Very early in my career, a colleague shared a resource with me that I have found incredibly helpful. It’s called a Solution Wheel. When kids are having a conflict, sometimes they don’t always know what to do. In the moment, they can’t remember things that they can do to help work through a problem. Using a solution wheel is a great resource to help them figure out different ways to solve a problem.
One of the reasons I do like this lesson is because it’s working on solving problems AND you can also make it a crafts project. Yay!!
What you'll need:
Solution Wheel (in the printable)
Arrow (in the printable)
Construction Paper
Metal Brad
Glue
Step One:
Have the kids pick a color of construction paper they want to use, then cut out the solution wheel and an arrow.
Step Two:
Glue the arrow to the bottom of the piece of construction paper, having the bottom of the arrow line up with the bottom of the construction paper.
Step Three:
Connect the solution wheel to the construction paper using a metal brad so it can spin.
Now it’s ready to use!
NOTE: Let the kids know this is not a type of wheel that you just spin and try the solution you land on. You turn it until you find a solution you want to try.
When I used it as a lesson, I had several different scenarios that I used to help kids see the solution wheel in action. Here are a couple of examples:
Two kids are arguing over which game to play at recess. What could you do?
You could...
Share and take turns
Talk it out
Make a deal
You are getting frustrated with your little brother’s behavior.
You could...
Walk away
Ignore it
Tell them to stop
I’ve used this in school settings and in social group settings, and kids have responded well to it. I always explain it’s another resource to use when you’re having a hard time working through a problem. In my office at school, I even had a large version of this hanging on my wall. I would always be very clear in stating that this is not going to solve every problem all the time, but it was a good place to start.
You can always make your own wheel with your own solutions. I made a free printable for you to download and use at school or at home. Download it below, along with 5 other great free printables to encourage play.
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