how to develop critical thinking in preschoolers

6 Ways to Teach Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is an essential cognitive process that involves actively analyzing, evaluating, and synthesizing information to form reasoned judgments and solve problems. John Dewey defined reflective thinking as the careful and deliberate determination of whether to accept, reject, or suspend judgment about a claim.

Critical thinking skills include conceptualization, analysis, evaluation, reasoning, synthesis, problem-solving, and openness to new ideas, fostering the ability to discern misinformation, eliminate bias, think independently, and make informed decisions. Thinking critically is vital for personal growth and career advancement. Find out how to develop and teach critical thinking to both adults and children.

Table of Contents

What is critical thinking?

Critical thinking is a set of skills and habits of mind to go beyond simply accepting information or ideas, but instead analyze the issue, evaluate information, and reason critically to make a conclusion or solve a problem. Thinking critically includes making creative connections between ideas from different disciplines.

American philosopher, psychologist, and educator John Dewey (1859–1952) called this “reflective thinking”. Dewey defined critical thinking as active, persistent, and careful consideration of a belief or supposed form of knowledge. It involves actively subjecting ideas to critical scrutiny rather than passively accepting their face value.

What are critical thinking skills?

Here are 7 core critical thinking skills.

• Conceptualize : Form abstract ideas and mental models that accurately represent complex concepts.
• Analyze : Break down information into components and relationships to uncover patterns, principles, and deeper meanings.
• Evaluate : Assess the credibility, accuracy, quality, strength, methodologies, and relevance of claims or evidence using logical standards to judge the validity or significance of the information.
• Reason : Applying logical thinking to conclude from facts or evidence.
• Synthesize : Combining different ideas, findings, or information to form a coherent whole or a new perspective.
• Solve problems : Identifying solutions to issues through logical analysis and creative thinking.
• Open to other possibilities : Being willing to consider alternative solutions, ideas, or viewpoints beyond the initial scope.

Why is critical thinking important?

Critical thinking is an important part of cognitive development for the following 8 reasons.

• Discern misinformation : Critical thinking helps us separate facts from opinions, spot flawed arguments, and avoid falling for inaccurate information.
• Identify and eliminate prejudice : It allows us to recognize societal biases and close-mindedness.
• Think independently : It enables us to develop rational viewpoints rather than blindly accepting claims, mainstream narratives, or fads. It also helps children form their own opinions, make wise decisions, and resist peer pressure.
• Make good decisions : It enables logical thinking for better judgment and making rational decisions, not influenced by emotions.
• Communicate clearly : It lets us understand others’ perspectives and improve communication.
• Get better solutions : It broadens our thought process and enables good problem-solving to achieve the best solutions to challenges.
• Cultivate open-mindedness and creativity : It spurs intellectual curiosity to explore new paradigms.
• Grow skills set : It facilitates wiser, more informed choices that affect personal growth, career advancement, and positive relationships.

Why is critical thinking hard to teach?

Critical thinking is hard to teach because to think critically on a topic, deep knowledge about a subject is required to apply logic. Therefore, critical thinking skills are hard to teach by itself. The analytical reasoning skills learned on one topic don’t transfer quickly to another domain.

What are examples of critical thinking?

Here are examples of critical thinking in real life.

• Solving a math problem : Breaking down complex math problems into smaller parts to understand and solve them step by step.
• Deciding on a book for a report : Reading summaries and reviews to select a book that fits the assignment criteria and personal interest.
• Resolving a dispute with a friend : Listening to each other’s perspectives, identifying the problem, and coming up with a fair solution together.
• Navigating social media safely : Assessing the credibility of online information and the safety of sharing personal data.
• Saving up for a toy : Comparing prices, setting a realistic goal, budgeting allowance money, and resisting impulse buys that derail the plan.
• Figuring out a new bike route : Studying maps for safe streets, estimating distances, choosing the most efficient way, and accounting for hills and traffic.
• Analyzing the motive of a storybook villain : Looking at their actions closely to infer their motivations and thinking through alternative perspectives.

How to develop critical thinking

To develop critical thinking, here are 10 ways to practice.

• Ask probing questions : Ask “why”, “how”, “what if” to deeply understand issues and reveal assumptions.
• Examine evidence objectively : Analyze information’s relevance, credibility, and adequacy.
• Consider different viewpoints : Think through other valid viewpoints that may differ from your own.
• Identify and challenge assumptions : Don’t just accept claims at face value.
• Analyze arguments : Break down arguments and claims into premises and conclusions, and look for logical fallacies.
• Apply reasoned analysis : Base conclusions on logical reasoning and evidence rather than emotion or anecdotes.
• Seek clarity : Ask for explanations of unfamiliar terms and avoid ambiguous claims.
• Discuss ideas : Share your ideas with others to gain insights and refine your thought processes.
• Debate respectfully : Engage in discussions with those who disagree thoughtfully and respectfully.
• Reflect on your thoughts and decisions : Question your thoughts and conclusions to avoid jumping to conclusions.

How to teach critical thinking to a child

To teach critical thinking to a child, encourage them to apply deeper thinking in any situation that requires decision-making in daily life. Here are 6 tips on teaching critical thinking.

• Start early and explain everything : Young children often ask lots of questions. Instead of saying, “That’s how it’s supposed to be,” explain things to them as much as possible from an early age. When children are taught from a young age how to ask different types of questions and formulate judgments using objective evidence and logical analysis, they grow up confident in their ability to question assumptions and reason with logic rather than emotions. When you can’t answer specific questions, you can say, “That’s a good question, and I want to know the answer, too!”
• Prioritize reasoned rules over blind obedience : Authoritarian discipline stifles critical thinking, as demonstrated by psychologist Stanley Milgram’s 1963 study titled “Behavioral Study of Obedience.” In the study, most subjects, under authoritative orders, would administer electric shocks to a stranger and escalate to potentially lethal levels without questioning the authority. Avoid using “because I said so.” Encourage children to inquire, discuss, and participate in rule-making. Help them understand the reasons behind rules to foster critical thinking. Allow children to question and discuss the legitimacy of what we say.
• Encourage problem-solving activities : Encourage your child to solve puzzles, play strategy games, or take on complex problems to strengthen their analytical skills.
• Foster curiosity : Thinking critically means being willing to have your views challenged by new information and different perspectives. Curiosity drives children to explore and question the world around them, challenging assumptions and leading to a deeper understanding of complex concepts.
• Teach open-mindedness : Keeping an open mind and flexible thinking when approaching a new problem is essential in critical thinking. Suggest different points of view, alternative explanations, or solutions to problems. Encourage children to solve problems in new ways and connect different ideas from other domains to strengthen their analytical thinking skills.
• Explain the difference between correlation and causation : One of the biggest impediments to logical reasoning is the confusion between correlation and causation. When two things happen together, they are correlated, but it doesn’t necessarily mean one causes the other. We don’t know whether it’s causation or correlation unless we have more information to prove that.

References For Critical Thinking

• 1. Willingham DT. Critical Thinking: Why Is It So Hard to Teach? Arts Education Policy Review . Published online March 2008:21-32. doi:https://doi.org/10.3200/aepr.109.4.21-32
• 2. Quinn V. Critical Thinking in Young Minds . Routledge; 2018. doi:https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429445323
• 3. Hess RD, McDevitt TM. Some Cognitive Consequences of Maternal Intervention Techniques: A Longitudinal Study. Child Development . Published online December 1984:2017. doi:https://doi.org/10.2307/1129776
• 4. Slater M, Antley A, Davison A, et al. A Virtual Reprise of the Stanley Milgram Obedience Experiments. Rustichini A, ed. PLoS ONE . Published online December 20, 2006:e39. doi:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0000039
• 5. Rimiene V. Assessing and Developing Students’ Critical Thinking. Psychology Learning & Teaching . Published online March 2002:17-22. doi:https://doi.org/10.2304/plat.2002.2.1.17
• 6. Dyche L, Epstein RM. Curiosity and medical education. Medical Education . Published online June 7, 2011:663-668. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2923.2011.03944.x
• 7. Schwartz S. The fallacy of the ecological fallacy: the potential misuse of a concept and the consequences. Am J Public Health . Published online May 1994:819-824. doi:https://doi.org/10.2105/ajph.84.5.819

Disclaimer: The content of this article is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider for medical concerns.

Nurturing Critical Thinking for Preschoolers

July 1, 2024

Unlock preschoolers' potential with critical thinking! Nurture curiosity, creativity, and lifelong learning skills.

Fostering Critical Thinking in Preschoolers

Developing critical thinking skills in preschoolers is crucial for their cognitive and intellectual growth. Critical thinking involves the ability to analyze information, think independently, solve problems, and make informed decisions. In this section, we will explore the importance of critical thinking and the role parents play in nurturing these skills.

Importance of Critical Thinking

Critical thinking skills are essential for preschoolers as they lay the foundation for lifelong learning and success. By encouraging critical thinking, children become active learners who can engage with the world around them. They learn to question, evaluate, and make connections between different pieces of information, fostering a deeper understanding of concepts and ideas.

Critical thinking also enables preschoolers to develop problem-solving and decision-making skills. They learn to assess situations, consider multiple perspectives, and come up with creative solutions. These skills are valuable not only in academic settings but also in everyday life, where children encounter various challenges and decisions.

Role of Parents in Developing Skills

Parents play a vital role in nurturing critical thinking skills in preschoolers. By creating a home environment that welcomes questions, investigations, and open-ended discussions, parents can foster curiosity and critical thinking [1]. Encouraging children to explore, ask questions, and formulate predictions and hypotheses without immediate intervention promotes independent thinking and problem-solving abilities.

Modeling critical thinking is equally important. Parents can share their decision-making processes, explaining how they evaluate information and arrive at conclusions. By involving children in discussions and problem-solving activities, parents provide opportunities for them to practice critical thinking skills.

Researching information is a crucial aspect of critical thinking, especially in the digital age. Parents should encourage children to look up answers to their questions in reputable sources and teach them to verify information from multiple sources to distinguish between factual and misleading information [1].

Open-mindedness and social-emotional learning are also key components of critical thinking. Parents can expose children to diverse cultures, backgrounds, and experiences, fostering empathy, creativity, and effective communication. Engaging in role-playing activities and discussing others' opinions and experiences help children develop a broader perspective and understand different viewpoints.

In conclusion, fostering critical thinking skills in preschoolers is essential for their cognitive and intellectual development. By emphasizing the importance of critical thinking and creating an environment that encourages exploration, questioning, and independent thinking, parents can lay the groundwork for their child's future success.

Activities to Enhance Critical Thinking

To nurture critical thinking skills in preschoolers, engaging them in interactive and stimulating activities is essential. These activities not only promote cognitive development but also encourage curiosity, creativity, and problem-solving abilities. Here are two effective ways to enhance critical thinking in preschoolers: group activities and stimulating curiosity and creativity.

Group Activities for Critical Thinking

Encouraging preschoolers to work in groups can introduce them to different approaches and ideas, fostering critical thinking abilities [2]. Activities such as cleaning up or cooking a meal together provide opportunities for collaboration, communication, and problem-solving. For example, assigning different tasks to each child and encouraging them to brainstorm and make decisions collectively helps develop critical thinking skills.

In addition, playing games that involve hiding objects and providing clues, such as "Hide the Thimble," can help preschoolers develop critical thinking skills by encouraging them to analyze information and make deductions. These activities stimulate their logical reasoning and problem-solving abilities while promoting teamwork and cooperation.

Stimulating Curiosity and Creativity

Stimulating curiosity and creativity is another effective way to enhance critical thinking skills in preschoolers. Activities that encourage them to ask questions, make predictions, and think deeply about various concepts foster critical thinking abilities [3]. Here are a few examples:

• Guessing games : Engage preschoolers in guessing games where they have to identify objects or animals based on clues. This activity promotes observation, logical thinking, and problem-solving.
• Creating menus : Encourage preschoolers to create menus for a pretend restaurant or a picnic. This activity prompts them to think about food choices, portion sizes, and preferences, fostering critical thinking and decision-making skills.
• Food tasting : Introduce preschoolers to various flavors and textures by organizing a food tasting activity. This encourages them to think critically about their sensory experiences and express their preferences.
• Browsing family photo albums : Explore family photo albums with preschoolers, discussing different events and memories. This activity promotes critical thinking by encouraging them to ask questions, make connections, and analyze the past.

Integrating a play-based STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) curriculum can also be beneficial for developing critical thinking skills in preschoolers [3]. Such a curriculum prompts preschoolers to work through problems systematically and apply information from various disciplines to find solutions. This approach fosters critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving abilities in a holistic manner.

By engaging preschoolers in group activities and providing opportunities for curiosity and creativity, parents and educators can effectively nurture critical thinking skills. These activities lay a strong foundation for lifelong learning and equip preschoolers with the cognitive abilities necessary for success in school and beyond.

Integrating Critical Thinking Skills

To effectively nurture critical thinking skills in preschoolers, it is important to provide them with opportunities for real-world applications and digital literacy in early education.

Real-World Applications

Integrating real-world applications into the learning experiences of preschoolers is a valuable way to foster critical thinking skills. By connecting concepts and skills to the world around them, children can understand the relevance and practicality of what they are learning. Real-world applications encourage preschoolers to think critically, problem-solve, and make connections between different subjects.

For example, engaging preschoolers in hands-on activities such as cooking, gardening, or building projects can help them develop critical thinking skills. Through these activities, children learn to follow instructions, make decisions, and analyze cause-and-effect relationships. Encouraging open-ended questions and discussions during these experiences can further enhance critical thinking abilities.

Digital Literacy in Early Education

In today's digital age, teaching digital literacy is essential for fostering critical thinking in early childhood education. Digital literacy involves the ability to find, evaluate, and use information effectively and responsibly in a digital environment. It helps children develop the skills they need to navigate the vast amount of information available online and think critically about the content they encounter.

Teaching digital literacy can involve activities such as guiding preschoolers to research information from reputable sources and teaching them to verify information from multiple sources to distinguish between factual and misleading information. Additionally, incorporating technology into classroom activities can promote critical thinking. For example, using word processors or digital image-making tools allows children to merge and revise ideas, fostering creativity and critical composing.

Integrating technology in early childhood education also supports outdoor learning, interactivity, motivation, physical activity, and critical thinking. For instance, using tools like a metal detector can help children develop critical thinking by testing ideas, operating tools with precision, and enhancing spatial awareness.

By incorporating real-world applications and digital literacy into early childhood education, educators can provide preschoolers with opportunities to develop and apply critical thinking skills in meaningful ways. These skills lay a strong foundation for lifelong learning and equip children with the ability to think critically and engage with the world around them.

Impact of Early Childhood Education

Early childhood education (ECE) plays a significant role in the development of young minds, providing a strong foundation for lifelong learning and social-emotional growth. During the critical period of brain development in early childhood, children experience rapid cognitive, emotional, and physical growth, which paves the way for greater learning capabilities.

Foundation for Lifelong Learning

Quality early childhood education programs focus on cultivating critical thinking skills in young children. By incorporating problem-solving tasks and encouraging exploration of their surroundings, these programs help develop children's ability to reason and think critically. Through imaginative play, children are encouraged to explore their curiosity and develop a sense of wonder, which enhances their cognitive development.

Moreover, early childhood education recognizes the individuality of each child's cognitive development. Educators create inclusive environments that cater to diverse learning needs. By providing differentiated instruction tailored to various learning styles, teachers ensure that all children have the opportunity to thrive and reach their full cognitive potential.

Social and Emotional Growth

Early childhood education not only promotes cognitive development but also plays a crucial role in fostering social and emotional growth. Free play is an essential component of this growth as it allows children to explore their emotions, develop creativity, and practice social interactions. Through free play, children learn important social skills such as negotiation, compromise, and empathy.

Studies indicate that children with well-developed social and emotional abilities during their early years tend to achieve greater academic success as they grow older. Additionally, they experience fewer mental health concerns, highlighting the importance of social and emotional skills in early childhood education.

By providing a foundation for lifelong learning and fostering social-emotional growth, early childhood education sets the stage for children's future success. It equips them with the necessary skills and abilities to navigate the complexities of the world and excel academically, socially, and emotionally. The impact of quality early childhood education cannot be overstated, as it shapes the trajectory of a child's development and prepares them for a fulfilling and meaningful life.

