption to design a Rube Goldberg machine. The objective is to create a complex system with everyday items to perform a simple task.
    • Resource: Fantastic Contraption (Available on Steam) or a YouTube tutorial on creating a Rube Goldberg machine.

• Off-Screen Activity:

  • Build a Rube Goldberg Machine
    • Use common household items (dominoes, balls, plastic bottles, and paper clips) to create a Rube Goldberg machine that performs a simple task, such as turning on a light or ringing a bell.
    • Location: Home.

• Event in Singapore:

  • Science Festival Singapore: Engineering for Kids
    • Attend an event like the Science Festival Singapore, which often features fun, unconventional engineering challenges for kids. Engage in workshops and problem-solving activities that promote thinking outside the box.
    • Resource: Check the Singapore Science Festival schedule for family-friendly events.

Day 11: Environmental Problem-Solving

Goal: Apply unique problem-solving skills to environmental issues and sustainability.

• On-Screen Activity:

  • Learn About Environmental Challenges via Documentaries
    • Watch a documentary or video series about environmental issues, such as pollution or climate change. Encourage your son to think about possible solutions that could be applied in the real world.
    • Resource: YouTube – The Plastic Problem or Netflix - Our Planet.

• Off-Screen Activity:

  • Create a Recycled Art Project
    • Use recyclable materials like cardboard, plastic bottles, and newspapers to create something useful or artistic. For example, make a model of a sustainable city or a piece of art representing an environmental cause.
    • Location: Home or a local community center.

• Event in Singapore:

  • Eco-Friendly Workshops at The Sustainability Symposium
    • Attend a workshop or event focused on sustainability, recycling, or green technologies. These events often have hands-on activities for kids to engage in environmental problem-solving.
    • Resource: Look up events at The Sustainability Symposium or Singapore's Green Plan 2030 initiatives.

Day 12: Problem-Solving with Creative Technologies

Goal: Teach creative problem-solving using technology and coding.

• On-Screen Activity:

  • Design a Digital Product or Game
    • Use a simple online coding tool like Scratch or Thunkable to design a game or app that solves a particular problem. For example, create an app that helps kids recycle or an educational game.
    • Resource: Scratch (free) or Thunkable (for app design).

• Off-Screen Activity:

  • Build a Physical Version of Your Digital Game
    • Once the digital prototype is created, try to build a simple physical version using LEGO bricks, cardboard, or other materials to simulate the game in real life.
    • Location: Home or local maker space.

• Event in Singapore:

  • Maker Faire Singapore
    • Attend the Maker Faire, where children can participate in creative projects that involve building prototypes, coding, and innovative problem-solving techniques.
    • Resource: Check the Maker Faire Singapore schedule.

Day 19: Building Empathy and Understanding Emotions

Goal: Enhance emotional intelligence by understanding the feelings of others and learning how to navigate complex social situations.

• On-Screen Activity:

  • Emotion Recognition Games
    • Play games that focus on recognizing emotions in others, such as The Emotionary or apps like Feelings with Friends. These apps can help your son practice identifying emotions in facial expressions and voice tone.
    • Resource: Feelings with Friends (App), Emotionary (App).

• Off-Screen Activity:

  • Role-Playing Different Social Scenarios
    • Set up scenarios where your son has to act out different emotions and reactions. For example, “How would you react if your friend was sad?” or “How would you feel if you lost something important to you?” Role-playing these situations helps practice social interactions and empathy.
    • Location: Home or playground.

• Event in Singapore:

  • Empathy-Building Workshops
    • Attend a workshop focused on developing empathy through play or group activities. Many organizations run workshops for children that teach about empathy, teamwork, and social understanding.
    • Resource: Check events by The Community Foundation of Singapore or Singapore Children’s Society.

Day 20: Solving Social Problems Together

Goal: Improve your son’s collaborative problem-solving skills by working with others on group challenges.

• On-Screen Activity:

  • Collaborative Online Games
    • Play games that require working together to solve problems. Games like Minecraft or Roblox allow your son to team up with others to complete tasks and solve complex challenges.
    • Resource: Minecraft (Online multiplayer mode), Roblox (Collaborative game-building).

• Off-Screen Activity:

  • Group Puzzle Activity
    • Organize a group puzzle or game that requires working together to solve a problem, such as a large jigsaw puzzle or a board game like Codenames or Pandemic that focuses on cooperation.
    • Location: Home, community center, or library.

• Event in Singapore:

  • Group Problem-Solving Events
    • Attend workshops or events where children work together to solve problems, such as team-building challenges, escape rooms, or scavenger hunts.
    • Resource: The Escape Hunt Experience Singapore, Scavenger Hunt Singapore.

Day 21: Strengthening Leadership and Negotiation Skills

Goal: Develop leadership abilities and negotiation skills through social interactions and collaborative tasks.

