With the surge of use in AI tools, it is paramount for people to teach the young problem-solving skills. I am quite concerned about how my children won’t be able to find jobs that pay the bills in the future. I guess a good way for me to control this gnawing sense of anxiety is to expose the son to books like “Animal Problem-Solving”.

There may not be many examples contained within the book, but it boasts several intriguing examples of animals employing problem-solving skills. From the Japanese macaque washing sweet potatoes in water to the crow making long poles to get food out of reach, you will be left astounded by the ingenuity of various animals. I also gained a new perspective from this book. Instead of looking through the lens of behavioral adaptations, I can think of octopuses carrying sea tools around to deter predators as their problem-solving mechanism. Maybe my Science lessons will become more lively after this.

I appreciated how it enables children to acquire jargon specific to problem-solving. Internalising words/phrases like insight and trial and error and learning through failures can only bode well for my son in the future.