Children who enjoy puzzles and challenges can enhance their critical thinking skills at a young age through various methods. Below are ten critical thinking activities specifically designed for preschoolers and older toddlers, aimed at cultivating the mindset of critical thinkers. These straightforward activities can be easily implemented today.
Critical Thinking Games
1. What Can You Make with a Circle?
This game can be played at home, in the car, on an airplane, or in the waiting room. It is a creative and enjoyable way to discover the existence of multiple problem-solving methods and multiple correct answers.
You can create a circle on a chalkboard or any piece of paper and ask your child to transform it into a different object. They might choose to shape it into a flower, a sun, or even use it as the body for an animal. Remember, there is no definite right answer.
Please replicate what I have done.
A Copy Me game is an excellent method to enhance spatial awareness. Utilize various objects found in your household to create a design, and subsequently encourage your child to replicate it using a matching set of materials!
Firstly, arrange the design on the left and the materials on the right for my son to manage. Practice this repeatedly. Then, let your child challenge you by creating a design and asking you to replicate it. Engaging in this activity will help develop different skills by creating designs and verifying your response.
List of potential materials:
- crayons
- silverware
- toothpicks
- q-tips
- blocks
- craft sticks
- pom poms
- cookie cutters
- magnetic letters
What is not present? Part 1
Even if you’re on the move, you can still engage in this activity that promotes critical thinking. All you require is a piece of paper and a pencil or a dry erase board. Create an illustration of an object but intentionally exclude one element. Prompt your child by asking, “What is absent in this picture?”. Experiment with:
- letters
- numbers
- dog
- cat
- face
- person
- car
- train
- child’s name
- bird
- flower
What is not included in Part 2?
In this critical thinking activity, challenge your child to put together a picture by reusing an old magazine or ad. Cut out various pictures and cut off a portion of each picture. By thinking step by step, your child can work on this activity, which is simpler than What’s Missing – Part 1. Remember, do not add or remove any information.
5. Puzzles with Stickers.
To set the stage in this critical thinking exercise, you will need foam stickers and paper. On the left, arrange the stickers in a specific design and then challenge your child to recreate it on the right.
I placed the stickers onto the left side of the paper according to the design, while my son only placed the stickers in the correct arrangement on the right side. This allowed us to use this activity multiple times. We kept it in a bag and easily carried it in my purse for entertainment while at the restaurant or in a waiting room.
6. The Shape Contains Squares.
How can you fit the squares into these shapes? Create this exercise by placing the wooden square blocks on the page and then tracing the outline around them. Completing some of these may be more challenging than others. If you lack the wooden blocks depicted, consider using legos instead.
7. Stories in the form of stickers.
As older children design their own story with stickers, their creative thinking is enhanced. The process involves arranging stickers on the page and subsequently adding details using crayons or markers. After completing the design, challenge your child to narrate a story about the events depicted in the picture. You can either write down the story or simply listen attentively.
8. The Odd One Out
Playing The Odd One Out is a fantastic game for children, as it enhances their critical thinking skills by engaging their understanding of patterns, vocabulary, differences, and similarities. There are multiple methods to play this game.
- worksheets
- online games
- using toys around the house
- as a listening activity by saying words
To those who are unfamiliar with this game, allow me to provide an explanation. The game involves displaying four objects or images to a child. Among these items, three share a common trait while the fourth is unrelated to the others. The task for the child is to identify the object that does not belong. It is worth noting that the game can feature more than four objects if desired.
9. What Comes Next (Patterns)
One game that is good for kids and also simple to play is What Comes Next. The game is based on patterns, which are helpful in teaching children about what comes next, and thus encouraging them to develop logical connections and critical thinking skills. When we understand patterns, we are able to make educated guesses, assumptions, and bring order into a world that might appear chaotic.
A game called What Comes Next can be played using worksheets, toys around the house, apps, and computer games, just like The Odd One Out.
10. Use Books
Books provide excellent chances to practice reasoning abilities. When engaged in reading with your child, you can easily pause and inquire open-ended questions such as “What are your thoughts on the future of X (the character)?” or “How do you anticipate X will respond in this situation?”
By thinking step by step, the text below can be rephrased while maintaining the same meaning. The aim is to encourage the child to make assumptions and use their creativity to come up with answers.
11. Riddles
When it comes to stimulating cognitive abilities and enhancing thinking skills, nothing surpasses solving a riddle.
Riddles are beneficial because they assist children in concentrating solely on one problem until they discover the solution. They enhance the brain by treating it like a muscle that must be engaged to maintain its fitness. Additionally, they inspire children to think creatively and consider unconventional answers, all while offering amusement and requiring no prior preparation.
To find riddles for kids on the internet, all you need to do is conduct a search as it is abundant with such puzzles.
12. Match the shadow
Shadow Matching is an activity specifically designed for young children to improve their problem-solving abilities. This activity is highly beneficial for enhancing visual discrimination and memory skills, as well as developing the ability to observe patterns, similarities, and differences.
13. Tic Tac Toe
It is quite astonishing to think that Tic Tac Toe, a game invented by ancient Egyptians, has been around for such a long time. This game, although simple, has 255,000 different outcomes and can be enjoyed by children as young as two or three years old.
The rules are simple to comprehend: there are two players, one using X as their symbol and the other using 0. They engage in a game on a grid measuring 3×3, aiming for their symbols to be placed three times consecutively in a row, whether in a vertical, horizontal, or diagonal direction.
There are two ways to play Tic Tac Toe. The first is the traditional way, using pen and paper. The second way is to use manipulatives, which is more appealing for children.
