kindergarten critical thinking questions

• Grades 6-12
• School Leaders

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180 Unique Question of the Day Ideas for Students

For discussions, journaling, and community building.

Students get better at answering questions by, well, answering questions. Asking a question of the day, where each student has an opportunity to think about it and respond, builds a knowledge of how questions work. It also improves students’ language and communication skills as they create their answers and listen to what others are saying. Questions that are more introspective can also help students understand themselves better as they reflect on their day or experiences.

Below are 180 question of the day ideas for students from kindergarten through high school to get them thinking and talking.

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How To Use Questions of the Day

By definition, you can use questions of the day any time. But it can be helpful to set up structures around them. For example, you could incorporate a question of the day during morning meeting. Or you could end the day with a question of the day that students respond to in the time between packing up and going home.

When you assign a question of the day, provide routine around it. Incorporate a question of the day into each morning meeting or daily warm-up. Give students time to think about the question and jot down some notes if they are going to discuss it. And for students who are able to write, give them time to write their response in a journal.

If a question of the day has few answers (yes or no, would you rather …), encourage students to expand on why they chose their answer. Is there a funny experience that makes them choose one thing over another? Or can they talk about the time they held a lightening bug or jumped off the diving board?

Question of the Day Ideas for Early Elementary Schoolers

Young students love to share and are eager to feed off each others’ answers. Use these questions to engage kindergartners through second graders in thinking about topics that might be top of mind or something they’ve never thought about before.

Experience Questions of the Day

• Have you ever been to a farm?
• Have you ever been on a road trip?
• Have you ever been on an airplane?

• Have you ever traveled by boat?
• What is the most interesting vehicle you have ever traveled in?
• What country are you most interested in visiting?
• Do you like to swim?
• Would you rather swim in a lake, the ocean, or a pool?
• Have you jumped off a diving board?
• Have you ever climbed a tree?
• What games do you like to play with friends?

• When it rains, do you go inside or play outside?
• Have you ever caught a lightning bug?
• Have you ever held a ladybug?
• Have you ever been inside a fire truck?
• What is your favorite ice cream?
• What musical instrument would you like to play?

Imagination Questions of the Day

• Would you live in a tree house?
• If you found a pot of gold, what would you do with it?
• Would you let Goldilocks come to your house?
• Would you have a pig for a pet?

• What do you put on your ice cream?
• Do you like sunny days or rainy days?
• If you could have a wild animal for a pet, which wild animal would you choose?
• What fairy-tale character would you like to meet?

Preference Questions of the Day

• What is your favorite animal to see at the zoo?
• What is your favorite sport to play?
• What is your favorite Olympic sport to watch?
• What’s your favorite flavor of chips?
• What’s your favorite Popsicle flavor?
• What do you like to watch on TV?
• What is your favorite ice cream flavor?

• What is your favorite time of day?
• What is your favorite day of the week?

Reflection Questions of the Day

• What are you very good at?
• What makes your family special?
• What is one rule at home that you would change if you could?

• What is your best quality?
• What makes you different from your friends?
• What makes you unique in your family?
• How does your family show you that they love you?
• Think about a friend you have. What is special about that friend?
• What makes you a good friend?

Question of the Day Ideas for Upper Elementary Schoolers

Third, fourth, and fifth graders are eager to share and are ready to really reflect and think through scenarios. For more personal questions, give students the option of whether or not they want to share.

• If you were a shark, what kind of shark would you be?
• Would you rather be a giraffe or have a giraffe for a pet?
• Do you think you would like to be president of the United States?
• When you are sad or mad, what makes you feel better?
• Which fictional character are you most like?

• If you invented a robot, what would it do?
• If a genie granted you three wishes, what would you wish for?
• If you could invent a new video game, what would it be about?
• If you could fly, where would you go?
• Would you rather sit in the back of the class or the front?
• If you could paint your own room, what color would you paint it?
• If you were principal for a day, what would you do?
• If unicorns were real, would you want one for a pet?
• If you could travel to any planet, which one would you choose?

• If you could open a store, what would you sell?
• If you could start a club, what club would you start?
• What is the best gift you have ever given someone?
• What is a time you felt lucky?
• If you were going to start a band, what genre of music would you play?
• What is your favorite kind of birthday cake?
• What is a movie that you would recommend to everyone in your grade?
• What is a book that everyone in elementary school should read?

