17 Projects for Kids That Promote Critical Thinking
Because your kids are tired of Zoom school
Critical thinking is a much-needed skill in our current world. Employers are not simply looking at someone’s IQ or diploma–they’re searching for employees who can actively contribute to the company by their ability to think critically.
This skill is not something that can just be acquired quickly when it’s time to apply for jobs. Rather, critical thinking is something that should be cultivated from an early age.
As parents, we tend to feel overwhelmed at all of the expectations that society places on our children. From violin lessons to volleyball practice to Chinese class to painting lessons to coding practice, kids are expected to develop endless skills and talents.
Here’s the secret: building a foundation of critical thinking will help your children succeed at whatever they are interested in. Critical thinking is what will equip them to thrive in the classroom, in social circles, on the field, in the workplace, and wherever they go.
What’s the earliest age kids can start developing critical thinking? As early as kindergarten, you can start laying the foundation for critical thinking in your kids. Here are some creative ideas for how to promote critical thinking in a fun way:
1. Write a letter using only words cut from newspapers and magazines.
Give your kids a variety of newspapers and magazines. Then, ask them who they’d like to write a letter to. Maybe it’s a friend, a teacher, a neighbor, or a relative. Tell them they can say anything they want to in that letter, but each word must be cut from the newspapers and magazines (except the recipient’s name and the child’s name). They can paste each cut-out word onto a piece of paper and then send the letter.
For younger kids, choose a letter and have them find words that start with that letter in the newspapers and magazines and cut them out. For example, if the letter is F, they might find fruit, fun, from, and finally. They can cut out these words and glue them onto construction paper.
2. Choose 20 words for the day.
This one is challenging, but your kids will learn a lot from it. First, have them choose 20 words they can use for the day. They should choose words that are commonly used in daily life. Then, tell them they can’t say any other words besides those 20 for the rest of the day. They’ll be forced to think about how to communicate using very few words, and maybe they’ll realize they should have chosen more useful words. Repeat the activity another day to give them a chance to improve their choices.
For younger kids, choose the 20 words together. Both you and your child are limited to those 20 words for the day. At the end of the day, have a discussion about which words would have been a better choice to include.
3. Brainstorm about how to solve the biggest problems in the country.
This is a great group activity for kids to do with their friends. Ask them this question: What’s the biggest problem in the country? Give them time to think about it. Then, encourage them to discuss how to solve the problem each child came up with. Kids have a unique ability to see solutions that adults often miss!
For younger kids, ask these questions: What’s the biggest problem at your school? How can we solve it?
4. Make a weekly meal plan.
While this may be a monotonous part of life for adults, it can be exciting for kids. Give each of your children the responsibility of planning meals for a week. Include certain parameters such as requiring at least one vegetable per meal, taking into account family allergies, etc. Then, take them shopping to get all the ingredients needed for the week. Involve them in the food prep and cooking process. At the end of the week, discuss how to improve the weekly plan.
For younger kids, plan one dinner together and give them a small task to help prepare the meal.
5. Create a diorama of a favorite movie scene.
What’s your child’s favorite movie? Have them pick a scene and create a diorama of it to keep in their bedroom. Maybe they love Lord of the Rings. They can make a diorama of the scene when Frodo and Sam are inside Mount Doom or when Sam rescues Frodo from Shelob the spider. Encourage them to use materials they find around the house to enhance their creativity.
For younger kids, have them draw a picture of their favorite movie scene and hang it on their bedroom wall.
6. Experiment with origami.
Origami is a great way for kids to build visualization skills, which strengthens critical thinking. It’s easy to find step-by-step origami instructions online. Simply have your kids decide what they want to make.
For younger kids, choose a simple origami creation and make it together.
7. Write out directions to a favorite restaurant.
Giving directions allows kids to develop the ability to classify information. Ask your kids to write down step-by-step directions to their favorite restaurant. Then, follow the directions to see if they were correct. If you end up somewhere that’s not the restaurant, have your child verbally guide you to the restaurant.
For younger kids, have them verbally direct you from the kitchen to their bedroom. Follow their directions exactly to encourage them to be as specific as possible.
