What is a puzzle challenge day?
Taking part in a Puzzle Challenge Day programme will help to develop students’…
- Thinking Skills
- Team Skills
- Communication Skills
- Abilities to overcome difficulties with school work
Up to 180 students can take part in a day – made up of three 90 minute sessions held in a school hall, gymnasium or large classroom, with a maximum of 60 students in each session (for KS1 and KS2 you can also choose to divide your day into four shorter sessions to accommodate up to 240 students).
The students will encounter a variety of fun, but challenging 3D hands-on puzzle tasks, which they have to complete in teams. Most challenges last for no more than a few minutes, but require each team to work together and carefully develop strategies in order to find a solution. The temptation to give up might appear from time to time, but the programme teaches the students how to persevere, put their own skills to better use as part of a team and overcome difficulties by approaching problems from different perspectives.
Programmes have been designed for students at Key Stages 1, 2, 3, 4 and ‘16 – 19’. All challenges are age and ability appropriate and the programmes are also suitable, and especially beneficial to students with specific learning difficulties.
Many schools host a Puzzle Challenge Day…
- As an activity to help develop Thinking Skills.
- As part of an activity week, maths week or enrichment week.
- As a team-building activity that will benefit students of all abilities, including those with specific learning difficulties.
- As a special activity for Gifted and Talented pupils.
- As a beginning/end of year activity for a class or year group.
- As an Inset programme for staff.