• What is your favorite holiday?
• Who is your favorite person in the world?
• What is the best gift you have ever received?
• Which do you like better, ice cream or cookies?
• Do you like clowns? Why or why not?
• What is your favorite type of weather?
• Where would you like to go on vacation?
• If you were going to take a long trip, would you rather travel by car or plane?

• What sports do you play or what activities do you do after school?
• If you were going to compete in the Olympics, which sport would you compete in?
• Do you prefer to do sports or athletic activities by yourself (running, yoga) or with a team?
• What is your favorite snack food?
• What word would you use to describe yourself?
• What skills are you particularly good at? What helped make you so good at these skills?
• What chore do you actually enjoy doing?
• What is your least favorite chore to do?
• Which family member do you want to be like when you grow up?

• How do you show your family that you love them?
• What makes you unique in your group of friends?
• What makes your group of friends special?

Question of the Day Ideas for Middle Schoolers

Middler schoolers are full of opinions. Help them think through their reasoning by modeling how you think through your responses to questions of the day. Consider providing a journal that students can respond in, and let them indicate whether or not they want you to read it.

• What is a movie that everyone in middle school should watch?
• What is a book that everyone in middle school should read?
• What is your favorite holiday tradition?
• What is your favorite sport?
• Of all the places you’ve visited, what is your favorite?

• What is your favorite dish at your favorite restaurant?
• Would you rather watch a movie at home or in the theater?
• What is your favorite board game or video game to play?
• If you won the lottery, what would you do with the money?
• If you could add one thing to the lunch menu at school, what would you add?
• If you could learn a new instrument, which would you choose?

• If you could be invisible for a day, what would you do?
• If you could live on Mars, would you?
• If you were going to open a business, what kind of business would it be?
• If you could eat one snack for the rest of your life, which snack would you choose?
• If you could give one gift to every child in the world, what would it be?
• If you had a signature sandwich, what would it be made of? What would you name it?
• If you had to throw out everything but one possession, what would you keep?

• If you were president of the United States, what kind of president would you be?
• What mythical creature would you want for a pet?
• What ecosystem would you like to explore?
• What is the hardest thing about being a middle schooler?
• What three words would you use to describe yourself?

• What irritates you the most?
• What makes someone a hero?
• What is the biggest challenge facing humanity today?
• How do you define success?
• What is one thing that adults could learn from kids?
• How does the weather affect your mood?
• On your favorite vacation, where did you go? What did you do?
• What sports do you play now? Do you think you will continue those in high school?
• What do you think makes a good teammate?

• What skill could you teach to others?
• When you’ve had a bad day, how do you help yourself feel better?
• What motivates you most? (Rewards, prestige, knowing things, power)
• When do you think a person becomes an adult?
• What makes your best friend special?
• What family member do you admire the most?
• What chores do you actually like to do?

• What is most important to your family?
• How do you show your family you appreciate them?

Big Picture Questions of the Day

• What would you like to see changed in the world?
• If you could invent a rule that everyone followed, what would the rule be?
• How do you think life will be different when you are an adult?

• What do you think the world will be like in 50 years?
• If you had a time machine, would you travel to the past or the future?
• Do you think students should have to take gym (or play a sport)? Why or why not?

Question of the Day Ideas for High Schoolers

High schoolers are coming into their own. They’re ready to think through questions and discuss and debate them with evidence and support, not just their opinion. Questions of the day in high school are a way to build in more critical thinking and to encourage students to think through their values and beliefs. ADVERTISEMENT

• What TV show could you binge-watch over and over?
• What is a movie that every high schooler should watch?
• What is a book that every high schooler should read?
• What is one holiday tradition that you plan to keep doing as an adult?

• Where is your favorite place to sit in a class? Do you think this would change if it were a large lecture hall compared to a small discussion class?
• If you got to plan a vacation, where would you go?
• When you plan a vacation, do you prefer to have everything planned out or would you rather play it by ear?
• What would you do with one extra hour each day?
• If you could eat only one food for the rest of your life, what would you eat?
• If you could teach a class, what would you teach?
• If you could change the ending to a book or movie, which ending would you change and why?
• If you could meet someone from the past, who would you like to meet?

