Creative Problem Solver
ROADMAP
From hands-on "learning through play" to replicating real-world problems to solve, we've developed fun Quests that build problem-solving skills through science, building, engineering, design and art that will help mold your homeschooler into a young critical thinker.
And your young critical thinker will blossom into a confident problem solver ready for anything life throws at them.
From knowledge and school smarts to survival and life skills, Creative Problem Solving is a skill that can change your child's world - and help them change our world.
FROM IMAGINATION -
TO INNOVATION.
Kindergarten - The Imagination Builders
Theme: Exploration & Wonder
Purpose: Build curiosity and confidence by experimenting and discovering cause and effect.
Big Idea: “You can make something amazing with what you have!”
Core Skills: Observation • Creativity • Play-based exploration • Asking “What if?”
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Quest Style: Simple hands-on builds with open-ended results.
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Life Connection: Learning to try things out even when you don’t know the answer.
Teacher/Parent Focus: Encourage freedom, praise effort, introduce the idea that
“mistakes = learning.”
First Grade - The Everyday Inventors
Theme: Purposeful Play
Purpose: Connect fun ideas to real-world problems.
Big Idea: “If there’s a problem, you can invent a solution.”
Core Skills: Identifying problems • Testing ideas • Using everyday materials with purpose
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Quest Style: Projects that serve a function (even silly ones!).
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Life Connection: Improvising with what you have — like finding another way when something doesn’t go as planned.
Teacher/Parent Focus: Model resilience, focus on function (“What does it do?”).
Second Grade - The Mini Engineers
Theme: Cause, Effect, and Ingenuity
Purpose: Learn to plan, test, and refine.
Big Idea: “When you understand how things work, you can make them better.”
Core Skills: Basic physics • Planning • Trial and error • Iteration
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Quest Style: Step-by-step builds with visible results.
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Life Connection: Understanding that persistence leads to improvement.
Teacher/Parent Focus: Guide reflection: “What worked? What didn’t? What would you do differently next time?”
Third Grade - The Resourceful Designers
Theme: Systems & Strategy
Purpose: Combine creativity with efficiency and planning.
Big Idea: “A good problem solver doesn’t just make — they design.”
Core Skills: Multi-step planning • Testing variables • Collaboration • Spatial reasoning
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Quest Style: Projects that involve systems or chain reactions.
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Life Connection: Understanding systems (family, community, teamwork) and how parts work together.
Teacher/Parent Focus: Encourage documentation — drawings, notes, testing outcomes.
Fourth Grade - The Creative Engineers
Theme: Innovation & Optimization
Purpose: Shift from “make something that works” to “make it work better.”
Big Idea: “Innovation happens when you improve what already exists.”
Core Skills: Testing for efficiency • Collaboration • Measurement & data use • Presentation
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Quest Style: Projects with constraints and measurable outcomes.
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Life Connection: Learning to balance creativity and practicality — “how can I make it simpler, faster, stronger, or easier?”
Teacher/Parent Focus: Introduce optimization: “How might you improve your first design?”
Fifth Grade - The Innovators in Action
Theme: Empathy & Real-World Impact
Purpose: Use creativity to solve human problems.
Big Idea: “Inventing is caring — solving problems for people and the planet.”
Core Skills: Human-centered design • Research • Sustainability thinking • Team planning
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Quest Style: Real-world scenarios an problem solving
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Life Connection: Applying creativity to make life easier, fairer, or better for others.
Teacher/Parent Focus: Focus on empathy and impact — “Who does your invention help?”
Sixth Grade - The Real-World Problem Solvers
Theme: Innovation Meets Life
Purpose: Transfer creative problem solving to every domain of life.
Big Idea: “If you can solve a problem with your hands, you can solve one with your mind.”
Core Skills: Systems thinking • Team leadership • Innovation • Communication & persuasion
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Quest Style: Capstone-style challenges blending STEM, art, entrepreneurship, and design.
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Life Connection: Connecting innovation to purpose. Students realize they can create value through creative thinking, no matter their future path.
Teacher/Parent Focus: Encourage self-direction, collaboration, and reflection: “What problem do you want to solve next?”