If s/he is younger than 8, then chances are a jay may be better at solving one common puzzle than your child*. The puzzle is a famous one from one of Aesop’s fables. Aesop’s thirsty crow must figure ou that it needs to drop pebbles in a pitcher of water in order to raise the level such that it can drink. When both birds and children were faced with the same puzzle, birds took fewer trials to recognize that pebbles (and not sawdust) were effective at raising the water level. Before age 8, children struggled relative to the birds with this puzzle, although their results improved with age.
(Source: scientificamerican.com)