• If you could go back in time, what period would you travel to?
• If you were president of the United States, what policies would you focus on?
• If you were stuck on a desert island, what three things would you want with you?
• If you could travel back in time to five years ago, what would you tell your younger self?
• What do you see yourself doing in 10 years?
• What is the hardest thing about being a high schooler?
• What is the hardest thing about growing up?
• What is the best advice someone has given you?
• What has your most significant accomplishment been so far?

• How would you describe your personality?
• How do you handle it when you are confused or unsure about something?
• What was the most important invention in human history and why?
• In your life, what is one thing you would want to become an expert at and why?
• What is the most valuable thing in your life and why?

• How important is the weather for you when you are planning where to live or where to move for college?
• What sports or extracurriculars have you done in high school? What are your favorite memories from these activities?
• What sports or activities do you want to keep doing in college or after high school?
• What skills have you gotten really good at as a child/teen? What could you do with those skills after high school?
• How do you help yourself recover from a setback or bad day?

• What values are most important to you?
• What would you like to be famous for as an adult?
• What does success look like for you?
• How can you change the world in your lifetime?
• What is the most valuable quality in a leader?
• Should everyone have to get a high school diploma? A college degree?
• What should the United States require of its citizens?

• Would you support every 18-year-old having to complete a year in the army? Why or why not?
• Do you think the voting age should be moved from 18?

Get morning meeting questions .

Questions to End the Day

Sometimes you need a question to wrap up the day. Since every day is different, set a schedule for how to end each day.

• What made you smile today?
• Who was kind to you today? Who were you kind to?
• What made you happy (or excited or proud) today?
• What made you laugh today?
• What are you thankful for today?
• What was the best part of your day?
• How did you challenge yourself today?
• Are you ending the day more stressed or more relaxed than you started?

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36 Fun Critical Thinking Games and Activities for Kids (Printable)

Critical Thinking Games & Activities for Kids: Critical thinking skills are widely recognized as essential to equip children for learning, in and outside the classroom, and for modern life. In this post, we will explore what critical thinking means, why it is so important, and how to help build these skills in children with 36 fun critical thinking activities. You will also be able to download a free worksheet with some of the activities mentioned in the post.

Table of Contents

• What is critical thinking?
• Why are critical thinking skills important?
• How can we help build the skills and mindset for critical thinking?
• 36 Fun critical thinking activities for kids
• Critical thinking worksheets download

What is Critical Thinking?

We all know more or less what critical thinking is. So it may surprise you to know that there is no one standard, agreed definition. US philosopher and educator John Dewey first developed the concept in the early 20th century, although he more commonly used the term “reflective thinking”, defined as:

“Active, persistent, and careful consideration of any belief or supposed form of knowledge in the light of the grounds that support it and the further conclusions to which it tends.”

The  Reboot Foundation  provides a simpler, more contemporary definition: 

“We define critical thinking broadly, and we believe it is a type of reflective thought that requires reasoning, logic, and analysis to make choices and understand problems.” 

Most experts agree that there are two dimensions to critical thinking:

• Skills, or abilities which can be taught ( such as  analysis, inference, evaluation, self-regulation).
• Dispositions, or attitudes, which can be developed ( such as  being open-minded, fair-minded, suspending judgement, inquisitiveness).

Skills can be more straightforward to teach, and to measure, than dispositions. But critical thinking skills and dispositions are mutually reinforcing, and should be built together. 

One way to explain how critical thinking differs from simply acquiring knowledge is through “Bloom’s Taxonomy”, developed in 1956, and revised to the version below in 2001. The Taxonomy separates out simple memorization of facts, at the base of the pyramid, from the tasks which require progressively more reasoning and reflection: understanding, applying and analyzing knowledge, critically evaluating it and, ultimately, creating new, original work.

Armstrong, P. (2010). Bloom’s Taxonomy. Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching. Retrieved 22 October 2024 from  https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/blooms-taxonomy/  Used under a Creative Commons Attribution license.

Why are Critical Thinking Skills Important?

Dewey’s work on critical thinking helped to transform education, from a system built around rote-learning, memorization and repetition of learned facts, to a system which values students’ ability to think for themselves.

Now, critical thinking skills provide an essential basis for future learning. But critical thinking is important for so much more, beyond the classroom. 

Long before the internet or social media, critical thinking was seen as important for the health of democracy.

Now it is recognized as a “ 21 st  century skill ” – the set of abilities and knowledge that are essential for individuals to thrive in the modern world.

When we think about children growing into teenagers, and encountering the tsunami of information, misinformation and disinformation directed to them through social media, equipping our children to grow up as critical thinkers is an essential life skill.