Research Insights on Critical Thinking

To gain a deeper understanding of the impact and strategies related to developing critical thinking skills in preschoolers, let's explore some research insights in this area.

Educator Strategies for Development

According to Murawski's study published in the Journal of Learning in Higher Education in 2014, educators play a vital role in fostering critical thinking skills in students. The study emphasizes that educators who teach critical thinking provide students with control over their learning process. This approach leads to more effective learning, challenging questions, and increased participation [6].

Implementing strategies such as open-ended questioning, problem-solving activities, and encouraging independent thinking can help educators cultivate critical thinking abilities in preschoolers. By creating a supportive and stimulating learning environment, educators can inspire children to analyze information, evaluate different perspectives, and develop their own thoughts and ideas.

Studies on Critical Thinking Skills

A study conducted by Rider and Thomason in 2014 demonstrated the effectiveness of argument maps in enhancing critical thinking skills. The use of argument maps improves students' ability to understand and critique arguments, enhances their reading and writing skills, and promotes clearer thinking [6]. Incorporating visual tools like argument maps into educational activities can aid in the development of logical reasoning and the ability to construct and deconstruct arguments.

Furthermore, Abduljaleel Alwali's study highlighted the positive impact of critical thinking on various aspects of high school students' development. The study revealed that developing critical thinking skills positively influences perception, individuality, general analytical skills, academic performance, metacognition, practical applications of theoretical knowledge, and decision-making [6]. These findings emphasize the far-reaching benefits of nurturing critical thinking abilities from an early age.

Additionally, Loes et al.'s 2016 study emphasized the importance of diverse experiences in developing critical thinking skills. The study revealed that students are more likely to engage in complex thought processes when encountering new and unique situations. Exposing preschoolers to a range of experiences and perspectives can support the development of critical thinking skills by fostering adaptability and encouraging exploration of alternative solutions.

By implementing effective strategies and drawing insights from these studies, educators and parents can create an environment that nurtures critical thinking skills in preschoolers. These skills lay a strong foundation for lifelong learning, empowering children to think critically, solve problems creatively, and make informed decisions.

[1]: https://tenderheartedteacher.com/critical-thinking-skills-in-children/

‍ [2]: https://www.atlasmission.com/blog/10-preschool-critical-thinking-activities-my-preschooler-loves/

‍ [3]: https://www.kids-konnect.com/blog/critical-thinking-skills-for-preschoolers-4-fun-activities-to-try-at-home

‍ [4]: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-critical-thinking-important-early-childhood-michael-hilkemeijer/

‍ [5]: https://www.apu.apus.edu/area-of-study/education/resources/why-is-early-childhood-education-important-for-children/

‍ [6]: https://kidskonnect.com/articles/critical-thinking-for-kids/

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13 Growth Activities To Raise Critical Thinking Toddlers

Table of contents, the most important skills .

Hi friends! As a homeschooling mama of a busy two-year-old, I’m always looking for one more great way to nourish her growing mind. The most important skills are critical thinking skills, and  I’m incredibly passionate about helping young children grow up to be critical thinkers. 

I wanted to share the critical thinking activities for toddlers and techniques I’ve found most helpful for promoting critical thinking in my little one. As she interacts with the world around her, I try to encourage her to ask questions, make observations, and draw logical connections. 

First, I set up our learning space with open-ended toys like blocks, puzzles, and sensory bins. This gives my toddler the freedom to explore materials, test theories, and engage her problem-solving skills. I also take her outdoors often so she can examine nature up close. A nature scavenger hunt is a fun way to exercise those observation abilities! 

In our daily life, I look for chances to engage in critical thinking. Bath time becomes an opportunity for sinking/floating experiments. At mealtimes, we discuss food attributes like colors, textures, and tastes. And I try to read interactive stories that ask thought-provoking questions.  

Play is super vital besides independent play, I make time for free play, pretend play, and imaginative play.  We do group activities to build social skills and teamwork. The other day, we did a collaborative marble run challenge with some friends that required planning, testing, and creative problem-solving. So fun to see their little minds at work!

I don’t expect expert-level analysis from a toddler, but fostering this mindset from a young age builds confidence and cognitive skills over time. My kiddo seems to love exploring ideas and figuring things out. And nothing warms this homeschooling mama’s heart more than seeing that look of discovery on her face! 

Let me know if you have any favorite critical thinking activities for the toddler bunch. I love to hear different perspectives!

 How to assess your child’s reading level at home: The Five Finger Test

What is Critical Thinking for Toddlers?

For young minds, critical thinking is the ability to observe details, ask questions, problem-solve, and make connections through exploring their world. It’s about nurturing natural curiosity and independence. My daughter shows this when she examines objects like bugs or flowers up close, asks “why” questions non-stop, or figures out how to build a block tower through trial and error. 

Why Build Logical Skills Early On? 

The toddler years are the perfect time for honing basic critical thinking skills. Their brains are primed for establishing thinking pathways and making cognitive connections. When we engage toddlers in activities that exercise observation, questioning, and problem-solving, we equip them with skills that will benefit them down the road academically and socially. 

Cognitive Skills: The Building Blocks of Critical Thinking

Language Development is an essential life skill

I nurture language development by narrating our day and expanding on my toddler’s statements. This strengthens communication skills crucial for critical thinking.

Problem-Solving Abilities

Simple games that involve cause and effect, sequencing, or sorting help hone early problem-solving skills and logical reasoning skills. I see my kiddo light up when she figures something out!

Fostering an Enriching Learning Environment

Dedicated Play Space

We converted our spare room into a playroom filled with open-ended toys, art supplies, and hands-on materials like sand tables. This space encourages curiosity and discovery. 

Open-Ended Toys 

Some of our favorites include blocks, puzzles, sensory bins, and pretend play sets. These toys allow for imaginative experimentation rather than having a fixed outcome. 

Outdoor Exploration

We spend lots of time outdoors examining plants and insects, splashing in puddles, and going on nature scavenger hunts. Outdoor time spurs curiosity about the natural world.

Everyday fun Activities 

Problem-Solving activities

Puzzles, matching games, and shape sorters encourage logical thinking and perseverance through trial and error. We also love imaginary games like going on a bear hunt!

Sensory Play

Activities like playing with kinetic sand, water beads, or finger painting different objects can be a critical thinking exercise for the senses and promote open-ended experimentation and problem-solving. 

Storytelling 

I ask thoughtful, critical thinking questions and involve my toddler when reading stories. We talk about the characters’ feelings, make predictions, and discuss creative solutions. 

Artistic Expression 

Our favorite art supplies include crayons, play-dough, paper, glue, and child-safety scissors. Creating art fosters really great skill for creative thinking and problem-solving skills in creative ways by using creative ideas. 

Digital Activities in Moderation

Educational Apps 

I limit screen time but do let my toddler play with a few trusted apps focused on critical thinking, like simple puzzle games and creative drawing programs. 

Balance with Offline Play

While some digital activities can engage her mind, hands-on exploration, movement, and social play are crucial. I aim for minimal screen time.  

Incorporating Critical Thinking Into Everyday Life

Mealtime Choices 

I present two healthy food options and ask my toddler questions to help her consider the choices. This gets her thinking and promotes autonomy in simple ways, but it makes a huge impact.

Bathtime Experiments  

Bath time becomes a chance for critical thinking with sink/float challenges, pouring games, and even some supervised mixing of water and bubbles is an excellent way to practice problem solving.

Using Bedtime Stories To Enhance Critical Thinking

I’ve found bedtime stories to be a fantastic way to nurture critical thinking in my toddler before she drifts off to sleep. 

When we crack open a book at bedtime, I make sure to choose stories that have some problem-solving element or dilemma for the characters. 

Then I engage my toddler in the story by asking the right questions that are open-ended questions about what she thinks will happen next or what she would do if she were the character. We talk through different choices the characters could make and the potential consequences. This helps my little one learn to be an active learner and think critically about decision-making and reasoning without just accepting things at face value and ultimately make good decisions in life. 

After we finish reading, I sometimes have her retell parts of the story in her own words to build her comprehension and narrative skills. Reading interactively at bedtime stretches her thinking and lets her snuggle up with a curious mind.

 I recommend choosing picture books with fun problem-solving plots if you want to turn bedtime stories into stimulating brain-building sessions!

As parents, we can model critical thinking and problem-solving in our everyday actions to demonstrate these skills for our toddlers. When tackling problems, I think out loud so my toddler can follow my thought process. For example, when building something I might say “Hmm, this piece doesn’t fit here. I wonder if turning it this way would work better?” I narrate how I’m testing different solutions so she can see the step-by-step reasoning. 

During daily tasks like cooking or cleaning, I also involve my toddler in the problem-solving. If I’m trying to organize my toolbox, I’ll ask her questions like “Which of these tools is the biggest? Where do you think it should go?”Guiding her through the decision analysis demonstrates how to work through a challenge. I always explain my rationale for the choices I make too. The more I demonstrate thoughtful problem-solving, the more my toddler sees critical thinking in action. Leading by example helps these cognitive skills become ingrained from an early age.

Nurturing A Critical thinking Mindset At Home

Here are some of the techniques I use to nurture critical thinking:

– We turn daily routines like cooking, laundry, or errands into learning opportunities by talking through the steps and asking questions.

– I provide open-ended toys like blocks, puzzles, crayons and other art supplies that allow for creativity. 

– We read interactive stories where my toddler can fill in the blanks or make predictions. 

– Outside time is great for curiosity and critical thinking – we examine flowers, clouds, and insects up close during nature walk. 

– Independent play allows my toddler to problem-solve without interference as she explores the world. 

I’m careful not to provide too much direct instruction at this young age. Instead, I see my role as setting up an enriching environment and letting her imagination take flight!

These early thinking skills will give her confidence in preschool and beyond. I’m so proud to see her make connections or figure something out independently. The toddler years are fleeting so I’m cherishing each “aha” moment!

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Cheat Sheet: How To Foster Critical Thinking in Toddlers

Chart: 13 Critical Thinking Activities For Toddlers Chart

13 activities that promote critical thinking skills for toddlers, preschoolers and young children.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I teach my toddler critical thinking?

You can teach critical thinking skills by encouraging observation, curiosity, and hands-on exploration. Provide open-ended toys and ask questions that stimulate reasoning. Allow time for independent play and problem-solving. Narrate thought processes during daily activities. Set up cause-and-effect experiments. Introduce age-appropriate logic puzzles and games. 

What activities develop critical thinking?

Activities that promote critical thinking include sensory play, imaginative play, sorting/matching games, open-ended art projects, reading interactive stories, participating in daily tasks, outdoor scavenger hunts, science experiments, and any opportunity for your toddler to ask questions and figure things out independently.

What are creative thinking activities for toddlers? 

Creative thinking activities allow toddlers to come up with innovative solutions. Examples include: open-ended art like painting or play-dough, building structures with blocks, pretend play scenarios, completing puzzles in different ways, exploring musical instruments, storytelling, and hands-on science experiments. 

What is an example of critical thinking for preschoolers?

An example of critical thinking for preschoolers is asking them to figure out how to retrieve a ball that rolled under a piece of furniture. They must analyze the situation, strategize a solution, and problem-solve based on logic. Other examples include sorting toys by specific attributes, arranging sequences of pictures, and answering reasoning questions after reading a story.

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5 Critical Thinking Skills Every Kid Needs To Learn (And How To Teach Them)

Teach them to thoughtfully question the world around them.

Little kids love to ask questions. “Why is the sky blue?” “Where does the sun go at night?” Their innate curiosity helps them learn more about the world, and it’s key to their development. As they grow older, it’s important to encourage them to keep asking questions and to teach them the right kinds of questions to ask. We call these “critical thinking skills,” and they help kids become thoughtful adults who are able to make informed decisions as they grow older.

What is critical thinking?

Critical thinking allows us to examine a subject and develop an informed opinion about it. First, we need to be able to simply understand the information, then we build on that by analyzing, comparing, evaluating, reflecting, and more. Critical thinking is about asking questions, then looking closely at the answers to form conclusions that are backed by provable facts, not just “gut feelings” and opinion.

Critical thinkers tend to question everything, and that can drive teachers and parents a little crazy. The temptation to reply, “Because I said so!” is strong, but when you can, try to provide the reasons behind your answers. We want to raise children who take an active role in the world around them and who nurture curiosity throughout their entire lives.

Key Critical Thinking Skills

So, what are critical thinking skills? There’s no official list, but many people use Bloom’s Taxonomy to help lay out the skills kids should develop as they grow up.

Source: Vanderbilt University

Bloom’s Taxonomy is laid out as a pyramid, with foundational skills at the bottom providing a base for more advanced skills higher up. The lowest phase, “Remember,” doesn’t require much critical thinking. These are the skills kids use when they memorize math facts or world capitals or practice their spelling words. Critical thinking doesn’t begin to creep in until the next steps.

Understanding requires more than memorization. It’s the difference between a child reciting by rote “one times four is four, two times four is eight, three times four is twelve,” versus recognizing that multiplication is the same as adding a number to itself a certain number of times. Schools focus more these days on understanding concepts than they used to; pure memorization has its place, but when a student understands the concept behind something, they can then move on to the next phase.

Application opens up whole worlds to students. Once you realize you can use a concept you’ve already mastered and apply it to other examples, you’ve expanded your learning exponentially. It’s easy to see this in math or science, but it works in all subjects. Kids may memorize sight words to speed up their reading mastery, but it’s learning to apply phonics and other reading skills that allows them to tackle any new word that comes their way.

Analysis is the real leap into advanced critical thinking for most kids. When we analyze something, we don’t take it at face value. Analysis requires us to find facts that stand up to inquiry, even if we don’t like what those facts might mean. We put aside personal feelings or beliefs and explore, examine, research, compare and contrast, draw correlations, organize, experiment, and so much more. We learn to identify primary sources for information, and check into the validity of those sources. Analysis is a skill successful adults must use every day, so it’s something we must help kids learn as early as possible.

Almost at the top of Bloom’s pyramid, evaluation skills let us synthesize all the information we’ve learned, understood, applied, and analyzed, and to use it to support our opinions and decisions. Now we can reflect on the data we’ve gathered and use it to make choices, cast votes, or offer informed opinions. We can evaluate the statements of others too, using these same skills. True evaluation requires us to put aside our own biases and accept that there may be other valid points of view, even if we don’t necessarily agree with them.

In the final phase, we use every one of those previous skills to create something new. This could be a proposal, an essay, a theory, a plan—anything a person assembles that’s unique.

Note: Bloom’s original taxonomy included “synthesis” as opposed to “create,” and it was located between “apply” and “evaluate.” When you synthesize, you put various parts of different ideas together to form a new whole. In 2001, a group of cognitive psychologists removed that term from the taxonomy , replacing it with “create,” but it’s part of the same concept.

How To Teach Critical Thinking

Using critical thinking in your own life is vital, but passing it along to the next generation is just as important. Be sure to focus on analyzing and evaluating, two multifaceted sets of skills that take lots and lots of practice. Start with these 10 Tips for Teaching Kids To Be Awesome Critical Thinkers . Then try these critical thinking activities and games. Finally, try to incorporate some of these 100+ Critical Thinking Questions for Students into your lessons. They’ll help your students develop the skills they need to navigate a world full of conflicting facts and provocative opinions.

One of These Things Is Not Like the Other

This classic Sesame Street activity is terrific for introducing the ideas of classifying, sorting, and finding relationships. All you need are several different objects (or pictures of objects). Lay them out in front of students, and ask them to decide which one doesn’t belong to the group. Let them be creative: The answer they come up with might not be the one you envisioned, and that’s OK!

The Answer Is …

Post an “answer” and ask kids to come up with the question. For instance, if you’re reading the book Charlotte’s Web , the answer might be “Templeton.” Students could say, “Who helped save Wilbur even though he didn’t really like him?” or “What’s the name of the rat that lived in the barn?” Backwards thinking encourages creativity and requires a good understanding of the subject matter.

