Design Thinking for Kids

What You'll Learn

🧠 Designers solve problems in 5 steps: 1) Empathize (understand the user) 2) Define (state the problem) 3) Ideate (brainstorm) 4) Prototype (build a quick model) 5) Test (try it). Let's use this process! Understanding the design thinking process is one of the building blocks of strong thinking. Here's how to do it: 1. Look carefully at the problem. What do you see? 2. Think about what you already know. Does this remind you of something? 3. Try an answer! It's totally okay to be wrong — that's how we learn. 4. Check: did it work? If not, try something else! You're building your thinking muscles. The more you practice, the stronger they get!

Key Concept: The design thinking process

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Think About This

📖 You're reading a story and the character needs to use the design thinking process. What advice would you give them?

Thinking Steps

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👀 What Do I See?

Look at the problem about the design thinking process. What do you notice?

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🤔 What Do I Know?

What do you already know that could help? Have you seen something like this before?

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💡 What's My Idea?

Think of an answer. Can you think of a second one too?

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⭐ What Did I Learn?

Check your answer. Was it right? What did you figure out? Tell someone!

Key Points

Understand the design thinking process

Apply problem solving to daily life

Practice this skill through debates

Key Vocabulary

Problem

Something that needs to be figured out

Solution

An answer to a problem

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Why This Matters in Real Life

You solve problems every day! When you can't reach something, you find a stool. When a toy breaks, you figure out how to fix it. That's problem solving!

Talk About It

Discuss these questions with a friend, parent, or classmate.

1Can you explain the design thinking process to a friend using your own words?
2What was the most interesting thing you learned today?
3Draw a picture of what you learned and show it to someone!

Check Your Understanding

Question 1

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What is the main idea of the design thinking process?