How Can we Help Build the Skills and Mindset for Critical Thinking?

The abilities and attitudes necessary for critical thinking  begin to develop early . By as early as age 3, children understand that people sometimes communicate inaccurate information, and that some individuals are more reliable sources than others.

And the critical thinking journey never really stops: it is part of early childhood education, throughout the school years, life outside the classroom, and at the university level, where critical thinking can be essential to success.

We have seen that critical thinking is about both skills and mindset. The best way to support critical thinking is to work on both acquiring the skills necessary for critical thinking (e.g. analysis, inference, evaluation, self-regulation), and encouraging the attitudes needed to think critically (e.g. being open minded, fair minded, and curious).

This can be practiced in the learning of subject matter across all subjects, and beyond the classroom, in day to day life. The more that children ask “why?”, the more opportunities there are to support them in their critical thinking journey.

36 Fun Critical Thinking Games and Activities for Kids

Now that we have reflected on what critical thinking is and why it is so important for cognitive development, let’s jump in and start practicing a whole set of engaging and fun activities to help children strengthen these skills and develop a critical thinking mindset.

These activities can be used as building blocks and inspiration, in the classroom and at home. They can be woven in to wider learning, or used as creative ideas to have family conversations at the dinner table.

Fun Simple Critical Thinking Activities for Kids

1. Sorting Objects

Strengthen logical reasoning by encouraging kids to classify items based on attributes like size, color, or shape, helping them identify patterns and make connections.

For example,  ask children to sort a group of buttons of different colors, sizes, and shapes, and then explain the reasoning behind their sorting criteria.

2. Count and Analyze Patterns

Use colored beads to create sequences (e.g., red, blue, red, blue) and ask children to predict what comes next, or to create their own repeating patterns.

3. Find the Odd One Out

Present a group of objects like a banana, an apple, a car, and ask children to identify which one is the odd one out and explain why.

4. Who Am I?

A child thinks of an object, and the others ask yes/no questions to figure it out, such as “Is it something you find outside?” or “Can you eat it?”

5. “What If?” Questions

This type of game encourages curiosity and deeper thinking by exploring open-ended questions, much like the Socratic method, encouraging students to reason and arrive at their own conclusions.

Ask children questions such as:

• What if animals could talk?  How would that change our relationship with them?
• What if there were no rules?  What do you think society would look like?
• What if everyone had the same job?  How would our world look?

6. Story-building with Critical Questions

• Example : Build a short story with a problem, like “The dog is lost,” and ask children to discuss the cause, what steps can be taken to find the dog, and the potential outcomes.

7. Problem-Solving Storybooks

You can use your usual classroom activities and turn them into problem-solving activities. For example, if you’re reading a book like  The Three Little Pigs , you can pause to ask, “What would have happened if the pigs had built their house differently?” This encourages kids to analyze decisions in the plot and think critically about alternative outcomes.

8. Reviewing Evidence (Detective Games)

Create a detective game where children review evidence (footprints, letters) to figure out “who ate the cookies” or another mystery, requiring logical deduction.

Critical Thinking Games & Brain-Teasers

9. Memory Card Games / Matching Card Games

Memory card games are classic games in which children flip over cards to find matching pairs.

Although memory games are more clearly associated with memory skills, they can also support critical thinking by encouraging attention to detail, pattern recognition, and strategic recall of card locations to match pairs efficiently.

For example, instead of flipping cards randomly, kids could start by lifting cards from left to right in each row. This structured approach can help them remember the sequence and location of cards, making it easier to spot matches when a similar card appears later. By developing this strategy, they’re not only improving their memory but also practicing critical thinking through planning and pattern recognition.

10. Scavenger Hunts

To turn a scavenger hunt into a critical thinking activity, add clues that require kids to solve puzzles, interpret riddles, or make inferences to find each item.

For example, instead of simply listing an umbrella, provide clues like “I’m something that keeps you dry in the rain, and you hold me above your head”. You could also add challenges where kids must categorize the items they find by characteristics (like color or texture) or answer questions about why each item might be useful in different situations.

This approach encourages problem-solving, inference, and categorization skills throughout the hunt.