Forced Analogies

Practice making connections and seeing relationships with this fun game. Kids write four random words in the corners of a Frayer Model and one more in the middle. The challenge? To link the center word to one of the others by making an analogy. The more far out the analogies, the better!

Learn more: Forced Analogies at The Owl Teacher

Primary Sources

Tired of hearing “I found it on Wikipedia!” when you ask kids where they got their answer? It’s time to take a closer look at primary sources. Show students how to follow a fact back to its original source, whether online or in print. We’ve got 10 terrific American history–based primary source activities to try here.

Science Experiments

Hands-on science experiments and STEM challenges are a surefire way to engage students, and they involve all sorts of critical thinking skills. We’ve got hundreds of experiment ideas for all ages on our STEM pages , starting with 50 Stem Activities To Help Kids Think Outside the Box .

Not the Answer

Multiple-choice questions can be a great way to work on critical thinking. Turn the questions into discussions, asking kids to eliminate wrong answers one by one. This gives them practice analyzing and evaluating, allowing them to make considered choices.

Learn more: Teaching in the Fast Lane

Correlation Tic-Tac-Toe

Here’s a fun way to work on correlation, which is a part of analysis. Show kids a 3 x 3 grid with nine pictures, and ask them to find a way to link three in a row together to get tic-tac-toe. For instance, in the pictures above, you might link together the cracked ground, the landslide, and the tsunami as things that might happen after an earthquake. Take things a step further and discuss the fact that there are other ways those things might have happened (a landslide can be caused by heavy rain, for instance), so correlation doesn’t necessarily prove causation.

Learn more: Critical Thinking Tic-Tac-Toe at The Owl Teacher

Inventions That Changed the World

Explore the chain of cause and effect with this fun thought exercise. Start it off by asking one student to name an invention they believe changed the world. Each student then follows by explaining an effect that invention had on the world and their own lives. Challenge each student to come up with something different.

Learn more: Teaching With a Mountain View

Critical Thinking Games

There are so many board games that help kids learn to question, analyze, examine, make judgments, and more. In fact, pretty much any game that doesn’t leave things entirely up to chance (Sorry, Candy Land) requires players to use critical thinking skills. See one teacher’s favorites at the link below.

Learn more: Miss DeCarbo

This is one of those classic critical thinking activities that really prepares kids for the real world. Assign a topic (or let them choose one). Then give kids time to do some research to find good sources that support their point of view. Finally, let the debate begin! Check out 100 Middle School Debate Topics , 100 High School Debate Topics , and 60 Funny Debate Topics for Kids of All Ages .

How do you teach critical thinking skills in your classroom? Come share your ideas and ask for advice in the WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook .

Plus, check out 38 simple ways to integrate social-emotional learning throughout the day ..

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15+ Top Critical Thinking Activities for Preschoolers and Kindergartners

As parents, we must give our children the best possible education and skills to help them succeed in life. We need to understand the importance of critical thinking abilities in children.

Providing them with the proper education, tools, and resources is insufficient. They must also be equipped with the skills to think critically and solve problems.

What is Critical Thinking?

Critical thinking is a skill that helps children develop the ability to make informed decisions, think objectively and creatively, and develop problem-solving skills. By teaching our children to think critically, we give them the resources they need to make intelligent decisions and develop a strong foundation for their future.

Your child will be better equipped to make sound decisions and solve problems by developing critical thinking abilities.

Listed below are significant things that you should know about critical thinking-

• Critical thinking is the process of evaluating information, facts, and arguments to make a reasoned decision or judgment. 
• Critical thinking is an essential skill for kids to become successful in their lives. It is the ability to think logically, systematically, and reflectively and to make sound decisions and judgments. 
• Kids must develop this skill to create creative solutions to problems, make informed decisions, and think flexibly. 

Why is Critical Thinking important? 

The importance of critical thinking abilities for kids cannot be overstated. 

• It helps kids to analyze, reason, and make decisions based on facts, evidence, and logic. 
• It also enables them to develop innovative ideas and solve complex problems. 
• With critical thinking skills, kids can develop the capacity to recognize their own biases and assumptions and challenge their own ideas and beliefs.
• By teaching kids the importance of critical thinking and incorporating it into their day-to-day activities, we can help them become better decision-makers and problem-solvers.
• By encouraging kids to engage in more critical thinking activities, they become more self-aware and independent, which helps them to make better decisions.
• They also start to build their problem-solving and communication skills, which can be used in various areas of life.
• Finally, with critical thinking skills, kids can gain self-confidence, understand their reasoning, and develop a deeper understanding of the world around them.

Critical Thinking Activities for Preschoolers and Kindergarteners.

Some of the most common critical thinking activities include: 

• Storytime, 
• Engaging in conversations, 
• Asking creative questions, 
• Puzzles and riddles, 
• Sorting, 
• Matching and pairing, 
• Introduction to coding and robotics, 
• Exploring different scenarios. 

These activities help build essential skills such as problem-solving and strengthen the importance of critical thinking abilities for kids.

How to introduce These activities to your kids?

Introducing such activities at a young age can be critical to introduce into their daily routine as this assists with developing cognitive skills and prepares them for academic success.

It also creates an environment where children can foster and practice self-reflection and understanding and encourage independent thought. These activities can include role-playing, problem-solving, question-and-answer sessions, puzzles, story mapping, group discussions, and board games. 

• Role plays will help kids identify their actions’ cause and effect. 
• Problem-solving will allow them to think before making decisions. 
• At the same time, question and answer sessions will help to assess their understanding of concepts. 
• Picture completing and story mapping activities will help to develop their memory and imagination. 
• Lastly, group discussions will help to build their communication and collaboration skills. 

These activities build critical thinking skills in kids, motor skills, and creativity. So, including these classroom activities is essential to help develop their critical thinking abilities.

8 Activities for critical thinking development

 These activities can help them explore the world around them, develop their own opinions and make decisions on their own. Here is a list of activities that can help boost kids’ critical thinking abilities:

1. “What am I?” 

With regards to these “What am I?” riddles, kids appear to enjoy them. Why not put this inherent enthusiasm to use in some practice of critical thinking? You only need to think of a person, place, or thing and tell your child about it.

“I live in the sky, and I am hot. Don’t look directly at me. I will disappear at night. What am I?”

This is one that your child can easily deduce.

2. Prediction of the story.  

When you are reading a story to your child and notice that you are getting close to the end, stop and ask her how she thinks the story will end.

Pay attention to their response. Have fun with the conversation, and ask them to explain their choice. It can be silly and fun, but it should offer some logic to keep the critical thinking flowing.

3. X and O’s 

Play X and O’s with your child, but keep it simple using a whiteboard, colorful pens, or even candy to keep it fun. Set your goal to win. Be unforgiving in your gaming abilities and play as a child versus a parent.

Check to see if your youngster can keep up. If not, well, good luck again, little one. Teach them it’s okay to lose, but remember the intention behind it. 

4. Start with the current reality

While showing your kid how to go from cereal spilling to the starting strides is logical, it’s most straightforward for you to begin where you are now.

In other words, suppose you just served your child a dinner of chicken, cheesy broccoli, and mashed potatoes. Still, they won’t eat them because the potatoes weren’t from McDonald’s. “How do you know these aren’t from McDonald’s?” you should inquire of them.

Assist them in making the answer more explicit by listening to their explanation.

They could become so perplexed that they might give in, eat the potatoes, focus on their logic, and explain in perfect English why they are not McDonald’s.

5. True or False  

This is as simple as it gets. Give your child two sticky notes to complete the task: one with the words “true” and “false” on it.

Say something like, “A group of monkeys is called a herd.” Your child will carefully consider whether the statement is accurate before writing true or false on the right sticky note.

Your child will now describe the reasoning behind the selected sticky note. Enjoy.

6. Community Engagement Activity

This community engagement activity requires analytical skills to figure out what can be recycled in the classroom and their neighborhood. Students can practice social responsibility and socialize with people around them while making recycling bins from recyclable cardboard boxes. They can do this by creating the bins themselves.

7. What can I do?

Students will learn that despite the fact that conflicts are a normal part of life, it is essential to have problem-solving skills to resolve them through this lesson. 

You can make notes or a problem-solving wheel for kids and give them a situation. After that, ask your kid to choose what they’ll do in such a situation. Additionally, this is an excellent opportunity to improve their social awareness and interpersonal skills.

8. 25 uses of Me

Pick a regular item and set a clock for five minutes. Ask students to think of 25 ways to use the object in that time frame. Rarities like “coatrack” and “stool” are encouraged because the apparent answers will quickly run out.

What is the takeaway?  

In conclusion, critical thinking activities are vital in helping to build a strong foundation for preschoolers and kindergarteners. By providing a balanced mix of activities, kids can develop the ability to think outside the box and become better problem-solvers.

These activities can help kids develop their critical thinking abilities, which can help them later in life. As kids grow older, their critical thinking abilities can help them make better decisions, understand complex topics, and interact with others more efficiently.

Q: How can parents inspire independence in their preschoolers?

A: By giving their preschoolers age-appropriate responsibilities, allowing them to make decisions, and rewarding their efforts and successes, parents may help their preschoolers to be independent. Allowing their child to dress and wash their teeth can support their development of self-help abilities.

Q: How can parents motivate their toddlers to lead healthy, active lifestyles?

A: By giving their preschoolers chances for physical activity , such as outdoor play, dance, and sports, parents may encourage their preschoolers to be active and healthy.

I’m a former teacher (and mother of Two Childs) with a background in child development. Here to help you with play-based learning activities for kids. ( Check my  Next startup  Cledemy.Com )

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Nurturing Critical Thinking Skills in Preschoolers: Engaging Activities and Games

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6.  Improve Memory and Observation Skills

Having good memory and observation skills is essential for all kids, but these skills are effective tools for developing critical thinking skills. For example, if you give your child a list of different items, ask them to find the item you’re looking for. It will help your kid improve their memory. Or, if you want them to develop their observation skills, tell them about the things around your house and ask them what color they are and how they are different from each other. They should be able to use their observed skills on various objects like toys, and it will also help them determine what colors match best with each other.

7.  Let them Play Games

Boredom leads kids to lose interest, but fun can help them cultivate critical thinking skills.  Keep your child entertained  with various games and activities that stimulate their mind and help them develop good motor skills and problem-solving abilities. For example, your kids can play brain teasers, a logic game called connect four, or a word search and  imagination gameplay  like Hide and Seek. These games help children increase their concentration span and focus. Thus, improve their thinking abilities.

8.  Board Games

Board games are excellent ways to help kids develop critical thinking skills because they make decisions based on different factors. For example, they will have to use their analytical skills to determine where they will move next and the probability of winning the game. Then, they have to reach their final destination by rolling the dice and making decisions based on different factors like the number on the dice and its relation to their surroundings.

9.  Read

Reading is an excellent way of improving critical thinking skills in kids, especially if they want to become writers one day or become good at writing essays.  Reading different kinds of books  will help them with their reading and writing skills and improve their critical thinking abilities and logical thinking.

10.  Use Question and Answer

Different kinds of questions can help kids develop their critical thinking skills. For example, ask them questions like “Why is it so?” or “What do you think will happen if…?” to get them to think about the situation. Then, when they answer, ask them to explain how they got to that point and see if they understand the situation. If not, ask them why they do not understand a particular situation.

Critical thinking skills improve when children are taught to see the world around them with different perspectives and make better decisions by considering the various possibilities.

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Critical Thinking Skills for Preschoolers: 4 Fun Activities to Try at Home

For preschoolers, critical thinking involves the ability to think clearly and rationally in order to understand logical connections between ideas.

To engage in reflection and independent thought, children must be encouraged to become active learners rather than passive recipients of information.

Furthermore, rigorously questioning ideas and assumptions is all about determining whether arguments and findings represent the entirety of the facts of a situation.

While intuition and instinct can take preschoolers so far, it is critical thinking skills that allow children to identify, analyse and solve problems systematically.

Critical Thinking and the Power of Play

At our Kids Konnect preschools in Redwood City , Pacifica , San Mateo - Bunker Hill , San Mateo - Downtown and San Leandro we encourage children to explore cause and effect through play.

Throughout our play-based curriculum , preschoolers are provided with endless opportunities to try new things and see the resulting reactions in a safe and inclusive environment that facilitates learning.

Moreover, it is through these practical experiences of play with a purpose that children gain the integral foundations for critical thinking skills.

That being said, how can you help your preschooler to approach problems in a consistent way so that they can understand the links between concepts and ideas and master critical thinking?

Let’s discover four activities that you can try at home with your child to guide the development of their critical thinking skills.

1. Guess the Toy

Place one of your child’s toys behind your back and ask your child to guess what you are hiding.

Give your preschooler clues and see if they can ask you questions about the color, size, and texture of the toy.

Once they have grasped the concept of the game, swap roles to help your child understand how to make guesses based on what they already know.

2. Make a Menu

Tap into your preschooler’s love of food by compiling an extra special menu together.

Simply show your child some ingredients from the kitchen and ask them to come up with meal ideas.

Ask about which flavors they do and do not like, and if they create something delicious you could even consider giving it a try.

3. Food Tasting

One of the easiest ways to elicit opinions from a preschooler is by introducing them to new foods.

Just like adults, children form strong likes and dislikes so put out a selection of healthy foods with exciting tastes and textures and see what your little one thinks.

You could even let your child predict whether or not they will like a new food and ask them for reasons why.

4. Browse the Family Photo Albums

Looking at photographs is an excellent way to ask your child questions that require a deeper level of thinking.

Most images have a story behind them so sit down with your preschooler and discuss what is happening in each picture.

Additionally, flicking through a photo album can give your preschooler a quick ‘who's who’ of family members and friends that can spark conversations that could lead anywhere.

The STEAM Connection

At Kids Konnect, we're super focused on finding fun ways to develop critical thinking skills in a fun way. It's all part of our play-based STEAM curriculum .

STEAM -focused lessons prompt preschoolers to systemically work through problems and apply information about science, technology, engineering, the arts, and math to figure out solutions.

Above all, enrolling your child at a Kids Konnect preschool gives them the opportunity to be innovative by providing a joyful environment and classroom experiences that are conducive to learning.

Heading out on a play date with your preschooler some time soon? Check out our blog post for 9 quick and easy STEAM play date ideas .

Seven Popular Critical Thinking Activities for Preschoolers

In this post, we will discover seven critical thinking activities for preschoolers that are simple, easy to set up and fun to play.

Critical thinking is one of the most important skills that children need to master in order to become successful in tomorrow’s world.

I remember when I was a student, schools relied heavily on memorization and basically repeating as accurately as possible what the teacher or a book said. Schools praised “recorder students”.

Although things have started to change and in some schools, logical thinking is encouraged and taught, unfortunately, many schools still have this antiquated system in which children simply repeat a list of facts.

Kids need to be able to process information, analyze a situation, make inferences, compare and contrast.

As parents, we need to help our children reach a higher level of logical reasoning as it is a prized skill nowadays.

Although children will develop their thinking skills through day-to-day interactions, we can also help them build a strong foundation by playing logical thinking games with them whenever possible.

To this end, here are seven simple critical thinking activities for preschoolers that are easy to set up. Most only require building blocks, pen and paper, toys that you already have in your house or a printable.

This post ma y contain affiliate links and I may earn a small commission when you click on the links at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. You can read my full disclosure  here .

Thinking Games for Preschoolers

The odd one out.

The Odd One Out is a great thinking game to play with kids. It improves their critical thinking by using their knowledge of patterns, vocabulary, differences and similarities.

There are a few ways of playing The Odd One Out:

• online games
• using toys around the house
• as a listening activity by saying words

For those who are new to this game, let me explain it. You present the child with four objects or images. Three of those objects have something in common while the fourth is not connected in any way to the three. The child has to identify the “intruder”. Of course, the game is not limited to four objects, you can choose to have more.

What Comes Next (Patterns)

A good yet simple reasoning game for kids is What Comes Next. Patterns teach children what comes next thus teaching them to make logical connections and use their critical thinking.

Understanding patterns help us make educated guesses, assumptions and provide order in a world that may seem chaotic.

What Comes Next is a simple game that, like The Odd One Out, can be played using worksheets, toys around the house, apps and computer games.