8. Design a game to play with friends.
Kids spend tons of time playing video games, computer games, and phone games. With the amount of experience they have with these games, they should be able to create their own game. It can be a board game, a card game, a word game, or an outline of a video game. Then, do what you can to make it possible for your kids to play the game with their friends.
For younger kids, have them design a simple maze or word search for their friends to complete.
9. Make a presentation about a favorite animal.
What’s your child’s favorite animal? Have them do sufficient research to create a presentation that showcases what it’s like to be that animal. Then, ask them to present what they’ve learned in front of the whole family.
For younger kids, have them make a slideshow of pictures of their favorite animals and explain what they like about them.
10. Volunteer.
It’s extremely important for kids to develop empathy at an early age. One of the best ways to do this is through volunteering at a homeless shelter or soup kitchen. After each experience volunteering, encourage your kids to ask questions and think about the poverty and racial inequality that leads to homelessness. This is a great way to inspire thoughtfulness in your kids.
Younger kids can volunteer too. Maybe they aren’t old enough to serve food, but they can cheer people up by spending time with them and making them laugh. Nothing can make you smile like a kid’s antics!
11. Create a collage of items necessary for surviving in the jungle.
Tell your kids to imagine being stuck alone in the jungle. What would they need in order to survive? Once they have a list of items, invite them to create a collage of these items. They can be drawings, magazine cutouts, or printed images found online.
For younger kids, help them with their list and with finding the pictures of each item.
12. Cut out a comic strip and draw the final panel.
Do your kids read the newspaper comics? Even if they don’t, this is a great critical thinking exercise. Cut out a comic strip and remove the final panel. Give it to your child and tell them to create a final panel that gives the comic a funny conclusion. You might find their ending is even more hilarious than the original comic!
For younger kids, ask them to draw a picture of something you suggest. Make it as detailed as possible.
13. Invent a secret code with a friend.
Did you ever learn Morse Code or Pig Latin as a child? There’s something so exciting about being able to communicate in a secret code. Encourage your kids to invent a secret code with their friends. Rather than having them tell you what it is, see if you can eventually figure it out.
For younger kids, teach them a secret code you’re familiar with. They’ll love using the secret code when you’re together in the grocery store or in the park…and they’ll have to think critically about how to say what they want to say.
14. Design a scavenger hunt for younger siblings or neighbors.
Kids are used to doing scavenger hunts designed by adults, but they rarely get the chance to make their own scavenger hunts. Tell your kids to go around the neighborhood finding things to put on a scavenger hunt. Bonus points if they make their own riddles! Make it a neighborhood competition to see who can complete the scavenger hunt first.
For younger kids, help them create a scavenger hunt that challenges them to think of specific things (i.e. instead of “find a tree,” say “find the tallest tree in our neighborhood”).
15. Create a palindrome of at least three words.
What’s a palindrome? It’s a word, phrase, or sentence that reads the same both backward and forward. Some examples are Madam, I’m Adam and Rise to vote, sir. Ask your kids to create their own palindrome that’s at least three words. It might be difficult for them, but they’ll feel so accomplished once they think of one.
For younger kids, explain the concept of palindromes and share some examples with them. See if they can read them both forward and backward.
16. Draw a family coat of arms.
This activity encourages critical thinking and connects the family in a deeper way. First, ask your kids about what makes your family unique. Then, have them create a family coat of arms by drawing a shield and filling it with visual representations of what makes your family unique.
For younger kids, you may have to help create the family coat of arms. Ask them to contribute what they think makes your family special.
17. Search for a problem to solve.
Whether you’re young or old, there are problems all around you waiting to be solved. Encourage your kids to go around the house or around the neighborhood searching for a problem. Then, ask them how they can solve it. Invite them to take action.
Younger kids might need more guidance in finding and solving problems. With some help, they’ll start to think critically about the world around them and they’ll be ready to take action.
Once your kids find a problem to solve, they might be able to turn their solution into a business idea. They can get all the tools they need to start a business when they join MyFirstSale, a learn-by-doing platform that helps kids sell their products online. Starting a business for kids takes critical thinking to the next level.
Originally published at https://myfirstsale.com on March 1, 2021.