11. Mystery Bag Game

A Mystery Bag game encourages kids to use their senses and deduction skills to identify hidden objects. Place various items in a bag and allow kids to feel each one without looking, prompting them to guess what it is based on texture, shape, or weight. They can ask yes-or-no questions to narrow down possibilities (e.g., “Is it soft?”, “Is it something I can eat? or “Is it something we use every day?”).This activity fosters critical thinking by requiring kids to analyze clues, make inferences, and refine their guesses, enhancing their problem-solving abilities.

12. Puzzle Solving

Puzzles can boost logical thinking and problem-solving skills by encouraging kids to find solutions through trial, error, and reasoning.

13. Sudoku (Simple)

Sudoku is another great puzzle game that promotes logic, pattern recognition, and problem-solving for children of all ages.

The game can be tailored to various skill levels, making it suitable for all ages: the easiest grids start with a 4×4 layout, perfect for younger kids who are just beginning to explore logical reasoning.

For a fun twist, you don’t even need to use numbers! Simple shapes or colors can replace numbers to create a kid-friendly version, allowing younger children to solve puzzles with familiar objects while developing their reasoning skills.

I’ve included a fun, simple Sudoku activity in your download at the end of this post that younger kids will love.

14. Mystery Number Games

Give a series of clues, like “I’m thinking of a number between 1 and 10, and it’s not even,” and have children ask questions to deduce the number.

15. Logic Riddles or Brain Teasers

Riddles and Puzzles are a fun way to present a mental challenge to kids.   They are widely available in puzzle books and logic activity books for children.

Examples of riddles:

• “What has keys but can’t open locks?” and have children reason out the answer by thinking about the word “piano.”
• “I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have no body, but I come alive with the wind. What am I?” (this one is echo, in case you didn’t guess it)

16. Lateral Thinking Puzzles . 

Lateral thinking puzzles are puzzles designed to challenge traditional thinking patterns by encouraging creative, outside-the-box solutions. Instead of straightforward logic, these puzzles require unconventional reasoning and unique perspectives, pushing kids to think beyond obvious answers.

For example, a lateral thinking puzzle might present a scenario where only by reinterpreting or reframing details can the solution be found, such as:

• “A man walks into a town on Friday, stays for three days, and leaves on Friday. How is this possible?”(Answer: The man’s horse is named Friday.)

17. Logic Grid Puzzles

Logic grid puzzles are brain-teasers that involve filling in a grid based on a set of clues to determine relationships between different categories or items.

For instance, you might have a puzzle about three friends, each with a different pet, favorite color, and favorite food. Using the clues provided (e.g., “The person with the cat doesn’t like pizza”), you can eliminate possibilities and make connections until all categories align correctly.

These puzzles develop critical thinking and deductive reasoning skills, as solvers must analyze the clues, make inferences, and systematically rule out options to find the solution.

Your free Critical Thinking Worksheets download, at the end of this post, also includes an example of a logic grid puzzle.

18. Maze Challenges

Provide a printed maze and ask children to solve it by choosing the correct path, discussing their strategy for avoiding dead ends and reaching the goal.

Our next two activities are classic strategy games that promote strategic planning and evaluation:

Chess is a timeless game of strategy, widely available both digitally and physically in educational formats. Set up a chessboard and teach children the basic moves, then have them play a game where they practice planning several moves ahead, anticipating their opponent’s strategy. 

20. Checkers

Checkers is another, simpler strategy board game. Play a simple game of checkers with a child, encouraging them to think one or two moves ahead to capture pieces and block their opponent.

21. Role-Playing Games 

Role-playing games (RPGs) are games where players assume the roles of specific characters, often in a fictional or fantastical setting, and make decisions that shape the story or world around them. In RPGs, players use imagination and creativity to develop characters with unique abilities, personalities, and goals, often collaborating to solve challenges or quests.

There are different types of RPGs, such as:

• Tabletop RPGs  (e.g.,  Dungeons & Dragons ), where players narrate actions and decisions guided by a game master.
• Live-action RPGs (LARPs) , where players physically act out their characters’ actions.
• Video Game RPGs  (e.g.,  Final Fantasy , – although note that while previous editions have been mostly young teen-friendly, some editions are rated M / R13. For fully kid-friendly video RPGs, you check out  Starport or Kids on Bikes.