I like playing this game with building blocks as it allows me to practice colours, sizes, numbers and more.

Books offer great opportunities to practice reasoning skills.

When reading to your child, simply stop and ask open-ended questions like “What do you think will happen to X (the character)?” or “What do you think X will do now?”

This will encourage the child to make assumptions and come up with creative answers.

There’s nothing better than a riddle to fire up those brain cells and improve their thinking skills. Riddles are great because they help children focus on one problem until they find the solution, they exercise the brain (like any muscle, it needs to be used in order to stay in shape), they encourage children to think outside the box and come up with creative answers, not to mention that they are fun and don’t need any prep work.

The internet is full of riddles for kids so all you have to do is search for some. Here are some ideas.

Match the shadow

Shadow Matching is a simple activity for young kids that helps them enhance their problem-solving skills. It is a great activity for visual discrimination and memory, observing patterns, similarities and differences.

You can download this cute Farm Animals Shadow Matching Game for free.

Tic Tac Toe

Most of us are familiar with this game as it has been around for a very long time (ancient Egyptians have invented it, would you believe it).

Tic Tac Toe is a simple game, although apparently there are 255.000 different outcomes, that can be played with kids as young as two or three years of age.

The rules are easy to understand: there are two players, one has X as a symbol and the other one a 0. They play on a 3×3 grid and the goal is for the players to put their symbols three times in a row, either vertically, horizontally or diagonally.

You can play Tic Tac Toe either the traditional way, with pen and paper, or get the game with manipulatives which will definitely be more attractive for kids.

This Tic Tac Toe from Melissa&Doug looks fantastic!

Choose something…

This is a simple, yet effective critical thinking activity for preschoolers, although it can very well be played with toddlers as well.

You can play this game using either images or toys around the house. The idea is simple: present the child with six toys (there can be more or less depending on the child’s age). Make sure that some toys have similarities (colour, shape, material etc).

The child has to choose the correct toy/image based on your description. Take the picture above as an example. Some of the sentences that I used with my boy were:

• Choose something that is round but hasn’t got bumps on it.
• Choose something that is a cube and made of wood.
• Choose something that is a cube but hasn’t got numbers on it.
• Choose something that has a square shape but it’s not a cube.

Although it is true that children will develop their critical thinking through everyday interactions, we can always help them boost this very important skill by playing games with them like the ones presented above.

Brain-Boosting Memory Match Games

Fun Activities for Critical Thinking

Shape Matc hing Activity from Recycled Paper

Activities for Thinking Skills Development

I hope you found this post useful and that these critical thinking activities for preschoolers will provide moments of fun and learning for your little one(s).

If you liked this article don’t forget to share it 😉

Mom of two wonderful children, dedicated teacher and book lover.

5 thoughts on “Seven Popular Critical Thinking Activities for Preschoolers”

Great ideas! My daughter is about to start preschool and one of the activities we were encouraged to do over school holidays was asking to guess what will happen next in a book. I think she’d really enjoyable the other suggestions too.

These are all great ideas that are sure to get kids engaged! I know for sure my four year old loves questions, so he’ll respond really well to these. Thank you for the fantastic post 🙂

Great activities. I love engaging kids in critical thinking activities and puzzle, keeps their mind sharp and help develop their problem solving skills.

You have great ideas for preschool critical thinking activities! Lately, my three-year-old daughter has been into doing pattern activities. We have a large bowl of those colored glass flat stones that you find at an arts and craft store. We made really cool patterns with them by color. The other day, she made a super long pattern with them going down the hallway!

Critical thinking is such an important skill to pass to our children. Thanks for the tips!

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Developing critical thinking skills in kids.

Developing Critical Thinking Skills

Learning to think critically may be one of the most important skills that today's children will need for the future. In today’s rapidly changing world, children need to be able to do much more than repeat a list of facts; they need to be critical thinkers who can make sense of information, analyze, compare, contrast, make inferences, and generate higher order thinking skills. 

Building Your Child's Critical Thinking Skills

Building critical thinking skills happens through day-to-day interactions as you talk with your child, ask open-ended questions, and allow your child to experiment and solve problems.  Here are some tips and ideas to help children build a foundation for critical thinking: 

• Provide opportunities for play .   Building with blocks, acting out roles with friends, or playing board games all build children’s critical thinking. 
• Pause and wait.  Offering your child ample time to think, attempt a task, or generate a response is critical. This gives your child a chance to reflect on her response and perhaps refine, rather than responding with their very first gut reaction.
• Don't intervene immediately.   Kids need challenges to grow. Wait and watch before you jump in to solve a problem.
• Ask open-ended questions.  Rather than automatically giving answers to the questions your child raises, help them think critically by asking questions in return: "What ideas do you have? What do you think is happening here?" Respect their responses whether you view them as correct or not. You could say, "That is interesting. Tell me why you think that."
• Help children develop hypotheses.  Taking a moment to form hypotheses during play  is a critical thinking exercise that helps develop skills. Try asking your child, "If we do this, what do you think will happen?" or "Let's predict what we think will happen next."
• Encourage thinking in new and different ways.  By allowing children to think differently, you're helping them hone their creative  problem solving skills. Ask questions like, "What other ideas could we try?" or encourage your child to generate options by saying, "Let’s think of all the possible solutions."

Of course, there are situations where you as a parent need to step in. At these times, it is helpful to model your own critical thinking. As you work through a decision making process, verbalize what is happening inside your mind. Children learn from observing how you think. Taking time to allow your child to navigate problems is integral to developing your child's critical thinking skills in the long run. 

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23 Activities to Develop Critical Thinking Skills in Children

Are you looking for ways to help your child become a better problem solver and decision maker?

Do you want to prepare them for success in the 21st century, where critical thinking skills are highly valued?

Look no further, because in this post we will share 23 engaging activities that can help your child develop critical thinking skills. From puzzles and games to real-life scenarios and creative challenges, these activities will not only enhance your child’s thinking abilities but also keep them entertained and curious. As a parent, it is important to give your child the tools they need to succeed, and critical thinking skills are a vital part of that toolkit.

So, let’s dive in and discover some fun and effective ways to help your child develop critical thinking skills!

Table of Contents

What is critical thinking skills?

Critical thinking is a cognitive process that involves analyzing, evaluating, and synthesizing information to make informed decisions and solve problems effectively. It involves the ability to question assumptions, examine evidence, and consider multiple perspectives to arrive at logical and evidence-based conclusions.

For example, when playing a game of chess, a player must analyze the board, anticipate their opponent’s moves, and make strategic decisions based on the available information. Similarly, when conducting research, an individual must evaluate the credibility and reliability of sources and synthesize information to form a coherent argument.

Importance of developing critical thinking skills in children

Developing critical thinking skills in children is crucial for their overall cognitive and social-emotional development. Research has shown that children who possess strong critical thinking skills are better equipped to make sound decisions, solve complex problems, and communicate effectively with others.

One study conducted by the University of California, Los Angeles found that students who received training in critical thinking showed significant improvements in their reading and writing abilities. These students also demonstrated higher levels of creativity and were better able to understand and analyze complex issues.

In addition, developing critical thinking skills can help children become more independent and confident in their decision-making abilities. They learn to evaluate information and evidence, identify biases, and consider different perspectives before making a decision. This can lead to a greater sense of self-awareness and a better understanding of their own strengths and weaknesses.

Furthermore, critical thinking skills are essential in today’s rapidly changing world. As technology continues to advance and the job market evolves, individuals who possess strong critical thinking skills are more likely to succeed. They are better equipped to adapt to new challenges and to identify new opportunities.

Overall, the development of critical thinking skills is essential for children’s long-term success and well-being. By providing them with opportunities to practice critical thinking skills through various activities and experiences, parents and educators can help children become effective problem solvers, communicators, and decision-makers.

Recommended reading:  How To Teach Your Child To Think Out Of The Box

Recommended reading: 9 Fun Activities to Build Listening Skills in Children

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Activities to develop critical thinking skills in children

Critical thinking skills can be developed through various activities that require individuals to analyze and evaluate information, develop hypotheses, and test their ideas using evidence.

• Read Books Together: Reading books with children helps to develop their critical thinking skills. Encourage them to ask questions about the story, analyze the characters’ actions, and make predictions about the outcome.
• Board Games: Board games are a fun way to develop critical thinking skills in children. Games such as chess, checkers, and monopoly require children to think strategically and make decisions based on the outcome of their moves. Playing board games also encourages children to think creatively and come up with unique solutions to problems.
• Encourage Questions: Encourage children to ask questions about the world around them. This can help them to develop their analytical skills and learn how to evaluate information.
• Play “What If” Games: “What If” games encourage children to think creatively and critically. For example, ask them what they would do if they were stranded on a deserted island or if they could travel through time.
• Brainstorm Solutions: Encourage children to brainstorm solutions to problems they encounter. This can help them develop their problem-solving skills and learn how to think critically.
• Mind Mapping: Mind mapping is a great activity to improve critical thinking skills in children. It helps children to organize their ideas and think creatively. Give your child a topic and ask them to create a mind map by writing down all their thoughts and ideas related to the topic. This activity can help your child to improve their brainstorming skills and connect different ideas.
• Play Sudoku: Sudoku is a logic-based game that requires critical thinking skills. It requires children to think logically and use deductive reasoning to solve a problem. Sudoku puzzles can be found in many newspapers and online.
• Conduct Research: Encourage children to conduct research on a topic that interests them. This can help them develop their analytical skills and learn how to evaluate information.
• Watch Documentaries: Documentaries are a great way to develop critical thinking skills in children. Encourage them to ask questions about the information presented and analyze the content.
• Play “What’s Missing”: “What’s Missing” is a memory game that requires children to think critically and remember information. For example, lay out several objects and ask them to identify which one is missing.
• Play “I Spy”: “I Spy” is a game that requires children to think critically and observe their surroundings. It can help develop their analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Play Charades: Charades is a game that requires children to think creatively and critically. It helps develop their problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Play “20 Questions”: “20 Questions” is a game that requires children to ask questions and think critically. It can help them develop their analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Play “Would You Rather”: “Would You Rather” is a game that encourages children to think critically and make informed decisions. It helps them develop their problem-solving skills.
• Play “Spot the Differences”: “Spot the Differences” is a game that requires children to think critically and observe their surroundings. It helps develop their analytical skills.
• Play “Who Am I”: “Who Am I” is a game that requires children to think critically and ask questions. It helps develop their analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Write Stories: Encourage children to write stories that require critical thinking skills. For example, they could be asked to create a story that involves problem-solving, decision-making, or predicting an outcome. This activity encourages children to think creatively and come up with unique solutions to problems, helping them develop their critical thinking skills.
• Science Experiments: Science experiments are a fun way to develop critical thinking skills in children by encouraging them to ask questions, analyze data, and draw conclusions.. Encourage children to think about the scientific method and predict what will happen during an experiment. This encourages children to think about cause and effect and develops their critical thinking skills.
• Mystery Box: A mystery box is a great way to develop critical thinking skills in children. Place a number of items in a box and ask children to guess what the items are based on their shape, texture, and weight. This activity encourages children to think creatively and use deductive reasoning to solve a problem.
• Coding: Coding is a great way to develop critical thinking skills in children. It requires children to think logically and use deductive reasoning to solve problems. There are many online resources available that teach children how to code.
• Debate: Debating is a great way to develop critical thinking skills in children. It requires children to think critically and come up with logical arguments to support their position. Debating also helps children develop their communication skills and learn how to express their thoughts and opinions effectively.
• Brain Teasers: Brain teasers are a fun way to develop critical thinking skills in children. They require children to think creatively and use deductive reasoning to solve problems. Brain teasers can be found in many puzzle books and online.
• Puzzles: Puzzles are an excellent way to enhance critical thinking skills in children. Give your child puzzles that require them to use their logical reasoning, problem-solving, and spatial reasoning skills. Puzzles can be in the form of jigsaw puzzles, crossword puzzles, or any other puzzle that requires critical thinking.

By incorporating these activities into your child’s daily routine, you can help them to develop critical thinking skills that will benefit them throughout their lives. These activities can be a fun and engaging way for children to learn and develop their cognitive skills.

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Parents Teaching Critical Thinking: Effective Strategies for Raising Independent Thinkers

Parents play a vital role in fostering the cognitive development of their children, and one of the most essential skills they can help nurture is critical thinking. Critical thinking comprises curiosity, open-mindedness, and a willingness to assess information logically and objectively. Developing this skill enables children to become more independent and creative problem solvers, setting them up for success in our constantly evolving world.

Key Takeaways

Knowing critical thinking.

The importance of critical thinking can be seen in a variety of settings, from schools to workplaces, and even in day-to-day decision-making processes. By developing their critical thinking skills, individuals can enhance their problem-solving abilities, improve their analytical skills, and become more independent thinkers.

There are several key aspects of critical thinking that parents should focus on when teaching their children:

In conclusion, knowing critical thinking involves understanding its key components, such as analysis, logic, reasoning, and IQ. It is crucial for parents to foster these skills in their children from a young age in order to support their growth into well-rounded and independent thinkers.

Importance of Critical Thinking

Furthermore, critical thinking helps to develop a person’s creativity and open-mindedness. By encouraging intellectual curiosity, children can explore new ideas, entertain differing perspectives, and think outside the box when encountering obstacles. This creative thinking can also promote innovation, as young critical thinkers are more likely to challenge the status quo and seek novel approaches to problems.

Teaching Critical Thinking at Home

Inspiring curiosity and open-mindedness.

One important aspect of teaching critical thinking is to inspire curiosity and open-mindedness in children. Parents can do this by asking open-ended questions and encouraging their children to explore real-life situations. For example, discussing a news story or examining the logic behind a decision can help them develop an inquisitive mindset. Curiosity is an essential element of critical thinking and fostering this trait helps children become more receptive to new ideas and perspectives.

Fostering Emotional Management

Driving logical reasoning, encouraging healthy debate.

Debate helps children broaden their perspectives and learn to express their thoughts clearly and convincingly. Parents can support their children’s critical thinking skills by fostering a culture of healthy debate in the home. Discussing different viewpoints on various topics, like current events or school subjects, provides an opportunity for children to understand different arguments and make their own logical analyses. Engaging in respectful disputes encourages kids to challenge ideas and develop stronger critical thinking abilities.

Promoting Critical Analysis and Metacognition

Challenges in teaching critical thinking, addressing social norms and biases, countering online misinformation.

The internet and social media have presented new challenges for teaching critical thinking, as misinformation and fake news have become increasingly prevalent. Parents must guide their children in evaluating sources and using fact-checking sites to verify information. Developing media literacy will equip them with the tools to navigate the digital landscape with confidence and discernment.

Handling Cognitive Development Stages

Dealing with groupthink, enhancing critical thinking in school settings, engaging techniques for classrooms.

One effective approach to enhancing critical thinking in school settings is introducing engaging techniques in classrooms. Educators can develop deep knowledge in their students by incorporating various learning processes and innovative teaching methods. For example, using Socratic questioning encourages learners to explore complex concepts and helps them derive conclusions independently. Additionally, integrating group activities allows students to collaborate and exchange diverse perspectives, promoting critical thinking skills.

Preparing for Current Events

Promoting citizenship and responsible decision making, frequently asked questions, what are effective strategies for teaching critical thinking to children.

There are various strategies to teach critical thinking to children, such as encouraging the asking of questions, providing opportunities for problem-solving, teaching how to evaluate information and fostering open-mindedness. Discussing different perspectives and nurturing intellectual curiosity will also help build a solid foundation for critical thinking skills.

How can games and activities promote critical thinking in kids?

What books are suitable for fostering critical thinking in children, what role does parental involvement play in developing critical thinking skills.

Parental involvement plays a significant role in developing critical thinking skills. By actively engaging with their children, asking thought-provoking questions, and encouraging open discussions, parents create an environment conducive to the development of critical thinking. Modeling critical thinking skills and being open to different viewpoints can also have a positive influence on a child’s thinking abilities.

How can critical thinking skills be improved in middle school students?

What are impactful examples of critical thinking exercises for kids.

