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10 Engaging Critical Thinking Activities

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10 Engaging Critical Thinking Activities

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10 Engaging Critical Thinking Activities

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Teacher Planning Kit

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Creative Thinking Ideas for Kindergarten

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Creative Thinking Ideas for Kindergarten

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With so much emphasis put on class work, common core curriculum, and even homework, creative thinking can get pushed to the bottom of the barrel for kids, even kindergarteners.

The days of playing and coloring all day in kindergarten seem to be long gone. They've been replaced with activities that were long reserved for kids in other grades. But, that doesn't mean we turn our backs on creative thinking altogether, does it?

In fact, that's when parents need to get thinking themselves to get their kids on board the creative train.

If you need some motivation, check out these 7 kindergarten creative thinking activities for kids:

1. Play the what if game

This can be a silly game that can put your little one's creativity to the test.

In order to play this game, think of funny scenarios that will get those little minds moving.

Here are some examples:

What if cats barked and dogs meowed?

What if you (child) could drive?

What if it was sunny all night and dark all day?

What would happen if horses went moo?

You get the idea. See what your child comes up with - you may be surprised!

2. Dress up with your imagination

You know all of those clothes that you either don't want any more or don't fit you or you're saving for no good reason? Save them and use them as one of your child's kindergarten creative thinking activities. Here's how:

Gather all of the clothes and put them in one big pile. It's a mess that's worth making, trust me!

Next, tell your child to put together an outfit and put it on. Ask them what they're dressed up as. You may end up with a princess police officer or a crazy doctor or maybe the next Gucci!

Whatever the case, your child is using his or her imagination to create a unique character.

And if you're really smart, you'll get them to play the role of maid and clean up their mess afterwards 🙂 It's a win-win.

3. Sponge paint

Art is a great way for kids to express their creative thinking. For this activity, go to any craft story and buy sponges that can be used for paint.

Obviously stock up on plenty of colors and paper, then go home and get to work. Let your kids create anything they wish. They're going to get messy, so just deal with it! It's all in the name of creativity.

If you want to really challenge them, you can tell them to paint certain objects to see how they envision the world.

Pro Tip: Help Your Child Become Better at Creative Thinking

Download your free copy of the Atlas Mission and let your child play this award-winning educational game. Your child will become better at creative thinking without even realizing it!

4. Creative role playing

There's nothing more creative than having kids role play with either stuffed animals or dolls. Here they get to create conversations and situations however they'd like.

This not only lets their imaginations soar, but also helps to build their social skills to see how the little people in their world interact.

Have your child take a couple of stuffed animals and act out whatever they'd like. They can use funny voices and create a whole new world.

5. A new ending

Kids love to hear a good story. But what if you let them create their own ending? That can be even better.

Pick a book, maybe one that isn't exactly a favorite, so you don't ruin their favorite ending. That would defeat the purpose.

Read it to your child all the way up to the ending. When you reach that point, stop and ask how they would end it.

Chances are they'll love their new version much better!

6. Name game

For this game ask the child to name as many things as he or she can that are red, for example. From there ask how many things are shaped like a circle.

Keep going with different examples. You can even keep score and have a competition.

Feel free to go crazy and award little prizes!

7. Sketch & create

This activity requires a trip to the craft store on your part. Grab rolls of very long paper... we're talking long enough to trace your child's body.

When you get home, have your child lie on the paper and trace his or her body. Then have him or her fill in the details. It's interesting to see how kids perceive themselves, and how creative they can be while drawing themselves.

When it comes to kindergarten creative thinking activities, the sky's the limit. You may even come up with some ideas on a whim as you see where your child's imagination is taking him!
P.S. Did you know that the Atlas Mission is the only educational game that teaches your child ALL the skills they need to succeed in the 21st century?
It covers both core skills like reading, writing & STEM, as well as 21st century skills like creativity, critical thinking, problem solving & coding.

Use the button below to download your free copy:

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7 Kindergarten Creative Thinking Activities that are Fun for Kids - Atlas Mission

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With so much emphasis put on class work, common core curriculum, and even homework, creative thinking can get pushed to the bottom of the barrel for kids, even kindergarteners. The days of playing and coloring all day in kindergarten seem to be long gone.