RPGs, like tabletop and video game formats, can be safe and valuable for teaching critical thinking, teamwork, and creativity, with a few guidelines:

• Age-Appropriate Content : Choose RPGs with themes and language suitable for the classroom.
• Screen Time : Balance video game use with other activities to avoid excessive exposure.
• Safety in Live-Action : For LARPs, set clear boundaries to ensure a safe environment.
• Classroom-Friendly RPGs :  No Thank You, Evil!  and  Rory’s Story Cubes  promote storytelling and problem-solving.
• Educational RPGs :  Classcraft  uses RPG quests to support learning goals and teamwork.
• Simple Role-Playing Activities : Use history or science scenarios to bring content to life through role-play.

22. Escape Rooms

Participating in a  escape room  activity is an excellent way for older students to practice critical thinking skills.  Participants are locked inside a themed room and must work together to solve puzzles, find clues, and accomplish tasks within a given time limit in order to “escape” from the room. Escape rooms are great team-building games and promote critical thinking through:

• Problem-Solving : Players must analyze clues, recognize patterns, and piece together information to advance.
• Logical Reasoning : Each puzzle builds on the next, requiring logical deduction to understand how clues relate.
• Analytical Skills : Players break down complex information, assess details carefully, and synthesize clues to solve each step
• Teamwork : Players need to communicate effectively, share ideas, and build on each other’s strengths to solve complex problems together.
• Time Management : The time constraint encourages quick thinking and prioritizing.

Let’s also explore some educational games and activities!

Critical Thinking Activities for the Classroom

23. Improvised Building Activity (STEM – Science Activity )

Provide children with a box of mixed-up items like straws, paper clips, and rubber bands, and ask them to build a structure that can hold a small toy car, encouraging problem-solving.

24. Guess the Cause and Effect / Scientific Inquiry Activities

Engage kids to explore relationships by predicting outcomes, testing hypotheses, and observing results, strengthening their understanding of cause and effect through hands-on discovery.

Some cause-effect activity examples:

• Sink or Float : Have kids predict whether various objects (like a coin, sponge, or apple) will sink or float, then test each item in water and observe the outcomes.
• Plant Growth Experiment 1 : Plant seeds in different conditions (sunlight vs. darkness or water vs. no water) and have kids guess which plants will grow best, tracking progress over time.
• Plant Growth Experiment 2:  Show kids a plant that’s wilting and ask, “What do you think is happening here?” Let them suggest reasons like “It needs water” or “It’s too sunny,” and then test their hypothesis.
• Ball Drop Test : Ask kids to predict which will bounce the highest, a tennis ball, basketball, or a bouncy ball. Then perform the experiment by dropping them from the same height, to see if their predictions were correct.

25. Simple Coding (Logic-Based)

Use a coding game like “Scratch Jr.” to have children sequence blocks to make a character move in a specific direction, reinforcing the concept of logic and order. Some examples of other coding apps for kids are Scratch, Code.org, or Tynker.

26. Facts vs. Opinion (Worksheet)

Fact vs. Opinion activities help kids learn to tell the difference between objective truths and personal viewpoints, which is essential for critical thinking. By distinguishing facts—things that can be proven true—from opinions, which reflect personal feelings or beliefs, kids become better at evaluating information.

These activities teach them to look for evidence, question sources and understand that not everything they hear or read is a fact, which is a valuable skill in everyday decision-making and understanding of the world around them.

You can download a simple Facts vs Opinion activity to add to your critical thinking classroom games at the end of this article.

27. Observation Journals

Observation Journals  are a great critical thinking exercise, encouraging kids to record daily observations and reflect on details in their surroundings. This practice sharpens mindfulness, enhances analytical skills, and prompts kids to notice patterns, make connections, and express unique perspectives.

Observation journals can include prompts like, “What did you notice on your way to school?” or “Describe something interesting you saw today.”

This versatile activity can be used for nature walks, scientific observations, or even social settings, making it a fun and educational habit.

28. Simple Flowcharts

Simple Flowcharts  are an excellent tool for helping kids visualize steps in a process, enhancing their problem-solving and critical thinking skills.

Creating flowcharts teaches them to break down tasks into manageable parts, understand sequences, make logical connections between actions, and practice decision-making. This exercise can be used for anything from illustrating everyday life routines to mapping out decision-making steps.

This is an example of what a flow chart for “deciding what to do after school” could look like:

• If  Yes  → Go to Step 2
• If  No  → Start Homework
• If  Yes  → Go to Step 3
• If  No  → Complete Chores
• If  Yes  → Go Outside
• If  No  → Go to Step 4
• If  Read  → Read Book
• If  Game  → Play Game

29. Problem Solving Activities

Give kids a problem (for example, “How do I fix this broken toy”, and    ask them to evaluate different possible solutions, such as glue, tape, or replacing parts.)