Impactful critical thinking exercises for kids include syllogism puzzles, “what if” scenarios, and evaluating the credibility of different sources of information. Activities like analyzing cause and effect relationships, comparing and contrasting different ideas or concepts, and predicting possible outcomes based on specific factors can also foster critical thinking in children .

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Critical Thinking – Helping Preschoolers Move Beyond ‘Who’ and ‘What’ to ‘How’ and ‘Why’

Parents often hear about the importance of “critical thinking skills,” but many are unsure of what that really means to their child. Is a preschooler too young to become a critical thinker? The answer is no. The art of critical thinking begins to form in childhood!

What is Critical Thinking?

Critical thinking includes different skills that help us learn to make our own decisions. Critical thinkers can evaluate information to determine whether it is right or wrong. When you think critically about an issue or a problem, it means that you can be open-minded and consider different ways of looking at possible solutions. As children grow up, their critical thinking skills become essential to helping them make judgments independently of their parents.

Is Preschool Too Early to Build Critical Thinking?

According to the Foundation for Critical Thinking, “A rich intellectual environment — alive with curious and determined students — is possible only with critical thinking at the foundation of the educational process.” This foundation can begin in even the youngest students. Quality preschool programs such as Carpe Diem Private Preschool in Allen, Texas and other surrounding locations seek to build a foundation of critical thinking skills right from the beginning of a child’s educational journey.

How Can I Help My Child Develop Critical Thinking Skills?

According to the childcare experts at Carpe Diem Private Preschool in Cedar Park – Austin and various other locations, helping preschoolers build critical thinking skills involves tapping into their natural curiosity. And just like any other skill, critical thinking takes practice.

Finding a preschool program that encourages critical thinking is important, but there are also ways parents can help their children build critical thinking skills at home. Here are a few ideas:

5 Ways to Help Kids Build Critical Thinking Skills

The Foundation for Critical Thinking developed a simple series of five “Intellectual Standards” to help even the youngest children learn to think better.  Teachers at Carpe Diem Private Preschool in Frisco and other locations throughout Texas, work together with parents to teach these standards. It is equally important to interact with children, both in the classroom and at home, in ways that reinforce them:

• Encourage your child to BE CLEAR by asking for explanations and examples if they don’t understand something.  Let them know it is okay to be confused and that they can and should ask questions to help them understand something more clearly.
• Urge your child to BE ACCURATE . Instead of just accepting what others around them believe to be true, encourage your child to check to see if something is true by researching the facts.
• Encourage your child to BE RELEVANT by talking about other topics that relate to the discussion or problem at hand.  At Carpe Diem Private Preschool in Richardson and all locations, we help students stay on track by connecting meaningful, related information to the question they are trying to answer, the problem they are trying to solve, or the topic they are learning about.
• Help build your preschooler’s ability to BE LOGICAL . Help them to see how things fit together and question how they come to conclusions. Encourage them to find out if their assumptions are right.
• Set expectations that your child should BE FAIR .  This can be done by encouraging empathy in your child’s thinking processes. It’s important to make sure that children consider others when learning to draw conclusions and make decisions for themselves.

At Carpe Diem Private Preschools in Southlake and other Texas locations, we believe that teachers and parents can work together to help children develop into more successful critical thinkers. It’s as simple as asking your child more open ended questions.  Together we can find more opportunities to ask, “Why do you think that happened?” or “How do you think we can fix that?” Watch their eyes light up as they learn to use critical thinking to solve problems and create positive changes in the world around them!

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10 preschool critical thinking activities my preschooler loves.

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Some days I wonder, “What was he thinking?”

“I had too many socks. The drawer wouldn’t close so I threw the extras in the trash,” beams my little guy as if that was the perfect solution to the problem.

Teaching kids critical thinking skills can be almost as hard as teaching them that pants are not an optional piece of clothing and goggles and an umbrella alone do not make a complete outfit either.

Here are some tried-and-true critical thinking activities for preschoolers that my child loves.

1. Guess What I Have

With a small toy in one hand, place both hands behind your back. Ask your child to guess what is in your hand. As they make attempts to guess, give them clues such as: “It’s not blue, it’s red,” or “it doesn’t have wheels, it has legs.” This allows them to make guesses based on what they already know.

Be ready to dodge in case they get frustrated and throw things at you. It happens.

2. Play the ‘Is It True?’ Game

Ask your child a question that starts with ‘Is it true that…’. When they answer, ask them how they know that it is true or not.

I asked my preschooler “How do you know if someone is sleeping?”

“Because they slobber on their pillow,” he answered brilliantly.

Don’t worry about perfect answers, just praise any effort.

3. Work in Groups

Getting my kids to work together in a group is one of the best preschool critical thinking activities that I know of. The hardest part of this activity is getting everyone’s attention.

Just join the game of ‘Who can say “No, me” the loudest’ , and maybe they will hear you.

When I can ever get my kids to interact with each other, they realize that there is more than one way of doing things and they are introduced to a variety of different approaches and ideas.

Pro Tip: Help Your Child Become Better at Critical Thinking

Enroll your child for the Atlas Mission and let your child play with this award-winning educational program. Your child will become better at critical thinking without even realizing it!

4. Play “Good Idea/Bad Idea”

Take two of your child’s favorite stuffed animals (and when they throw a fit for them, take two that they don’t like instead) and put on a show with them.

Act out scenarios and let your child predict the outcomes of their actions. Ask them at each phase of the game if what the characters are going to do is a good idea or a bad idea and why.

5. Food Tasting

Forming an opinion is an important preschool critical thinking skill. Kids have strong opinions about food. It’s usually a love/hate relationship.

It is widely known in preschool circles that no two kids are allowed to have the same favorite food. This is cause for war.

Bring out some foods that you know your child hates or loves. My son hates chicken and loves yogurt so we used those.

Now ask them if they like that food or not and why or why not. Then bring out a new food that your child will love (we used blue cupcakes with sprinkles) and let them predict whether or not they will like it and why.

6. Find Similarities and Differences

My preschooler and I often play a game of pointing out similarities and differences in things. He tells me how similar Dad and I are because we both drive under stop lights and how different Dad is from me because he thinks a yellow light means hurry up and I think it means slow down.

Challenge your child to find things that are similar and different at the same time like a fork and a spoon. Both are utensils but one is for eating salad and one is for digging in the backyard when Mom’s not looking (or something like that). These similarities and differences activities for preschoolers help strengthen a variety of your child’s skills.

7. Go On a Picnic

One of our favorite preschool critical thinking activities often includes an outdoor picnic. Give your child a lunch box to pack and suggest items that are both relevant and irrelevant to a picnic, and let them tell you which items are relevant, and why.

Yes, they will probably want to include their pet goldfish and two left mittens. If they can explain the relevance, I guess it can get packed.

8. Make ‘Get Well’ Cards

Making ‘Get Well Soon’ cards for people who are sick can help kids relate situations back to themselves. As you make the cards, ask them if they have ever been sick or hurt.

They will probably have a hundred stories but don’t worry. We all know that every Mom has a secret super power: the pretend listening skill.

“Oh, really?” “I never knew that.” “You’re kidding? Tell me more.”

Oh, yeah, we’re good.

9. Hide the Thimble

We have played this game for years to develop critical thinking skills. We never hide a thimble, though. I can just see my preschooler popping that thing in his mouth and me attempting to do the Heimlich maneuver on him.

No, we use a baseball instead. There’s no chance of him getting that whole thing in his mouth. Although, I’ve seen him try.

Everyone closes their eyes while the ball is being hidden. Then, I give clues and let the kids know if they are getting closer to the ball or further away.

I also give clues like, “It’s near the sofa.”

10. Ask ‘What Happened and Why’

No, I’m not talking about when you hear a loud noise and run into the room to investigate. For this activity, you only need a family photo album.

Sit down with your child and look at some funny photos of the family. Choose photos that have a story behind them and then ask your child, “What happened in this picture and why?”

My little guy likes the photo of my sister when she spilled melted chocolate all over the kitchen. Yup, that’s a keeper.

I’m sure you have some photos of your family that you can make fun of, too.

I hope you enjoy some of these preschool critical thinking activities with your little one just like I have. I just keep telling myself that one day they’ll pay off. But for now, I must go get those socks out of the trashcan.

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About the Author

Jill Cain creates educational content for the Atlas Mission . She has 20+ years of experience homeschooling her 6 children aged 4 - 21 and enjoys helping parents around the world in their homeschooling journeys.

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Fun activities for developing critical thinking skills in preschoolers

Inside: Critical thinking preschool worksheets to download for free!

Problem-solving and critical thinking are important skills children in preschool need to develop in order to succeed in school.

Include these critical thinking preschool worksheets in your curriculum to give them enough opportunities for practice.

You might also like my brand new Things that don’t belong worksheets !

Critical thinking preschool worksheets

Whether you are taking a walk outside or reading a book together with your child, there are always opportunities to practice critical thinking.

For instance, encourage your child to look for repeating patterns, for similarities and differences between objects and so on. The more they understand the world around them the better they will be able to generalize and utilize the knowledge in more complex situations.

To provide you with some pen and paper exercises, I’ve created these critical thinking preschool worksheets.

Feel free to use them in the classroom or at home.

And make sure to expand on your child’s answers. Ask her more about each group of pictures, why they belong/don’t belong together, and so forth.

To download, just click on the download link at the very end.

Similar: Things that go together worksheets

Feel free to use these worksheets in the classroom or at home. But please remember that any other re-distribution or altering are not allowed. Thank you. 

Critical thinking skills

7 thoughts on “Fun activities for developing critical thinking skills in preschoolers”

Hey Kristina, thanks. My 5 years old found it really interesting. Do you have more?

Not the same kind of activities. But it’s a good idea to create more like these, I will add them to my to-do list!

Hey Kristina, Thank you so much for the resources. I have a 1st grader with special needs and am always at a loss for what to do to supplimet our schools amazing special ed departments at home. Your worksheets are life savers!

I am happy to help!

Kristina, thanks for saving our kids from non-stop TV and boredom thanks to your great print-outs these days!!!

Lol, you’re welcome! I know it’s hard to constantly entertain them at home. My two boys are the same. All the best to you!

Very interesting Kristina..Thank you for this Materials I used them with my 4 year old daughter!!!!☺💖

Comments are closed.

MSU Extension Child & Family Development

The importance of critical thinking for young children.

Kylie Rymanowicz, Michigan State University Extension - May 03, 2016

Critical thinking is essential life skill. Learn why it is so important and how you can help children learn and practice these skills.

We use critical thinking skills every day. They help us to make good decisions, understand the consequences of our actions and solve problems. These incredibly important skills are used in everything from putting together puzzles to mapping out the best route to work. It’s the process of using focus and self-control to solve problems and set and follow through on goals. It utilizes other important life skills like making connections , perspective taking and communicating . Basically, critical thinking helps us make good, sound decisions.

Critical thinking

In her book, “Mind in the Making: The seven essential life skills every child needs,” author Ellen Galinsky explains the importance of teaching children critical thinking skills. A child’s natural curiosity helps lay the foundation for critical thinking. Critical thinking requires us to take in information, analyze it and make judgements about it, and that type of active engagement requires imagination and inquisitiveness. As children take in new information, they fill up a library of sorts within their brain. They have to think about how the new information fits in with what they already know, or if it changes any information we already hold to be true.

Supporting the development of critical thinking

Michigan State University Extension has some tips on helping your child learn and practice critical thinking.

• Encourage pursuits of curiosity . The dreaded “why” phase. Help them form and test theories, experiment and try to understand how the world works. Encourage children to explore, ask questions, test their theories, think critically about results and think about changes they could make or things they could do differently.
• Learn from others. Help children think more deeply about things by instilling a love for learning and a desire to understand how things work. Seek out the answers to all of your children’s “why” questions using books, the internet, friends, family or other experts.
• Help children evaluate information. We are often given lots of information at a time, and it is important we evaluate that information to determine if it is true, important and whether or not we should believe it. Help children learn these skills by teaching them to evaluate new information. Have them think about where or who the information is coming from, how it relates to what they already know and why it is or is not important.
• Promote children’s interests. When children are deeply vested in a topic or pursuit, they are more engaged and willing to experiment. The process of expanding their knowledge brings about a lot of opportunities for critical thinking, so to encourage this action helps your child invest in their interests. Whether it is learning about trucks and vehicles or a keen interest in insects, help your child follow their passion.
• Teach problem-solving skills. When dealing with problems or conflicts, it is necessary to use critical thinking skills to understand the problem and come up with possible solutions, so teach them the steps of problem-solving and they will use critical thinking in the process of finding solutions to problems.

For more articles on child development, academic success, parenting and life skill development, please visit the MSU Extension website.

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension . For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu . To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters . To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts , or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

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10 Fun Critical Thinking Activities for Preschoolers

Posted on Last updated: May 29, 2023

Some children loves puzzles and love a challenge. There are different ways to strengthen critical thinking skills at an early age. Here are 10 critical thinking activities for preschoolers and older toddlers that will help young children become critical thinkers. These are simple activities that you can try today. 

Critical Thinking Games

What Can You Make with a Circle?  

This is a fun and creative game to play at home, in the car, on an airplane, or in the waiting room. It is a fun way to explore that there is more than one way to solve a problem and more than one right answer. Make a circle on the chalkboard or on a piece of paper and challenge your child to turn it into something else. Will they turn it into a flower, a sun, or will it become the body of an animal? There is no correct answer. 

A Copy Me game is a great way to develop spatial awareness. Use different household objects to make a design and then let your child copy it using a duplicate set of materials! In this picture, I set up the design on the left and the materials on the right were for my son to arrange. After you have done this over and over again. Have your child challenge you buy making a design and having you copy it. Creating the design and checking your answer will develop those skills in a different way. 

Possible Materials:

• craft sticks
• cookie cutters
• magnetic letters

What’s Missing? Part 1

This critical thinking activity can even be done on the go. All you need is paper and a pencil or dry erase board. Draw a picture of something and leave off a detail. Ask your child, “What’s missing?”.

• child’s name

What’s Missing? Part 2

This challenge is easier than What’s Missing – Part 1. Reuse an old magazine or ad to create this critical thinking activity. Cut out different pictures and cut part of the picture off. Challenge your child to put it back together. 

Sticker Puzzles

Foam stickers and paper are the materials you need to set the stage in this critical thinking exercise. Arrange the stickers in a certain design on the left and challenge your child to recreate it on the right. I stuck the stickers to the paper in the design on the left, but had my son just set the stickers on the paper in the correct arrangement on the right. That way we could reuse this activity. I keep it in a bag and throw it in my purse for the restaurant or waiting room. 

Squares in a Shape

How can the squares fit inside these shapes? I made this activity by arranging the wooden square blocks on the page and then tracing it around the outside. Some of these are trickier than others to complete. If you don’t have any wooden blocks like those shown, try using legos. 

Sticker Stories

Creative thinking is strengthened as older children design their own story with stickers. Arrange stickers on the page and then add details with crayons or markers. When your child is finished with the design, challenge them to tell you a story about what is happening in the picture. You can write the story down or just listen to it. 

Styrofoam Sculptures

Open ended play is the best way to promote critical thinking! What will your child make with styrofoam pieces and toothpicks? You can also substitute marshmallows or slices of pool noodles with the styrofoam. 

Cookie Cutter Puzzles

Younger children will love this simple puzzle made from cookie cutters or different objects. Trace the cookie cutter or specific shape and challenge your child to match them up. 

Mystery Bag

Mystery bag is so much fun and gets their senses thinking!  Put some fun objects in a bag (pompom, feather, plastic animals). Using deductive reasoning, your child will guess what the object is BEFORE she sees it.

Board Games and Card Games

The good news is that board games and card games are excellent for developing critical thinking skills and include the important skills of learning how to take turns and how to handle losing. 

• Tic Tac Toe
• Connect Four

Trying a simple experiment or wondering how things work are also natural ways to strengthen the critical thinking mindset. The Way Things Work Now by David Macaulay is a great book to get your child wondering and asking questions about how things work. Not a Box by Antoinette Portis is a fun picture book that illustrates how to think outside the box (literally).  

These critical thinking games are a few of our favorites. Overall, the end goal is for your child to be curious, ask their own questions, make logical connections, and to find creative solutions. The more logic and reasoning skills your child has, the better learner they will be in their own life.

