At the Exploreum, we know that play is more than just fun—it’s an essential part of learning. When kids and teens (and even adults) engage in games and challenges, they’re doing more than entertaining themselves. They’re practicing critical thinking, developing perseverance, and discovering how to solve problems in creative ways. Play becomes a pathway to growth, helping children and teens build skills that will serve them throughout their lives.
From jigsaw puzzles to brain teasers, puzzles challenge kids of all ages to analyze, predict, and test their ideas. Each attempt sharpens problem-solving skills and encourages patience. The process of trial and error teaches kids that mistakes are part of the learning journey, helping them grow resilient and resourceful. At the Exploreum, we highlight activities like these to show families how problem-solving can feel like playtime.
LEGO building is one pretty common and timeless way to foster imagination and engineering skills. Whether children are following instructions or creating their own designs, they are learning spatial awareness, balance, and design thinking. Each piece clicked into place represents experimentation, planning, and innovation. These kinds of hands-on activities help kids realize that engineering is not just about blueprints—it’s about creativity and persistence. At the Exploreum, we are super excited to bring our LEGO Robotics kits out of storage when we open in the Spring for classes and camps!
One of the best ways to teach problem-solving is through hands-on challenges. Some activities many have already experienced with us, and that we look forward to bringing back again, are building bridges from straws or popsicle sticks, creating paper airplanes to see whose flies the farthest, and designing marble runs. These playful challenges all require kids to test, fail, and try again, and remind children that failure is not the end, but a stepping stone toward success. At the Exploreum, we encourage families to embrace these activities as opportunities to learn together.
By incorporating puzzles, LEGO builds, coding games, and hands-on challenges, children develop persistence, resilience, and critical thinking skills. At the Exploreum, we believe that learning through play builds a strong foundation for future problem-solvers, innovators, and leaders. When families embrace play as a form of learning, they help children grow curious, capable, and confident—ready to take on whatever challenges come their way.