Guide them through the problem-solving process:

• Identifying the problem (what has happened?)
• Analyzing the problem (how did it happen?)
• Generating potential solutions or strategies to address the problem.
• Evaluating all possible solutions (Pros and Cons Analysis)
• Selecting the best solution based on their analysis and judgment.
• Implementing the best solution
• Monitoring progress and results
• Reviewing and evaluating the outcomes and making adjustments if necessary.

Other resources: Problem-solving workbook for kids

Debates are a fantastic way to encourage creative thinking and help kids understand different perspectives on real-world problems. By arguing for or against a topic, students learn to consider and respect diverse viewpoints, building skills in critical analysis and the curiosity and flexibility needed for problem-solving.

Divide students into groups, and randomly allocate the teams that will defend either position. 

Here’s a list of five debate topics that would work well for a team pro/con structure:

• Should kids have homework every day?
• Would it be it better to have a longer summer break, or shorter school days year-round?
• Should schools ban junk food from the cafeteria?
• Is it better to learn from books or through technology?
• Should animals be kept in zoos?
• Should kids be allowed to have smartphones?

31. Classification Game

Present a set of mixed-up objects (e.g., animals, plants, objects) and ask children to categorize them into specific groups (e.g., mammals, plants, machines).

32. Predicting Changes in an Ecosystem

This activity involves analyzing data or observing patterns to make educated guesses about how an ecosystem might evolve under certain conditions. This can help students understand cause and effect within natural systems, fostering critical thinking about environmental science and ecology.

For example, create a small ecosystem using plants and animals (real or artificial) and ask children what would happen if a new element was introduced, such as removing one species or adding a new one. ed: suggest plants and insects. Creating an ecosystem with animals is a big ask!

33. Making Predictions from Data

Making Predictions from Data  is a real-world activity that teaches students to analyze patterns and trends to make informed guesses about future outcomes. By examining data, whether from a simple weather chart or a survey on favorite foods, students learn to interpret information, identify trends, and develop critical thinking skills. This activity can be used in various subjects, helping students understand how data supports decision-making in everyday life.

For example, give students data on the number of books read by their classmates each month. They notice that book reading increased steadily from September to December. Based on this trend, ask them to predict how many books will be read in January and discuss possible reasons for the increase, like cooler weather or reading challenges.

34. Comparing and Contrasting Items

Comparing and Contrasting  is a key critical thinking activity that helps students explore similarities and differences between topics, ideas, or items. This skill can be applied to anything from everyday choices to analyzing historical events, comparing characters in a story, or understanding scientific concepts. An effective activity is to have students compare items they might want to buy, like two different backpacks or tablets. By evaluating features, prices, and quality, they practice making informed decisions, building both analytical and decision-making skills.

35. Analyze a News Article

Provide a simple news article on current affairs and ask children to identify the key points of that particular situation, evaluate the reliability of the sources, and discuss what actions they might take if they were involved in the situation. This activity builds critical thinking by encouraging them to reflect on real-world events and consider different perspectives.

36. Make a Decision Matrix

A  Decision Matrix  is a tool that helps students evaluate multiple options by rating each one based on specific criteria. It’s a grid where options are listed on one side, criteria on the other, and each option is scored to find the best choice. This encourages critical thinking and teaches students to make thoughtful, balanced decisions by considering all aspects of a problem.

• Students are deciding on a class project, they can list options (like a science experiment, art display, or community service) and criteria (interest level, resources needed, time required) to help choose the best fit.
• Families choosing a pet may weigh options like size, cost, care requirements, and activity level.

Incorporating critical thinking activities in the classroom is a powerful way to nurture young minds. These exercises build essential  cognitive skills  and help kids become inquisitive, confident thinkers.

Other Cognitive Abilities Resources & Articles

• Fun Problem-Solving Workbook for Kids
• 25 Problem-Solving Activities for Kids
• 57 Memory Activities for Kids
• 30 Focus & Attention Activities for Kids

Critical Thinking Worksheets for Kids (PDF Download)

Your critical thinking worksheets include the following activities:

• Fun Shapes Sudoku
• Fact vs Opinion 
• Debate Activity

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