Wednesday 13th of May 2015

I love this list. I have a bunch of puffy stickers (they were on clearance and I had to buy them!) so now I know what to do with them. They've been sitting in my cabinet for some time. :)

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Introducing Metacognition in Preschool

By modeling self-talk and providing choices, teachers can encourage young children to think about their thinking.

My 3-year-old granddaughter has a lot to say. Much of her conversation is with, or about, her stuffed animals—Unicorn, Baby Hippo, Simba, and Nala—or about characters she has seen on TV—Moana, Bluey, Mickey Mouse, or Ryder from Paw Patrol . You get the idea.

Over the next 10–15 years of their lives, preschoolers’ social, emotional, and cognitive skills develop in extraordinary ways. From conversations with adults, peers, and older kids, my granddaughter will learn how to understand her emotions and the emotions of others as well as how to experience and enact empathy and compassion, how to problem-solve, and how to do so when facing obstacles. Educators (and parents) can set young people like my granddaughter on a positive trajectory. Rick Cohen and colleagues in The Metacognitive Preschooler provide valuable guidance.

SEL(f)-Questioning

Metacognition is the process of understanding and managing our thoughts and emotions. We are being metacognitive when we step back, consider the situation we’re in, reflect on our thoughts and feelings, bring up past related experiences, note similarities and differences with regard to the present, and then problem-solve and take necessary actions.

Being metacognitive means possessing social and emotional learning (SEL) skills like self-awareness, social awareness, self-management, relating to others in varied situations, and ethical problem-solving. But it’s more than that. It means exercising a habit of reviewing, even questioning, our own emotions and thoughts. That habit starts early, and it’s one that we can and should explicitly encourage, starting with preschoolers.

The most foundational metacognitive skill is self-awareness. This is promoted by helping young children ask themselves SEL-oriented questions—i.e., SEL(f)-questions:

• How am I feeling?
• How do I know how I am feeling, or, what am I feeling?
• What happened that led me to feel this way?
• What can I do to feel/do better (or, if good, more of the same)?

4 Ways to Engage Preschoolers in Metacognition

1. Model self-talk. When situations happen, describe them and the feelings you are having, why you are feeling that way, and what you can do next (i.e., problem-solving). This literally involves speaking aloud your thoughts and feelings, in ways appropriate for young children. This kind of modeling gives children insight into how adults think. Here is an example based on a common situation:

The paints we were going to use in class are all dried out. I feel unhappy. I was looking forward to our painting tiles showing jobs you would like to have when you grow up. I am going to see if our markers will work, or else I will ask Mrs. Jamil if we can borrow her paints.

2. Model parallel talk. As situations occur, model what you are seeing in the child, how the child might be feeling and how you can tell, and what you think the child might want to do. This kind of modeling follows the general guidance of (a) describe the situation, (b) describe the child’s overt feelings, and (c) state what you think the child will do next, constructively. Here are two common examples:

Example 1: We are at the playground. Your face is smiling, and you are jumping up and down. You look like you feel happy and excited to be at the park. It looks like you are going to head over to the climbing bars or the see-saw.

Example 2: The toy you were playing with broke. Your face looks angry and maybe a little guilty because you were banging the toy on the floor. You are not sure what you can do next. It looks like you might clean up the broken parts and put them in the trash. Afterward, we can talk about how to play with toys so they are less likely to break.

3. Ask choice questions. As children face various situations, we can engage their cognitive activity best when we don’t “tell” them what to do. Of course, there are times when telling is necessary. That said, it’s valuable to be oriented toward helping them think about options and making choices.

Typically, give children two or three options to choose from. Even when constraining a situation because of time, logistics, etc., it’s usually possible to give children a choice. This is quite a common technique, but we don’t always appreciate its cognitive importance. Having children make even limited choices, like which center area of three to go to first, or which four color crayons to use for an art project, stimulates reflective thinking on the part of the child in a way that assigning a center or crayon colors does not.

4. Ask open-ended questions. Open-ended questions don’t have a yes or no answer, and they prompt children‘s cognitive activity to generate a response—even a nonresponse. With consistent use, students start asking themselves these open-ended questions, thereby becoming more metacognitive. The following example, from a conversation with my granddaughter, illustrates all of these points and shows how open-ended questions model self-questioning for young children and stimulate their thought processes.

How are you feeling? (Sad.) Your face looks sad and your voice sounds sad. Why are you sad? What happened? (Unicorn is sick.) Unicorn is sick? I am so sorry to hear that. How do you know? (She was crying. And she has a fever.) Oh, I am so sorry. What are you going to do to help Unicorn feel better? (Give her medicine.) Giving her medicine seems helpful. What else can you do to help her? (Take her to the doctor.)

Rick Cohen and his colleagues also point out that gestures, facial expressions, tone of voice, pictures, sounds, and sign language are other aspects of communication we can use to help model and communicate feelings. Having feelings posters in classrooms is an especially good way to build children’s feeling vocabulary and to help them connect their feelings to words.

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Critical Thinking Activities for Preschoolers

Written by: Kokotree

Last updated: October 16, 2022

K ids are sponges. They soak up information and learn new things every day, whether we realize it or not! One of the best things we can do as parents are to help foster our children’s natural ability to think critically by providing engaging critical thinking activities for preschoolers.

What is Critical Thinking for Preschoolers?

Why teach preschoolers critical thinking, how to teach preschoolers critical thinking, here’s a list of critical thinking activities suitable for preschoolers:, the importance of predictions, the observation phase, discussing results, reading to complement experiments, the takeaway for parents, toy scenarios, relational language, drawing maps, real-world applications, parental involvement, starting simple, adding complexity, story-based patterning, encourage observations, parent tips, fold and cut, mirror images, symmetry in nature, question and understand, what parents should know, picture cards, daily routines, storytime sequencing, cooking together, parent’s role, a skill for life, animal sorting, food categories, color coding, advanced classifying, ask questions, skill building, simple pairings, attribute matching, word pairings, “what doesn’t belong”, ask open-ended questions, why analogies matter, mixed criteria, question and discuss, importance for cognitive development, basic counting with objects, count and compare, counting games, skip counting, the “guess the number” game, subtraction and addition, why counting matters, using everyday scenarios, hands-on activities, beyond just numbers, make it a game, questions to prompt thinking, importance in daily life.

Critical thinking for preschoolers refers to their ability to process information independently, make connections, reason, and make well-thought-out decisions. It involves encouraging curiosity, asking questions, and understanding the “why” behind concepts.

Teaching critical thinking to preschoolers is essential as it fosters independence, boosts problem-solving skills, and prepares them for future academic and life challenges. It also enhances their creativity, adaptability, and ability to navigate complex situations.

To teach preschoolers critical thinking, introduce open-ended questions, provide hands-on experiences, encourage curiosity, engage in storytelling, promote problem-solving activities, and create an environment where they feel safe to express ideas and make mistakes.

• Sorting and Categorizing : Provide a mix of objects and have them sort them by various attributes (color, size, shape, texture).
• Story Sequencing : Use picture cards to tell a story and ask them to arrange them in the correct order.
• What’s Missing? Game : Set up a few items, let the child study them, then remove one when they aren’t looking and ask which one is missing.
• Pattern Recognition : Use colored blocks or beads to create a pattern and have them continue it.
• Cause and Effect Experiments : Simple experiments like “What happens when you drop a ball?” or “What happens if you put paper in water?”
• True or False Questions : A type of assessment where learners decide whether a given statement is accurate, often used to test knowledge on specific facts or concepts quickly.
• Memory Games : Classic games like ‘Simon says’ or matching card games.
• Question of the Day: Start the day with an open-ended question like, “Why is the sky blue?” or “How do plants grow?”
• Role Play : Encourage them to act out different scenarios, which helps in understanding different perspectives.
• Building Challenges: Using blocks or LEGO, set a challenge like “Can you build a bridge?” or “Make a house with a garage.”
• Problem Solving Scenarios: Give them hypothetical problems to solve, like “What would you do if your toy broke?” or “How can you share three apples with four friends?”
• Picture Interpretation: Show them a complex picture and ask open-ended questions about what they see, think, and wonder.
• Mystery Bag: Put an object in a bag and have them feel it without looking, then guess what it is.
• Puzzle Time: Regular puzzles are great for problem-solving and spatial recognition.
• Would you Rather Questions : Fun scenarios like “Would you rather be a fish or a bird?” This encourages reasoning and justification.
• Exploring Nature: Nature walks where they can observe, question, and learn about the environment.
• Music Exploration: Play different types of music and discuss how each one makes them feel.
• Story Creation: Give them a start, like “There’s a dragon in the garden…” and let them continue.
• Sensory Bins : Bins filled with sand, water beads, rice, or other materials where they can explore, measure, and experiment.
• Group Discussions: After a story or activity, discuss as a group what happened, why, and what might happen next.
• Prediction Activities: Activities where they predict what might happen next, whether in a story or a simple experiment.

Integrating these activities into a preschooler’s daily routine will help foster an environment of curiosity, exploration, and deepened understanding.

Science Experiments

Science experiments offer a unique avenue for diving into critical thinking activities for kids. Let’s break down how you can turn simple experiments into a world of exploration and reasoning for your little one.

Before starting any experiment, ask your child to make a prediction. Whether it’s guessing what color will result from mixing two paints or what will happen when you add salt to ice, predictions engage your child’s anticipatory skills.

While performing the experiment and science activity , encourage your child to observe keenly. What do they see, smell, or hear? Encourage them to note these observations down or share them with you. This engages their senses and promotes active learning during preschool .

After the experiment, sit down with your child and discuss what happened. Compare their initial predictions with the actual results. Did something unexpected happen? Great! This is a fantastic moment to introduce the concept of ’cause and effect,’ a cornerstone in critical thinking for preschoolers.

Consider pairing these experiments with related books. Reading material can help cement the scientific concepts you’ve explored, making the learning experience well-rounded.

Your role is crucial. The questions you ask and the encouragement you give can transform a simple science experiment into a treasure trove of critical thinking activities. It’s not just about the ‘doing’; it’s also about the ‘thinking’ that goes along with it.

By taking the time to prepare, observe, and discuss, you’re not just teaching science but instilling critical thinking skills that will last a lifetime.

Spatial Relationships

Understanding spatial relationships is a key aspect of critical thinking preschool activities. Not only does this skill lay the groundwork for geometry and other advanced math concepts, but it also helps your child navigate through the world more effectively. So, how can you turn understanding spatial relationships into a critical thinking exercise for your preschooler?

Start by engaging your child with simple toy scenarios. For example, provide your child with a toy car and present a challenge: Can they position the car “under” the table or “next to” a book? This forces them to think critically about space and how different objects relate.

In these spatial activities , the language you use is crucial. Words like “under,” “over,” “next to,” “behind,” and “in front of” enrich their vocabulary and conceptual understanding. Make a game out of it; ask them to place their toy “beside” the couch, then “beneath” a chair, and so on.

Drawing simple maps can also be a fun way to explore spatial relationships. You and your child can draw a map of a room in your house or even a treasure map. This helps your child think critically about space on a two-dimensional scale.

Use real-world situations to apply these concepts. For example, you could ask your child to help you find the shortest path from the car to the entrance of a store. This engages them in problem-solving and turns an everyday task into a critical thinking game for kids.

Your involvement is essential. The prompts you give and the questions you ask can be geared towards understanding the reasoning behind their choices. Why did they think the car should go “under” the table and not “on top of it”? Their answers can offer insightful glimpses into their thought processes.

Integrating these activities into your child’s routine provides essential tools for their cognitive development. It’s not just about understanding spatial relationships; it’s about setting the foundation for logical reasoning and problem-solving—skills that are vital for future learning.

Patterning is an enjoyable and instructive way to introduce activities to develop critical thinking skills in preschoolers. Recognizing and creating patterns help children understand order and make predictions, essential skills for both math and everyday life. So how can you engage your child in patterning activities?

Begin with straightforward activities. Give your child a set of blocks in different colors or shapes and ask them to arrange them in a simple pattern, like “red-blue-red-blue” or “circle-square-circle-square.

You can introduce more complex ones as they get comfortable with simpler patterns. For example, try a pattern that involves more than two colors or shapes, like “red-blue-green-red-blue-green.”

To make it more engaging, try creating a story around the pattern. Maybe the colored blocks are “cars in a parade” or “fruits in a basket.” Stories make the patterns more relatable and help in creating a rich context around what might otherwise be an abstract concept.

After your child has made a pattern, ask them to describe it to you. What do they see? What comes next? Why? This forces them to articulate their thought process, thereby improving both their language and critical thinking skills.

Your involvement in these patterning activities amplifies their effectiveness. Ask open-ended questions like, “Why did you choose to put the red block there?” or “What do you think comes next?” Your questions can guide them through the reasoning process, making these exercises not just patterning activities but also reasoning activities for preschoolers.

By incorporating patterning into playtime, you’re doing more than teaching colors and shapes; you’re instilling the ability to recognize relationships between objects—a skill that forms the basis of logical reasoning and critical thought.

Symmetry is not just an aesthetic concept; it’s a brilliant way to cultivate critical thinking in preschoolers. When children recognize or create symmetrical objects or arrangements, they’re learning about balance, equality, and relational properties—core elements in critical thinking preschool activities . Here’s how you can engage your child with symmetry.

The easiest way to start is by folding a piece of paper in half and cutting shapes along the folded edge. When you unfold the paper, you’ll have a symmetrical shape. Ask your child what they notice about the two halves. Are they the same or different? Why?

Another activity is to place a small divider between two identical sets of blocks. Build a pattern or shape with one set and ask your child to replicate it as a mirror image using the other set of blocks. This not only teaches symmetry but also enhances their observational skills.

Take a nature walk and ask your child to find examples of symmetry, like leaves, flowers, or even animals. Discuss what makes these objects symmetrical. This offers a more dynamic, interactive approach to understanding symmetry and engages them in critical thinking games for kids.

As always, your involvement and the questions you ask can bring depth to the activity. Why is it easier to find symmetry in some objects than in others? Why do they think symmetry exists in nature? These questions prompt deeper thinking and understanding.

Symmetry activities are more than just a game; they provide a foundation for more complex mathematical concepts like geometry. Furthermore, they encourage your child to think about balance and fairness, abstract concepts that have real-world applications.

Symmetry activities offer a multi-faceted approach to critical thinking for preschoolers, combining math, nature, and everyday observations into a rich tapestry of learning experiences.

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Sequencing is an invaluable exercise that aids in developing a wide range of skills, from language and literacy to logic and problem-solving. This makes it one of the must-try critical thinking activities for preschoolers. Below are some ways you can approach sequencing with your child:

Start simple by using a set of picture cards that tell a story. Scatter them and ask your child to place them in a logical order. This helps them understand the concept of beginnings, middles, and ends, crucial for both storytelling and understanding sequences in daily life.

Use everyday routines as an opportunity for sequencing activities. Whether it’s getting dressed, preparing a simple snack, or cleaning up toys, ask your child to describe the sequence of actions needed to complete these tasks. This not only cements their understanding of everyday activities but also naturally integrates critical thinking into their day.

During storytime, pause to ask your child what they think will happen next or what came before a specific event. Encourage them to explain their reasoning. This turns storytime into an exercise in prediction and recall, both important components of sequencing and critical thinking for preschoolers.

Involve your child in simple cooking or baking activities . Ask them to describe the sequence of steps involved in the recipe. This not only helps in understanding sequencing but also incorporates elements of measurement and timing, adding layers to their critical thinking skills.

Your role is to facilitate and challenge. Ask questions like, “What will happen if we change the order of these steps?” or “Why do you think this comes after that?” By doing so, you’re transforming simple sequencing activities into deeper reasoning activities for preschoolers.

Sequencing isn’t just for stories or games; it’s a skill your child will use in academic settings and everyday life. By incorporating sequencing into various activities, you’re providing your child with a toolbox of skills for organizing information, problem-solving, and critically thinking about the world around them.