• On-Screen Activity:

  • Leadership Simulation Games
    • Play leadership-based simulation games where your son takes on a leadership role and makes decisions for a group. Games like SimCity or Civilization can be great for this, as they simulate managing resources and making decisions that affect others.
    • Resource: SimCity (PC), Civilization VI (PC or Console).

• Off-Screen Activity:

  • Group Leadership Challenge
    • Organize a team-based challenge where your son has to lead a group of peers to complete a task, such as designing a fort in the park or creating a mini play. He'll need to delegate tasks and work with others.
    • Location: Local park, community space.

• Event in Singapore:

  • Leadership Workshops
    • Attend a workshop that focuses on developing leadership skills for children, such as managing a team, delegating tasks, and negotiating. These workshops usually include team-building exercises and leadership games.
    • Resource: Look for events from The Leadership Development Institute, SG Youth programs, or local schools offering leadership camps.

Day 22: Understanding Group Dynamics

Goal: Teach how to navigate different roles within a group, emphasizing the importance of teamwork, communication, and respect.

• On-Screen Activity:

  • Interactive Group Storytelling
    • Use a digital storytelling tool like Storybird or Book Creator where your son collaborates with friends or family to create a group story. He will have to negotiate ideas, share thoughts, and cooperate to complete the project.
    • Resource: Storybird (Online storytelling platform), Book Creator (App).

• Off-Screen Activity:

  • Building a Collaborative Art Piece
    • Work on a group art project where each person contributes to different parts of the artwork. This can be a large mural or a community sculpture, where your son needs to communicate his ideas and integrate them with the group’s.
    • Location: Home, local art studio, or outdoor space.

• Event in Singapore:

  • Teamwork Workshops
    • Attend workshops focused on group dynamics, leadership, and communication. Many organizations in Singapore run team-building programs for children that include activities like group problem-solving and trust-building exercises.
    • Resource: The Singapore Scout Association or team-building organizations like Team Building Singapore.

Day 23: Conflict Resolution and Mediation

Goal: Teach your son how to handle disagreements, mediate conflicts, and negotiate resolutions in a peaceful and productive manner.

• On-Screen Activity:

  • Conflict Resolution Simulations
    • Use a simulation game or interactive video that teaches conflict resolution, such as PeaceKeeper or The Conflict Resolution Game, where your son can practice resolving conflicts in various scenarios.
    • Resource: PeaceKeeper Game (Online), The Conflict Resolution Game (App).

• Off-Screen Activity:

  • Role-Playing Conflicts
    • Create conflict scenarios in the form of role-playing activities. For example, pretend that two people have an argument about a shared toy, and your son needs to find a solution. This practice can help him understand how to de-escalate tensions.
    • Location: Home or any social setting.

• Event in Singapore:

  • Conflict Resolution Programs
    • Attend a mediation or conflict-resolution program for kids. Look for events where children learn how to mediate conflicts in a fun and educational way.
    • Resource: Singapore Mediation Centre or look for community programs focused on resolving conflicts in schools or community centers.

Day 24: Enhancing Social Connections

Goal: Improve the ability to make and maintain meaningful connections with others, focusing on active listening, empathy, and respect.

• On-Screen Activity:

  • Active Listening Games
    • Use apps like Listenwise or Heads Up! to practice active listening and communication skills. These apps help children focus on listening and responding in a way that strengthens social bonds.
    • Resource: Listenwise (App), Heads Up! (App).

• Off-Screen Activity:

  • Social Engagement Activities
    • Set up a series of social challenges that help your son practice engaging with different people, such as introducing himself, asking open-ended questions, and making eye contact.
    • Location: Community center, parks, or during playdates.

• Event in Singapore:

  • Cultural Exchange Events
    • Attend community events or cultural festivals where your son can meet and interact with people from diverse backgrounds. These events help in practicing social skills in diverse settings.
    • Resource: Events at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore River Festival, or Chinatown Heritage Centre.

Day 25: Social Problem-Solving through Games

Goal: Learn to approach problems with a collaborative mindset and use creative solutions to overcome challenges.

• On-Screen Activity:

  • Collaborative Puzzle Games
    • Play games like Portal 2 or Escape Room online, where solving problems requires cooperation and thinking outside the box. These games also encourage group thinking.
    • Resource: Portal 2 (PC), Escape Room (Online).

• Off-Screen Activity:

  • Outdoor Team Challenges
    • Engage in outdoor problem-solving activities like scavenger hunts or orienteering. These require your son to collaborate with others to solve clues and overcome obstacles.
    • Location: Parks, beach, or neighborhood.

• Event in Singapore:

  • Scavenger Hunts or Puzzle Events
    • Participate in scavenger hunts or puzzle-solving events happening in Singapore. These events often require teamwork and problem-solving in a social environment.
    • Resource: Singapore Scavenger Hunt, The Escape Hunt Experience.

Day 26: Emotional Intelligence and Social Dynamics

Goal: Develop deeper emotional intelligence by recognizing emotions in others and responding in ways that foster positive social interactions.

