12 Easy Critical Thinking Activities for Preschoolers

Critical thinking is a valuable skill and one that young children should be actively taught. The best way to teach this to preschoolers and kindergarteners is through play activities, discussions and stories.

Critical thinking is one of the higher-order thinking skills and is the process of analyzing information using logic, reasoning and creativity, in order to understand things and draw conclusions. [source]

These 12 critical thinking games for kids are screen-free, traditional games that can be played with your preschoolers at home or in class.

1. I Spy

The traditional game of I Spy can be played in many ways e.g. spying objects based on initial sounds or colours.

To test children’s thinking, play this game by using descriptive clues that don’t involve sounds or colours.

Example:

• I spy with my little eye something that’s soft, round and can be thrown.
• I spy with my little eye something that grows, is smooth and is found on trees.

2. Build a Story

This game is about creative thinking and language development.

Start by making up an introduction to a story:

Once upon a time, there was a little grey cat.

The child then adds a sentence to the story, thus changing the direction of the story:

The little grey cat was lost in the woods.

Then you add a sentence, or the next child adds a sentence, and so the story continues:

Suddenly, he heard a whisper behind him and he froze.

This game usually ends in fits of laughter and a ridiculous story but uses a lot of brainpower and imagination.

3. Rhyming Game

Play this rhyming game by challenging children to think of words that rhyme with an easy word such as cat or tap. This game is great for developing auditory perception.

Say a sentence such as “I have a…” or “I see a…” and add in a simple word such as cat. Your child then responds with the same sentence using an appropriate rhyming word and you continue the game until you run out of words together.

Then choose a new word.

Example:

You: I see a cat.

Child: I see a rat.

You: I see a mat.

Child: I see a hat.

Here are some more rhyming games for preschoolers.

4. How Many Can You Think of?

This game challenges children to think of words that fit into a theme or category.

Choose a category, such as colours, and put a timer on for one minute. Ask children to name as many words as they can that fit into the category, without repeating any.

Write down the words as they are said and count the total at the end. They will be motivated to beat the total in the next round.

Try these fun category games too.

5. Matchstick Buildings

Build 3D structures out of matchsticks and a variety of materials that can be used to join the edges – e.g. Prestik, Blu Tack, jelly sweets, little marshmallows, tape, playdough, glue, etc.

This will teach some technology skills and encourage planning, thinking and problem-solving as kids attempt to figure out how to join parts together and make things stand, balance or hold in a particular position.

6. Cloud Stories

Every child will enjoy this activity. Go outside on a nice cloudy day, lie next to each other on the grass and look for pictures in the clouds.

Once you have found a few, encourage your child to tell a story by tying all the pictures together.

7. Lego Theme

If your children have Lego or other construction blocks, challenge them to build an entire theme that you’ve chosen.

You could ask them to build a farm theme, complete with animals and farmhouses, and then ask them to build a space station. You will be surprised by how creative children can be when challenged to think of ways to create.

8. Tangrams

Tangrams are great for learning geometry and pattern recognition. They usually come with pattern cards to follow but this particular activity should be done without them.

Use the shapes to create a particular image, e.g. a specific animal, without giving direction. Your children must think about how to build various parts of a body by joining shapes together.

9. Tic-Tac-Toe

This game, also known as noughts and crosses is an excellent thinking skills game and also develops planning skills.

Draw a simple table like the one above on paper or a chalkboard. Take turns to add a nought or a cross to the table and see who can make a row of three first.

Your child will probably catch on in no time and start thinking carefully before placing their symbol.

This game can also be played with coloured counters or different objects.

10. What is it?

Hold an object or toy behind your back. Your children must guess what it is by asking questions to extract clues.

Have them hide an item first so you can model the kinds of questions allowed. Then swap and let them formulate questions. With time, children will learn how to ask targeted questions that narrow down the options.

Examples:

• Is it soft or hard?
• Can I eat it?
• Can it fit in my hand?
• Does it make a sound?

11. Hide and Seek

In this game of Hide and Seek an object is hidden instead of a person.

This is a variation of the game above and involves giving directions or clues for where the object is hidden.

Hide the object then provide clues such as:

• It is far from here.
• It is outside the house.
• There is water near it.
• It is in the shade.

These clues can be easy or challenging, depending on kids’ age and ability to think.

12. What Happened Next?

This game works on imagination, creativity and thinking skills. Choose a favourite story and have children make up an alternative ending.

For example, Little Red Riding Hood goes into the woods with her basket but gets lost on the way and cannot find her grandmother’s house. What happens next?

Encourage your children to think of solutions to problems encountered along the way and ideas for how the characters can deal with certain situations.

I hope you’ve enjoyed these ideas!

For a simple way to develop higher-order thinking skills, ask your children these thinking questions during story time.