Classifying

The ability to classify and categorize is fundamental to human cognition and an excellent entry point for critical thinking preschool activities. Classifying allows children to make sense of the world by grouping items based on shared characteristics or qualities. Here are some ways to involve your preschooler in classifying activities:

One of the most engaging ways to introduce classification is through animals. Provide your child with a set of toy animals and ask them to group them by various criteria: type (mammals, birds, reptiles), habitat (water, land, air), or even by the number of legs. This exercise not only enhances their understanding of biology but also hones their observation and reasoning skills.

Another fun activity involves sorting food items. You could give your child a mix of plastic fruits, vegetables, and junk food items and ask them to separate them into corresponding categories. This also serves as a great opportunity to discuss healthy eating habits .

For younger children, color can be the most straightforward attribute to classify. Offer them an assortment of beads, blocks, or other multi-colored items and ask them to sort these based on color. This is a simple yet effective exercise in classification.

As your child becomes more proficient, you can introduce multiple levels of classification. For example, they could first sort animals by type and then sort those types by size or diet. This adds layers to their critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.

Remember, your involvement is crucial. Asking questions like, “Why did you decide to group these together?” or “What makes these items similar or different?” can deepen their understanding and turn the activity into a rich discussion. This elevates it from a mere exercise into a critical thinking game for kids.

Classification activities offer much more than just an understanding of categories. They help build logical thinking, improve vocabulary, and can even introduce basic scientific concepts. These are all essential stepping stones in developing robust critical thinking skills for your preschooler.

By regularly incorporating classifying exercises into your child’s playtime, you are actively helping them construct a framework for understanding the world in a more organized and logical manner.

Analogies are one of the more advanced yet highly effective critical thinking activities for kids. They challenge children to identify relationships between disparate things by finding a common thread. While it may seem like a complex skill, it can be broken down into simpler components for preschoolers to understand. Here’s how to make analogies an accessible and engaging activity for your little one.

Begin with objects that are obviously related but different, like an apple and an orange. Ask your child to explain how they are similar or different. The goal is to get them thinking about attributes that aren’t immediately obvious, like the fact that both are fruits despite differing in color, taste, and texture.

Provide your child with a collection of assorted items and ask them to match them based on one common attribute. For example, a spoon and a fork could be matched because they’re both utensils, even though one is used for scooping and the other for piercing food.

As your child becomes more comfortable with the concept, move on to word-based analogies. You could start with opposites like hot/cold or day/night. Ask your child what makes these pairs opposites and to think of other examples.

A fun twist on analogies is the “What doesn’t belong?” game. Present your child with a group of three or four items where one item is notably different. Ask them to identify the odd one out and explain why it doesn’t belong. This game turns analogies into critical thinking games for kids that are both educational and engaging.

As always, your participation enhances the activity. Ask open-ended questions like, “Why do you think these two are alike?” or “Can you think of other things that are similar in this way?” These questions encourage a deeper exploration of the concept, making it an excellent activity to develop critical thinking skills.

Analogies help build a variety of skills including vocabulary, reasoning abilities, and problem-solving skills. They encourage children to make connections between different pieces of information, a critical skill not just in academic settings but in everyday decision-making.

By incorporating analogies into your routine, you help your child develop an essential tool for interpreting the world around them, boosting their critical thinking and cognitive abilities.

Sorting and Categorizing

Sorting and categorizing activities are foundational for preschool-aged children and serve as a cornerstone for developing critical thinking skills. They not only help kids recognize patterns but also teach them how to make educated judgments. Here’s how you can make sorting and categorizing a fun and enlightening experience for your little one.

Sorting by shape is one of the simplest ways to begin. Provide your child with an array of different shapes like circles, squares, and triangles. You can use household items like buttons, blocks, or even cut-out paper shapes. Ask your child to separate these items into different piles based on their shapes.

Colors offer another straightforward criterion for sorting. You can use colored balls, beads, or toys and ask your child to group them based on their color. This is a simple but effective way to get children to focus on characteristics, thereby introducing them to the basics of categorization.

Sorting by size provides a slightly more advanced challenge and introduces the concept of relativity. Give your child a mix of big and small objects, and ask them to sort them into ‘big’ and ‘small’ groups. As they get better at this, you can introduce medium-sized items for a greater challenge.

As your child becomes more proficient, you can make the activity more complex by mixing criteria. For instance, they can sort by both color and size, creating groups of small red items, large red items, small blue items, and so on. This type of multi-criteria sorting is a great way to sharpen their critical thinking abilities.

Make sure to ask questions during these activities. Queries like, “Why did you put this here?” or “What makes these two items the same?” promote reasoning and dialogue. You can thereby elevate sorting and categorizing from a simple task to one of the essential critical thinking activities for preschoolers.

Sorting and categorizing lay the groundwork for mathematical concepts and logical reasoning. These activities train the mind to identify, compare, and analyze objects based on specific characteristics, making them powerful tools in shaping a child’s cognitive abilities.

Sorting and categorizing can be as simple or as complex as you make them, but their benefits for critical thinking and overall cognitive development are immense. By incorporating these activities into your child’s routine, you’re setting the stage for more complex intellectual feats as they grow.

Counting may appear to be a simple skill, but it’s much more than just reciting numbers. It’s a fundamental aspect of early education that sets the stage for more advanced math and critical thinking skills. Here’s how to make counting a multifaceted learning experience for your preschooler.

Start with the basics by using everyday objects like toys, fruits, or even items in a room. Ask your child to count them and tell you how many there are in total. This not only teaches them to associate numbers with quantities but also introduces them to the concept of ‘totality’—an important foundational idea for future math skills.

Once your child can count confidently, introduce them to the concept of comparing quantities. Place two groups of objects in front of them and ask questions like, “Which group has more?” or “How many more cars are there than trucks?” This introduces them to the skill of evaluating quantities, an essential part of critical thinking.

Turn counting into critical thinking games for kids. Whether it’s counting the number of steps in a staircase as they climb or counting the number of red cars they see while on a drive, games make the counting process engaging and fun.

As your child becomes more proficient, you can introduce the concept of skip counting—counting by twos, fives, or tens. This helps them understand multiplication at an early age and strengthens their number sense, paving the way for more complex math skills.

For a fun twist, you can play the “Guess the Number” game where you think of a number within a range they can understand, and they have to guess it. This helps them understand the concepts of ‘greater than’ and ‘less than,’ valuable tools for reasoning activities for preschoolers.

Simple addition and subtraction can also be introduced through counting. For example, you can start with five apples, take two away, and then ask how many are left. Or you could add two more and ask how many there are now. This helps your child understand the principles of arithmetic in a hands-on manner.

Counting isn’t just a math skill; it’s a critical thinking skill. It lays the groundwork for understanding more complex relationships between numbers and fosters logical reasoning skills that will be crucial in later stages of education.

By incorporating these various counting activities into your child’s routine, you’ll be helping them develop not just their ability to count but also their critical thinking abilities, making it a quintessential activity for their cognitive development.

Comparing Quantities

The ability to compare and contrast different quantities is not just a math skill; it’s one of the important activities to develop critical thinking skills. This skill helps children understand relationships between different sets, a critical component for problem-solving and logical reasoning. Here are some ways to explore this concept with your preschooler.

Begin with two sets of clearly different quantities. For instance, you could use four apples and two oranges. Ask your child to point out which set has more and which has fewer items. Reinforce the terms “more,” “less,” and “equal” to build their comparative vocabulary.

Use day-to-day experiences to create comparative situations. For example, you could ask, “Are there more people in the living room or the kitchen?” or “Do we have more forks or more spoons?” These questions not only hone their observational skills but also make them critically evaluate their surroundings.

Use toys or building blocks to physically create sets of different quantities. Ask your child to compare them. This hands-on approach can make abstract concepts more concrete for young minds.

Expand the concept of comparison beyond mere numerical quantities. For instance, ask them to compare the heights of different family members , the size of different rooms, or the loudness of different sounds. This broadens the scope of comparison and enhances their critical thinking skills.

Introduce critical thinking games for kids that focus on comparing quantities. For example, play a game where they have to divide a set of toys among siblings or friends, ensuring everyone gets an “equal” number. This not only reinforces the concept of comparison but also introduces the idea of fairness.

Always remember to ask follow-up questions. Inquire, “How did you know this set has more?” or “What makes you think there are fewer blocks here?” This encourages them to articulate their thought process, deepening their understanding and reasoning abilities.

Understanding the skill of comparing quantities is essential in daily decision-making. It aids in evaluating choices and in forming reasoned judgments. Therefore, it is an indispensable skill, relevant not just as a form of critical thinking for preschoolers but as a life skill.

Teaching your child to compare quantities provides them with the tools to make better decisions, solve problems , and navigate the world more effectively. It’s a cornerstone activity in developing their overall cognitive abilities.

Overall, preschoolers can engage in many different critical thinking activities to help develop their cognitive abilities . By providing your child with opportunities to learn, explore, and think critically, you can help them become more confident and capable learners throughout their lives!

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The Role of Creative Activities in Developing Critical Thinking in Preschoolers

Critical thinking is a crucial skill that lays the foundation for problem-solving, decision-making, and intellectual development. In preschool, where children are just beginning to explore the world around them, creative activities play a significant role in nurturing these essential skills. Through art, play, and imaginative exercises, preschoolers learn to think critically and approach challenges with curiosity and creativity. In this blog, we’ll explore how creative activities contribute to the development of critical thinking in young children and offer practical tips for parents and educators to foster this growth.

Why is Critical Thinking Important in Early Childhood?

Critical thinking is the ability to analyze information, evaluate different perspectives, and make reasoned decisions. For preschoolers, developing this skill means learning how to approach problems with an open mind, think independently, and explore solutions creatively. Early childhood is a pivotal time for this development, as young minds are highly receptive to new ideas and experiences.

Fostering critical thinking from a young age helps children:

• Problem-Solving: Approach challenges with confidence and creativity.
• Decision-Making: Make informed choices by weighing options.
• Curiosity: Cultivate a love for learning and exploring new concepts.
• Social Interaction: Understand different perspectives and collaborate effectively with others.

How Creative Activities Foster Critical Thinking

• Open-Ended Art Projects Art projects that allow children to express themselves freely without strict guidelines encourage critical thinking. When children are given the freedom to choose their materials, colors, and designs, they must think about how to bring their vision to life. This process involves decision-making, problem-solving, and creativity.

Example Activity: Provide a variety of art supplies, such as colored paper, markers, glue, and recycled materials, and ask the children to create something that represents their favorite animal. There’s no right or wrong way to complete the project, which encourages children to think creatively and make decisions based on their ideas.

• Imaginative Play Imaginative play, such as role-playing or storytelling, is a powerful tool for developing critical thinking. It allows children to explore different scenarios, solve problems, and understand cause and effect. Through imaginative play, children learn to think ahead, plan, and adapt to new situations.

Example Activity : Set up a pretend grocery store in the classroom or at home. Encourage children to take on different roles, such as the cashier, shopper, or store manager. As they interact and make decisions within their roles, they practice critical thinking by navigating various challenges and scenarios.

Example Activity: Challenge the children to build the tallest tower they can using blocks. As they work, they’ll need to think about balance, structure, and stability, which promotes critical thinking and engineering skills.

• Puzzles and Brain Games Puzzles and brain games are excellent tools for developing critical thinking in preschoolers. These activities require children to analyze patterns, recognize relationships, and think logically to solve problems. Puzzles, in particular, help children develop persistence and patience as they work through challenges.

Example Activity : Provide age-appropriate puzzles or matching games that require children to think critically about how pieces fit together or how to complete a pattern. Encourage them to discuss their thought process as they work, reinforcing their critical thinking skills.

• Science Experiments Simple science experiments introduce preschoolers to the concepts of observation, hypothesis, and experimentation. By engaging in hands-on activities, children learn to ask questions, make predictions, and analyze outcomes, all of which are key components of critical thinking.

Example Activity: Conduct a simple experiment, such as mixing baking soda and vinegar to create a reaction. Ask the children what they think will happen before conducting the experiment, and then discuss the results. This encourages them to think critically about cause and effect.

Tips for Parents and Educators to Encourage Critical Thinking

• Ask Open-Ended Questions: Encourage children to think deeply by asking questions that don’t have a simple yes or no answer. For example, “Why do you think that happened?” or “How could we solve this problem?”
• Encourage Exploration: Provide opportunities for children to explore their environment, try new activities, and experiment with different materials. Allow them to make mistakes and learn from them, which is a key part of developing critical thinking.
• Model Critical Thinking: Demonstrate your own thought process when solving problems or making decisions. This can help children understand how to approach challenges thoughtfully and logically.
• Create a Supportive Environment: Foster a classroom or home environment where children feel safe to express their ideas, ask questions, and explore different perspectives. Positive reinforcement and encouragement can build their confidence in thinking critically.

Creative activities are more than just fun; they are essential tools for developing critical thinking in preschoolers. By engaging in art projects, imaginative play, building activities, puzzles, and simple science experiments, children learn to approach challenges with creativity and curiosity. As parents and educators, we have the opportunity to nurture these skills, setting the stage for a lifetime of learning and problem-solving.

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Developing Critical Thinking Curriculum

An advisory committee from 13 PLS participating hospitals assisted in the creation of this curricula designed to help educators identify the competency, performance criteria and learning needed to develop critical thinking and clinical reasoning skills. This curriculum includes foundational content as well as recommended activities for ongoing learning and support. Applicable for a wide audience, this curriculum is broken up by content for bedside clinicians and educators, preceptors and managers.

Materials referenced include: 

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• Children’s Mercy Kansas City’s BLACK CLOUD TM Nursing Critical Thinking Game

View the Curriculum. 

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Presented by mary ann jessee, phd, rn, associate professor, assistant dean for academics, generalist nursing practice, vanderbilt university school of nursing.  .

Strategies for Fostering Clinical Reasoning and Judgment in Clinical Practice (Part 1) In this session, Dr. Jessee explains the concepts of critical thinking, clinical reasoning, and clinical judgment and their importance to clinical practice. She describes the cognitive processes behind clinical reasoning and judgment that are critical to educator ability to foster learners’ skills. Dr. Jessee uses simulated scenarios to show clinical coaching (questioning, teaching, and feedback) in action with a new-graduate nurse. She describes a usable algorithm to foster educator ability to guide learners’ continued development of clinical reasoning and judgment. 

Clinical Coaching to Enhance Clinical Judgment in Practice (Part 2)

In this session, Dr. Jessee uses educators’ real-life scenarios to facilitate attendee identification and discussion of effective clinical coaching using the clinical coaching algorithm explained in Strategies for Fostering Clinical Reasoning and Judgment in Clinical Practice (Part 1) . Dr. Jessee collaborated with the learners to analyze how the actions of the educator impacted the growth of the staff with suggestions for positive change.

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Understanding the Next Generation of Pediatric Clinicians Staff from PLS researched the current health care learning landscape to assess new emerging trends. This included discussions around the challenges and opportunities hospitals are facing in educating their staff, changes in the learning landscape, and potential solutions going forward. 

• This article explores the key themes from this combined research effort .
• The Learning Landscape infographic shows a visual representation.

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How to Use Socratic Questioning to Improve Your Critical Thinking Skills

• The Speaker Lab
• September 13, 2024

Table of Contents

Socratic questioning isn’t merely a philosopher’s technique but a formidable asset for enhancing one’s critical thinking and articulation abilities. Want to improve your communication skills? Then this powerful tool is perfect for you too!

In this article, you’ll learn why this age-old technique still matters today and how it can transform conversations in your daily life. From understanding its roots to applying it in education and beyond, we’ll guide you through mastering Socratic questioning. Plus, we’ll tackle common challenges and even compare the Socratic method with other ones used for teaching. Ready to boost your analytical abilities? Let’s get started.

Understanding Socratic Questioning

Socratic questioning isn’t just a debate technique from ancient Greece. It’s like the Swiss Army knife of conversation tools, ready to dissect ideas and shine light on the truth.

This practice roots back to Socrates himself, who famously used it to challenge assumptions and foster critical thinking among his peers. But don’t let its age fool you—these questions are as useful today as they were over two millennia ago. Through the art of inquisitive interrogation, we strip down preconceived notions and unveil profound understandings about our convictions and choices.

