From Problems to Solutions: Creative and Critical Thinking Activities for Kids

One of the best ways to sharpen critical thinking skills is to practice them! Whether it’s bell ringers in the classroom or a conversation at the dinner table, make critical thinking activities for kids routine, not random.

Constructing solutions to problems will become more natural and less risky to experiment with and discuss as you build real skills with guided support. Here are explanations and examples for creative and critical thinking activities to help you get started, whether you are a parent, tutor, or teacher.

Why This Matters

We all know kids and adults who freeze when there’s no clear answer to a question. Are they afraid of giving a wrong answer, or are they uncomfortable with critical thinking? Critical thinking is an important life skill. Rote learning is not enough.

Students need to be able not only to solve problems but also to understand them and rethink them. The good news is that these are skills that can be taught with creative and critical thinking activities for kids.

Critical thinking focuses on analyzing information and making judgements or drawing conclusions. 

Creative thinking is about generating new ideas and innovative solutions. 

You can be a critical thinker but not a creative one, but you cannot be a creative thinker without also being a critical thinker. That would make a great starter question for teens. “What is the difference between critical thinking and creative thinking?” or “Are you more of a critical thinker or a creative thinker?”

Thinking and problem-solving can be taught and modeled. It does not happen overnight, nor does it need to be a natural skill. Fold it into the pockets of your day in creative ways!

Spotting the Gaps – Where Kids Get Stuck

Common struggles with problem solving: Looking for one “right” answer, giving up quickly when things feel confusing, or relying on memorization instead of curiosity. Have you seen this in your student? I often start my tutoring sessions with a question or quick puzzle. 

Sometimes students say “I don’t know” before they have even had a chance to think about it. I reply, “Do you need time or help?” rather than giving them the answer. I notice that as the weeks go on, they are more apt to answer than to say “I don’t know.”

I encourage thinking out loud. I make it safe to say any answer that comes to mind. I encourage open-ended thinking.

Shift the Mindset – Mistakes Are Tools, Not Traps

Moving from “I don’t know” to critical and creative thinking means encouraging open-ended thinking and productive struggle. If I ask, “Would you rather eat bread or cake?” and you say, “I don’t know?”, where do we go from there? Do you not like either? Are you wondering if these are options for breakfast? Does it matter what kind of bread or cake? Is this one of those “for the rest of your life” questions? Are you gluten-free? Are you too full from lunch that you can’t think about food? 

I let kids go down rabbit holes if I think it’s a productive struggle. Other times, I bring them back to the original question, “Would you rather eat bread or cake?” and ask them to just quickly pick one and give me two reasons why. Even if they have to make it up on the spot.

Sometimes I find the struggle is with forming an answer quickly, not actually the question itself. So we practice that! It’s part of the thinking process. So is making mistakes. Reframing mistakes as part of the process can be helpful, too.

Tip: Use sentence frames like: “What else could work?” or “Let’s try something wild, then scale it back.”

Tools and Activities That Build Problem-Solving Muscles

1. Think Outside the Box Challenges

• Example: “How many ways can you use a paperclip?”

• Encourage quantity over quality at first (divergent thinking), then group and evaluate (convergent thinking).

• Try it: https://www.rd.com/article/lateral-thinking-puzzles/

2. Question Storming Instead of Brainstorming

• Give a simple situation and ask kids to list as many questions as they can about it.

• This strengthens curiosity and perspective-taking.

• Great for reading comprehension and real-life problem solving. (Example: What questions might be in the main character’s head after his experience in ch. 7?)

• Try it: Use a photo or field trip destination and have students come up with as many questions as they can about the photo or field trip.

3. Reverse the Problem

• Instead of “How do we solve this?” ask “How could we cause this problem?”

• Then reverse again to brainstorm solutions.

• Try it: You have to paint a picture in art class without a paint brush. 

4. Weekly “What Would You Do?” Scenarios

• Pose ethical or creative dilemmas: “You’re lost in a museum with no phone—what now?”, “If your friend copied your homework, how would you handle it?” or “How do you think they first discovered cheese?”

• Have students discuss or write 2-3 possible responses and their consequences.

5. Creative Constraints Activities

• Examples: “Tell a story using only 10 words.” or “Write a 20 word summary.” or “Design a meal using only ingredients that start with B.”

• These stretch creativity and flexibility under limits, just like real life.
  
  

Make It Routine, Not Random

Whether you use a question of the day to start your lesson, a logic puzzle bell ringer, or a “would you rather…” at the dinner table, make creative and critical thinking activities for kids routine, not random. Incorporate one 5–10 minute thinking activity into your sessions or family time each day. Keep it playful and low-pressure. 

Let students see you solve problems creatively, too. When I ask my question of the day, “Would you rather eat bread or cake?” I will answer the question after the student does. It also helps their listening skills. In case you are wondering, I’d rather eat San Fransico sourdough bread over any type of cake any day! And my dinner menu would include jalapeno poppers to start, then juicy steak, jasmine rice, jicama bacon slaw, and mint julips!

The Long Game

Creative and critical thinking skills are not developed overnight, but routine practice can help sharpen those skills. Regular exposure and encouragement will help kids grow more confident as they become independent thinkers. 

Instead of being quick to give or teach the right answer, focus on helping students ask the right questions. Encourage creative and critical thinking activities for kids. Involve them in real life problem-solving, as the solutions might be better than what you come up with!

Table Talk: Would you rather eat bread or cake? What’s one problem that you could use help brainstorming a solution to?

Resources:

https://tailorjoy.com/art-of-asking-questions/

https://tailorjoy.com/10-analogy-types/

https://www.prodigygame.com/main-en/blog/brain-teasers-for-kids

Puzzles – jigsaw, logic, escape rooms, or sudoku

https://tailorjoy.com/product/thanksgiving-logic-puzzle/

https://tailorjoy.com/printable-escape-rooms-for-kids/

Games – I spy, charades, chess, Catan

Activities – science experiments, storytelling, scavenger hunts, conversation cards, obstacle courses

Free printable table talk cards here: https://tailorjoy.com/table-talk/