Dear Families and Caregivers — For over 40 years Odyssey of the Mind has laid the foundation for teaching students to use their creativity to solve problems. We need that skill now more than ever. Independent learning is also a big part of the process. Students identify a problem to solve, then take their own interests and learn how to incorporate them into solutions. Below you will find different resources to help you navigate this learning experience. Feel free to reach out to us with any questions about creative problem-solving.
Odyssey of the Mind makes learning fun– not just in the classroom but at home too. We are here for you and your family during this new learning Odyssey– let’s make it fun and educational!
Check out OdysseyHQ on social media accounts. There will be plenty of interactive challenges to be part of, alone or as a family.
We will continue to add Spontaneous Problems here to use as curriculum. These are short problems that typically use a few household items that encourage kids to develop and apply many STEM skills in their solution.
Download a guide to leading the Creative Problem Solving Process.
Ready for something a little more involved? Solve a Long-Term Odyssey Problem! Take time each day to brainstorm, build, create, and problem-solve together! Even better, Odyssey problems promote reusing and repurposing items: Download Wild.Winged.Wonders.
Looking for a little more OMER at home? Now you can print and color your own version of the world’s most creative raccoon! Choose between OMER’s face or a full body drawing. Make sure to share your creations as part of our OMER the rOMER Stuck@hOMe Adventure! Or maybe you want to celebrate Virtual World Finals 2020 at home? You can add your own color to this year’s event logo.
Searching for something to do while keeping some of the most important Odyssey of the Mind concepts in your mind? Check out our new word search!
Our wonderful sponsor has lots of fun activities for kids that also utilize creative problem-solving, fun & STEM skills using household staples.
Here you can find seemingly countless ways to enjoy this every day home item.
DIY Science Projects
Our long-time supporter, NASA, has created many challenges for Odyssey students over the years.
Here are some spontaneous problems it created for OMers.
Here are some resources by NASA – articles, videos & more!
Odyssey SPARK online with The Second City improv group.
Second City’s Odyssey SPARK, an online four-week crash course to get your creativity flowing, covers sketch writing, partnerships/teamwork, acting and performance quality, and creative risk-taking (including learning from failure) in the style of The Second City.
Solar Photography How-To with NightSkyPix
Travel the galaxy from your backyard through astrophotography! Here is how to find and photograph our galaxy in a simple and easy way. Learn about Solar Eclipses and how to photograph them from NightSkyPix.