• On-Screen Activity:

  • Emotion-Based Interactive Games
    • Engage your son with games that focus on identifying and responding to emotional cues, such as Empathy Lab or The Social Express, which helps children recognize social cues and emotions in various scenarios.
    • Resource: Empathy Lab (App), The Social Express (App).

• Off-Screen Activity:

  • Empathy-Based Storytelling
    • After reading a book or watching a short film, have your son reflect on the characters’ emotions and discuss how they could have handled situations differently. This helps develop emotional insight.
    • Location: Home, library, or community space.

• Event in Singapore:

  • Storytelling Workshops
    • Look for events or workshops where children practice storytelling and expressing emotions through their stories. This helps build empathy as they learn to convey feelings and experiences.
    • Resource: Events at The Storytelling Centre, Singapore Writers Festival.

Unique Problem-Solving

(Combining Creativity, Adaptability, and Lateral Thinking to Find Non-Obvious Solutions)

Day 27: Reverse Engineering and Deconstruction Thinking

Goal: Teach your son how to break things down to understand their structure and discover how to improve or repurpose them in new ways.

• On-Screen Activity:

  • Disassembling Digital Interfaces
    • Explore websites or apps and analyze how they are structured. Use tools like Figma to recreate parts of the interface and suggest improvements. This builds analytical thinking and problem-solving skills.
    • Resource: Figma (App/UI Design Tool), Webflow (Website Builder with Visual Editor).

• Off-Screen Activity:

  • Taking Apart Physical Objects
    • Provide your son with an old gadget (e.g., an old clock, remote, or toy) and safely disassemble it to understand its mechanics. Then, challenge him to think of ways it could have been built better or used differently.
    • Location: Home or a community makerspace.

• Event in Singapore:

  • Tinkering & Engineering Workshops
    • Attend a workshop where kids can deconstruct items and repurpose materials to build something new.
    • Resource: Tinkermind (Science & Engineering Workshops), OneMaker Group (Makerspace in Singapore).

Day 28: Learning to Think Like a Hacker (Ethical Hacking & Strategy Games)

Goal: Introduce strategic thinking by teaching how to anticipate others' moves and exploit gaps in systems or thought processes (ethically).

• On-Screen Activity:

  • Playing Hacking Strategy Games
    • Engage in strategy-based "hacking" games where players need to outthink opponents, like Hacknet or Cyber Start. These help develop a problem-solving mindset.
    • Resource: Hacknet (PC Game), Cyber Start (Online Hacking Challenges).

• Off-Screen Activity:

  • Social Engineering Challenges
    • Practice subtle influence techniques like persuading someone to share a fun fact, learning how people think, or figuring out ways to get information without directly asking.
    • Location: Safe public settings like cafes or markets.

• Event in Singapore:

  • Escape Room Challenge
    • Participate in an escape room that requires strategy, problem-solving, and teamwork to break out before time runs out.
    • Resource: Trapped Escape Room Singapore, Xcape Singapore.

Day 29: Alternative Thinking – Looking at Problems Backwards

Goal: Develop the skill of approaching challenges from unconventional angles by reframing questions.

• On-Screen Activity:

  • Reverse Puzzle Games
    • Play games where the solution is given first, and the player must figure out what the original problem was (e.g., Return of the Obra Dinn). This enhances lateral thinking.
    • Resource: Return of the Obra Dinn (Puzzle-Mystery Game), The Witness (Puzzle Game with Unconventional Solutions).

• Off-Screen Activity:

  • Backward Brainstorming
    • Pick a common problem and list down absurd or unconventional solutions first. Then, work backward to see if they can be adapted into realistic, innovative ideas.
    • Example: “What if we solved traffic congestion by making roads more crowded instead of less?”
    • Location: At home or a brainstorming-friendly environment.

• Event in Singapore:

  • Improv Thinking & Creativity Sessions
    • Join an improv comedy or creative thinking session where kids practice thinking on their feet and shifting perspectives.
    • Resource: Singapore Improv Festival, The Improv Company Singapore.

Day 30: Rapid Adaptation – Learning on the Fly

Goal: Train adaptability by throwing challenges that require quick learning and execution.

• On-Screen Activity:

  • Speed Learning Challenges
    • Try a new skill in 30 minutes, such as learning basic Mandarin phrases using Duolingo, or learning a magic trick via YouTube tutorials.
    • Resource: Duolingo (Language Learning App), YouTube Magic Tutorials.

• Off-Screen Activity:

  • "Thrown into the Deep End" Challenge
    • Take your son to an environment he's unfamiliar with and challenge him to figure out how to navigate or blend in. Examples:
      • Ordering food in a new language.
      • Learning a new sport in 30 minutes.
      • Navigating a busy shopping district with a map.
    • Location: Chinatown (for language practice), East Coast Park (for new sports), or Little India (for cultural adaptation).

• Event in Singapore:

  • Last-Minute Challenge Workshops
    • Join events where participants learn a brand-new skill on the spot and present it within the same session.
    • Resource: SkillFuture SG Learning Days, The Open Innovation Lab.