The beauty of Socratic questioning lies in its versatility. It thrives anywhere curiosity lives, and isn’t confined to philosophy classes or legal chambers. If navigating personal quandaries or dissecting intricate work-related puzzles, embracing this method can turn ordinary chats into thoughtful dialogues.

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Types of Socratic Questions

Socrates, the renowned philosopher from ancient Athens, knew a thing or two about sparking insight. His method? Asking the right kinds of questions. Let’s break down these types of questions and look at them more closely.

Clarification Questions

First up are clarification questions. Imagine you’re trying to get to the bottom of why your friend always chooses odd vacation spots. You might ask, “What draws you to these places?” This type of open-ended question nudges someone to think more deeply about their initial statement or choice.

In practice, it’s like peeling an onion, because each layer reveals more until you hit the core truth. In this way, clarification question stay true to their name, offering a way to gain insight and better understanding.

Assumptions Probing

Next in line is probing assumptions, and using these is a bit like playing devil’s advocate. For instance, if someone says “All great speakers are born with talent,” you could counter with “Why do we assume talent can’t be developed?” These questions challenge underlying beliefs and open doors for fresh perspectives.

By adopting this method, we unearth concealed prejudices and prompt a reevaluation of our core convictions, paving the way for enlightenment and development.

Evidence Examination

Lastly we have examining evidence, and this is where critical thinking kicks into high gear. If your colleague claims “Our marketing strategy isn’t working,” dig deeper by asking “What data supports this conclusion?” This question not only scrutinizes the basis of assertions but promotes a fact-based discussion rather than one led by emotions or vague observations. In other words, this approach changes our dialogues from speculative arguments to discussions anchored in the tangible world.

By weaving Socratic inquiry into our daily dialogues, we cultivate spaces where authentic revelations and meaningful conversations flourish. The key lies in being curious enough to go deeper than surface-level exchanges and brave enough to question our own as well as others’ viewpoints rigorously.

Implementing Socratic Questioning in Everyday Life

So now you’ve been introduced to Socratic questioning and its brain-boosting powers. But how do you use it without sounding like a philosopher at dinner? Believer it or not, it’s simpler than you think.

Incorporating Into Daily Conversations

Mixing Socratic questioning into your daily conversations doesn’t mean turning every coffee run into a debate club meeting. Instead, start with simple introspection, asking yourself why you believe what you do about common topics, whether it’s politics, education, or even the best burger joint in town.

To navigate conversations effectively, aim to ignite a spark of curiosity rather than sparking heated debates. Ask open-ended questions that invite people to explain their views more deeply. While there’s nothing wrong with the occasional yes-or-no inquiry, avoid using them exclusively as they typically shut down discussion.

Mastering this method doesn’t just mean you shine in debate victories. It’s equally adept at helping you navigate significant and minor choices alike. Applying this level of scrutiny can lead to better choices by ensuring all angles are considered before jumping in headfirst.

Becoming Your Own Thoughtful Critic

As mentioned earlier, apply these methods inwardly too. When facing personal dilemmas or life choices, being able to dissect your own reasoning can clarify what you truly want. It can also help you identify what might simply be an impulsive desire. Employed thoughtfully, they foster self-reflection leading to more informed choices aligned with one’s values.

By practicing Socratic questioning regularly, you’ll develop a knack for critical thinking that rivals ancient philosophers.

Socratic Questioning in Education

Imagine walking into a classroom where the air buzzes with curiosity, and every question leads to another. Because of its exploratory nature, Socratic inquiry is perfect for transforming every classroom into a hive of exploration.

Using Socratic Questions in the Classroom

Using the three different types of Socratic questions, students can gain deeper understanding and insight into a variety of topics. For instance, suppose students in a history class used evidence-based questions to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of a democratic government. Similarly, an English class could use clarification questions to dive deeper into a text and characters’ motivations. Science teachers could even use assumption questions to introduce scientific phenomena like centrifugal force or buoyancy.

The rationale behind someone’s arguments becomes clearer through Socratic questioning. By following a line of inquiry, students can dissect how certain conclusions were reached. As a result, students gain a greater understanding of other perspectives, putting them in an ideal position to experience empathy and broaden their own viewpoints.

The Challenges of Socratic Questioning

Despite its many benefits, Socratic questioning can prove challenging in the classroom. Some find it leads to confusion or frustration due to its open-ended nature or when improperly applied without consideration for individual learning styles or emotional readiness.

Navigating these challenges effectively requires patience along with an understanding of what students are prepared to handle. And of course, a little practice goes a long way.

The Challenges and Criticisms of Socratic Questioning

Socratic questioning, though effective in fostering deep thought, comes with its own set of obstacles. Diving into this approach, we often bump into a few stumbling blocks and critiques that are worth mentioning.

Can Lead to Frustration

At times, diving headfirst into the pursuit of profound insights can end up making individuals feel even more bewildered than they were to begin with. Imagine you’re trying to find your way out of a maze, but every turn you take leads to another question instead of an exit. That’s how some folks feel during intense sessions of Socratic questioning. It requires patience and resilience from all parties involved.

In addition, Socratic questioning demands a high level of engagement which might be draining over long periods. The key here is balance, knowing when to dive deeper and when to surface back with the answers found.

Potential Power Imbalance

In scenarios where one person holds all the questions (and thereby controls the direction of conversation), there can be an unintended power imbalance. This dynamic might make some participants hesitant to share their thoughts openly or challenge ideas being presented.

To mitigate this issue, facilitators need careful training on creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels empowered to contribute equally.

Risk of Misinterpretation

Questions are open-ended by nature. This means there’s room for interpretation in responses received as well as in subsequent questions asked. Misunderstandings can occur if either party reads too much between lines or assumes knowledge not actually possessed by others.

Clear communication is crucial here, and asking follow-up questions helps ensure everyone remains on the same page throughout discussions.

Comparing Socratic Questioning with Other Teaching Methods

Socratic questioning demonstrates the power of asking questions that encourage deep thought and learning. In contrast to conventional educational tactics, which frequently emphasize memorization, this strategy nurtures analytical reasoning by prompting learners to explore and conclude independently.

Traditional Lectures

In traditional lectures, information flows one way: from teacher to student. As a result, students might find themselves drifting off or lost in a flurry of note-taking, barely connecting with the essence of what’s being taught. When you bring Socratic questioning into play, however, the classroom becomes a dialogue rather than a monologue. Students become active participants in their education, not just passive receivers of information.

In addition to increased attention, students can also gain a deeper understanding of fundamental concepts. For instance, instead of simply memorizing historical facts, students might explore why certain events unfolded as they did and how they could have been different under other circumstances.

Group Projects

Group projects aim to foster collaboration but sometimes fall short when some voices dominate while others fade into the background. Integrating Socratic questioning encourages every group member to voice their thoughts and question each other’s assumptions critically—a key skill in both academic settings and real-world problem-solving scenarios.

By dissecting intricate concepts, this technique ensures all participants can grasp and add value to the conversation, thereby enhancing inclusivity and efficacy in learning among varied groups.

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Resources for Further Exploration of Socratic Questioning

If you’re eager to dive deeper into the world of Socratic questioning, a wealth of resources awaits. From books that lay the foundational principles to interactive websites offering practical exercises, there’s something for every level of curiosity and expertise.

Books That Challenge and Inspire

If reading is your thing, there are plenty of books that delve deeper into Socratic questioning. Take, for instance, “The Art of Socratic Questioning,” which delves into the nuances of this timeless technique, offering readers insights into crafting questions that stimulate deep thinking.

Meanwhile, “Socrates’ Café: A Fresh Taste of Philosophy” brings philosophy out of the academy and into everyday life, demonstrating how Socratic questioning remains as relevant today as it was in ancient Greece. (And speaking of ancient Greece, have you ever heard of the three rhetorical appeals? Check them out here .)

Lastly, “Socrates in the Boardroom” delves into the application of these philosophical approaches within leadership spheres, urging individuals to scrutinize their decision-making methods critically.

Websites Offering Interactive Learning Experiences

The digital age brings with it innovative ways to engage with classical education methods. Websites like The Critical Thinking Community offer extensive guides on implementing Socratic techniques in educational settings or personal growth endeavors. For those looking for a more hands-on approach, Socrative , allows users to create real-time quizzes inspired by the probing nature of Socratic inquiry. This tool is perfect for educators aiming to invigorate their classrooms or for individuals keen on testing their critical thinking skills.

FAQs About Socratic Questioning

What is an example of socratic question.

An example of a Socratic question would be, “What evidence supports your thinking?” This question encourages a deep dive into reasoning, pushing for clarity and proof.

What is the Socratic method of questioning?

It is a form of inquiry that challenges beliefs through systematic questioning, aiming to uncover assumptions and improve understanding.

What are the 4 stages of Socratic questioning?

The four stages include clarifying concepts, examining assumptions, seeking evidence or reasons, and exploring implications or consequences.

What is Socratic questioning in CBT examples?

In CBT, it might involve asking “How does this thought affect your actions?” to link thoughts with behavior patterns.

So now you have a better handle on Socratic questioning. It’s not just ancient philosophy; it’s a tool for the critical thinkers of today. Not only does it sharpen your thinking, it ups your conversation game. By challenging us to think deeper, Socratic questioning boosts analytical skills, making every moment of curiosity matter.

While there are some hurdles to the method, there are plenty of ways to overcome those obstacles. And in comparison to other techniques, it has plenty of advantages and benefits.

Beyond sharpening minds in dialogue or education lies the power of asking better questions—and that’s where real growth happens.

• Last Updated: September 12, 2024

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Solutions Spotlight: A Cascade of Impacts: The Many Ways Water Affects Child Development

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SOLUTIONS SPOTLIGHT

A Cascade of Impacts: The Many Ways Water Affects Child Development

What surrounds us—and goes into us—shapes our biology, including our brain, immune, and metabolic systems. This is particularly true during the prenatal and early childhood periods when our bodies are especially sensitive to outside influences. Water is a critical part of a child’s environment, and disruptions in the availability and quality of water can impact young children’s development and health, both in the moment and across the lifespan. Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, leading to more disruptions in clean water access, flooding, displacement, and more.

A Cascade of Impacts: The Many Ways Water Affects Child Development, the latest working paper from the Early Childhood Scientific Council on Equity and the Environment (ECSCEE), explores how water affects children’s health, learning, and behavior and how ensuring access to safe drinking water is necessary to support the healthy development of all children. This Solutions Spotlight offers examples of practical solutions communities are taking to address disparities in access to clean water and navigate climate-related threats such as flooding in their communities.

Improving Access to Clean Water During Pregnancy & Early Childhood

A young child’s organs are developing rapidly, so they require more water than adult organs and are more sensitive to what is in that water. These organs absorb everything in the water we drink, from beneficial nutrients and bacteria to toxic metals, chemicals, viruses, and parasites. This can have lasting implications for children’s development. Policy and community initiatives that increase access to clean water can help support development and lifelong health.

Protecting Young Children from Lead Exposure in Childcare Centers

Exposure to lead during early childhood can cause a range of negative impacts on health and learning. To protect young children from these potential harms, North Carolina passed a resolution in 2019 requiring all licensed childcare centers to test for lead in tap water, followed by a 2023 requirement for public schools. The NC Division of Public Health partnered with RTI International, NC Child (a community advocacy group), and the Duke Environmental Law and Policy Clinic to make substantive rule changes to protect public health. The RTI-created Clean Water for Carolina Kids program includes mail-out sample kits and an online portal paired with ample training and communication to identify and eliminate exposure to lead at the tap. If lead is detected, the program helps facilities implement low-cost solutions and understand how to practice clean water habits. By 2022, all licensed childcare centers in the state were tested for lead. The expanded Clean Classrooms for Carolina Kids program is now testing taps at every public school across NC and retesting centers, plus provides mitigation for any tap above the state’s lead action level. The initiative’s success in North Carolina led to a similar Clean Water for Georgia Kids program in Georgia and the creation of Clean Water for US Kids, which aims to eliminate exposure to contaminants in drinking water where people live, learn, and play.

Improving Clean Water Access for Pregnant People

In New Hampshire, the state is working to limit exposure to heavy metals in drinking water during pregnancy. Some chemicals in drinking water can cross through the placenta to affect a fetus, which has lasting implications for children’s development. Recognizing that water testing kits and filtration systems are often inaccessible to low-income communities, the NH Water Well-Ness Initiative provides free, private well water testing to low-income pregnant participants of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). After WIC staff connect with qualifying participants and talk to them about water testing, those households are mailed a free water testing kit and a pre-paid envelope to send the test to a lab. If high levels of heavy metals—such as lead or arsenic—are found in the water, the state mails free water filters to those households. This program is notable in recognizing the importance of improving access to clean water during pregnancy.

Increasing Clean Water Access for Children in Indigenous and Rural Communities

Historical disputes over property rights, town borders, and dispossession of Native lands have resulted in significantly less access to affordable, clean water in Indigenous communities and disenfranchised rural areas. Agua4All is a nonprofit launched in 2014 by the Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC) in partnership with the California Endowment. Agua4All funds water bottle filling stations and provides reusable water bottles in schools and community centers, with a focus on rural and Indigenous populations. Since its launch, Agua4All has installed 913 water bottle filling stations and distributed over 17,000 reusable water bottles in California. By increasing access to clean drinking water, efforts like this can address the impacts of current and historic discriminatory policies, with significant positive effects on the health and well-being of children in these communities.

Enhancing Climate Resiliency Today & Preventing Future Harm from Climate Change

Climate change is making extreme weather events, like hurricanes and extreme rainstorms, more frequent and more intense. Flooding can affect children’s access to clean drinking water by overwhelming the infrastructure we depend on to treat and manage our drinking water and by washing more pollutants into our lakes, rivers, and aquifers. Extreme weather can also displace families or lead to unpredictability and job loss. This can cause anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for children and their caregivers, making it difficult for adults to provide basic needs, like food or housing, as well as responsive caregiving. The following community and policy initiatives can help safeguard children and caregivers from the effects of extreme weather.

Adapting Infrastructure to Reduce the Effects of Extreme Weather

The City of New Orleans and a coalition of nonprofit partners called Umbrella worked together in a low-elevation, low-income neighborhood to install green infrastructure and reduce the threat of flooding. The initiative began by talking to residents in this neighborhood about their needs, hesitations, and the impact green infrastructure could make. With these conversations in mind, the coalition installed 125 trees and 16 rain barrels and replaced 1,300+ square feet of pavement with permeable pavers and gardens. Trees absorb rain primarily through their roots; Rain barrels collect water that runs off roofs; and permeable pavers and gardens allow water to enter the soil below. This installation by Umbrella is enough to prevent 30,000 gallons of water per hour from entering the drainage system. By taking steps to reduce flooding in a community, this coalition is helping to safeguard water infrastructure and prevent children and their caregivers from experiencing flood-related displacement or trauma.

Addressing the Root Causes of Climate Change and Working Toward Fair, Reliable Water Access

In 2021, the Mayor of San Francisco pledged that the city would be carbon neutral by 2040. To create the 2021 climate plan, the city hosted 11 public workshops and 11 community presentations, and 1,400 comments were submitted through an online “open house.” Now, the city is demonstrating its commitment to drawing energy from renewable sources, including through CleanPowerSF, which provides thousands of businesses and residents with electricity that is approximately 98% greenhouse gas-free. In September 2023, San Francisco added a water addendum to its climate pledge, recognizing that climate change is affecting water supplies, and that the city needs to take action to ensure a high-quality and reliable water supply into the future. Actions include recycling wastewater from large parks and golf courses and investigating alternative water supplies (including desalination). The city also recognizes that water is a human right and can be unaffordable in many communities. To address this, the city provides water bill subsidies for low-income residents. Through these efforts, San Francisco is addressing the immediate water needs of residents and working to prevent future harm from climate change, both of which are critical to safeguarding the health and well-being of young children and their caregivers.

Related Topics: Early Childhood Development , water , environment

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Briefs : Growing Up in a Warming World: How climate change is affecting the availability and safety of water in the developmental environment

Reports & Working Papers : A Cascade of Impacts: The Many Ways Water Affects Child Development

Briefs : InBrief | A Cascade of Impacts: The Many Ways Water Affects Child Development