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Using hexagons to make connections

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Creative Thinking: How to Increase the Dots to Connect

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Creative Thinking_ Skill Development Framework

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Critical Thinking_ Skill Development Framework

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Critical Thinking Workbook - Collection of ideas

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Critical Thinking Workbook - Collection of ideas

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Critical Thinking Brain Boosters (Primary Pack)

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Quick creative ideas using the Periodic Table (PDF)

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Questions designed to make your brain hurt, but such great fun.

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How many connections can be made?

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We use these in science regularly. We've displayed posters of the common ones we use.

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A short introduction to Project Zero's thinking routines:
what are they?
why would I want to use them?
how can I get started?

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SCAMPER

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How to Use the Tool

First, take an existing product or service. This could be one that you want to improve, one that you're currently having problems with, or one that you think could be a good starting point for future development.

Then, ask questions about the product you've identified, using the mnemonic to guide you. Brainstorm as many questions and answers as you can. (We've included some example questions, below.)

Some ideas that you generate using the tool may be impractical or may not suit your circumstances. Don't worry about this - the aim is to generate as many ideas as you can.

Finally, look at the answers that you came up with. Do any stand out as viable solutions? Could you use any of them to create a new product, or develop an existing one? If any of your ideas seem viable, then you can explore them further.

SCAMPER Questions

Let's look at some of the questions you could ask for each letter of the mnemonic:

Substitute

What materials or resources can you substitute or swap to improve the product?

What other product or process could you use?

What rules could you substitute?

Can you use this product somewhere else, or as a substitute for something else?

What will happen if you change your feelings or attitude toward this product?

Combine

What would happen if you combine this product with another, to create something new?

What if you combine purposes or objectives?

What could you combine to maximize the uses of this product?

How could you combine talent and resources to create a new approach to this product?

Adapt

How could you adapt or readjust this product to serve another purpose or use?

What else is the product like?

Who or what could you emulate to adapt this product?

What else is like your product?

What other context could you put your product into?

What other products or ideas could you use for inspiration?

Modify

How could you change the shape, look, or feel of your product?

What could you add to modify this product?

What could you emphasize or highlight to create more value?

What element of this product could you strengthen to create something new?

Put to Another Use

Can you use this product somewhere else, perhaps in another industry?

Who else could use this product?

How would this product behave differently in another setting?

Could you recycle the waste from this product to make something new?

Eliminate

How could you streamline or simplify this product?

What features, parts, or rules could you eliminate?

What could you understate or tone down?

How could you make it smaller, faster, lighter, or more fun?

What would happen if you took away part of this product? What would you have in its place?

Reverse

What would happen if you reversed this process or sequenced things differently?

What if you try to do the exact opposite of what you're trying to do now?

What components could you substitute to change the order of this product?

What roles could you reverse or swap?

How could you reorganize this product?

Example

To demonstrate how SCAMPER works, let's imagine that you need to improve a simple thermal flask aimed at the morning commuter. We'll work through some of the questions above to think of ways to develop this product.

Substitute: You could replace the metal cap with a plastic one to reduce heat loss. And perhaps there is a more environmentally-friendly manufacturing process you could use instead, that would make the product more appealing to green-minded consumers.

Combine: You could work with artists and designers to make the flasks more attractive and unique.

Adapt: Flasks are similar in shape to telescopes, though much shorter. Explore how you could adapt the materials and design so that your flask could extend like an old-fashioned spyglass to hold more liquid.

Modify: The flask isn't especially easy or comfortable to hold. You could add a rubber sleeve to aid grip, or make the bottle thinner so that it can be held in one hand.

Put to another use: So far, you've designed the flask around individual commuters, but there are many other groups of people who could also use the product. Take traveling couples, for example. They won't want to carry a flask each, so think about redesigning the flask to include detachable compartments which can be used as mugs. Then two people can share the drink from one flask.

Eliminate: You could eliminate the handle on the side of the bottle so that it fits more easily into a work bag or backpack.

Reverse: If you tried to do the exact opposite, you'd end up with a cold drink rather than a hot one! But this would be useful in summer months or hotter climates. So, explore ways of keeping liquid cool in the flask instead of hot.

SCAMPER Infographic

See our SCAMPER infographic.

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SCAMPER - Improving Products and Services

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First, take an existing product or service. This could be one that you want to improve, one that you're currently having problems with, or one that you think could be a good starting point for future development. Then, ask questions about the product you've identified, using the mnemonic to guide you.