Critical Thinking Questions for Kids

What would happen if everyone told the truth all the time, even when it was unkind?

Then ask: Is there a difference between lying and keeping a thought to yourself?

What would happen if it never got dark?

Then ask: Who and what depends on the night?

What would happen if kids made all the rules at home for a week?

Then ask: Which of your rules would you regret by Thursday?

What would happen if everything in every store were free?

Then ask: Who would make the things, and what would get them to do it?

What would happen if screens worked for only one hour a day?

Then ask: What would people do with the time, and would they like it?

What would happen if there were no clocks?

Then ask: How would you meet a friend at the park?

What would happen if animals could vote?

Then ask: What would they vote for first, and would it be good for people?

What would happen if every game ended in a tie?

Then ask: Would people still want to play? What would they play for?

What would happen if you could never forget anything?

Then ask: What is forgetting good for?

What would happen if everyone in your class had the same opinion about everything?

Then ask: What would the class never find out?

What would happen if cars had never been invented?

Then ask: What would your town look like, and what would be closer to your house?

How do you know whether something you read online is true?

Then ask: What would you check first, and what would make you doubt it?

How can you tell whether someone is an expert or only sounds sure?

Then ask: Can a person be very sure and still be wrong? Give an example.

How do you know a friend is telling you the truth?

Then ask: What would you do if two friends told you opposite things?

How do you know that what you remember really happened that way?

Then ask: Have you and someone else ever remembered the same day differently?

How do you know when an ad is trying to sell you something?

Then ask: What does the ad leave out?

How could you find out which of two paper airplanes flies farther?

Then ask: What would make the test unfair?

How do you know you have understood something and not just memorized it?

Then ask: How could you test yourself?

If nine people say one thing and one person says another, how do you decide who is right?

Then ask: When has the one turned out to be right?

How do you know a magic trick is a trick?

Then ask: What would it take to convince you it was real?

How do you know whether a food is good for you?

Then ask: Who is telling you, and what do they get out of it?

How do you know the sun will come up tomorrow?

Then ask: Is "it always has" a good enough reason? When is it not?

"I wore my lucky socks and we won, so the socks made us win." What is wrong with that thinking?

Then ask: How could you test whether the socks matter?

"Everyone in my class has one, so I need one too." What is wrong with that thinking?

Then ask: What is the difference between wanting and needing here?

"He is great at soccer, so he must know which cereal is best." What is wrong with that thinking?

Then ask: Who would you ask about cereal, and what makes them the right person?

"You can't prove there is no dragon in the garage, so there is one." What is wrong with that thinking?

Then ask: Whose job is it to bring the proof?

"It rained right after I washed my bike, so washing bikes makes it rain." What is wrong with that thinking?

Then ask: What else could explain it?

"Either you love broccoli or you hate vegetables." What is wrong with that thinking?

Then ask: What choices did that leave out?

"We have always done it this way, so it is the best way." What is wrong with that thinking?

Then ask: When is "always" a good reason, and when is it not?

"She was wrong about the bus time, so she is wrong about everything." What is wrong with that thinking?

Then ask: How would you decide what to trust her on?

"This game is the best because it is the most popular." What is wrong with that thinking?

Then ask: Can something be popular and not good? Or good and not popular?

"If you stay up late once, you will want to stay up late every night forever." What is wrong with that thinking?

Then ask: Is that sure to happen? What would stop it?

"I asked three friends and they all agree with me, so I am right." What is wrong with that thinking?

Then ask: Who did you not ask, and what might they say?

Should zoos exist? Give one good reason for and one against.

Then ask: What would have to be true about a zoo for you to change sides?

Should kids choose their own bedtime? Give one good reason for and one against.

Then ask: What would a fair test of that look like?

Should every player get a trophy? Give one good reason for and one against.

Then ask: What is a trophy for?

Is it okay to keep a wild animal as a pet? Give one good reason for and one against.

Then ask: Whose side did you not think about at first?

Should school start later in the morning? Give one good reason for and one against.

Then ask: Who would be glad, and who would have a new problem?

Should you always share? Give one good reason for and one against.

Then ask: Name one thing you should not have to share. What makes it different?

Are video games good for you? Give one good reason for and one against.

Then ask: What would you want to measure to find out?

Should recess be longer if the school day gets longer too? Give one good reason for and one against.

Then ask: What trade would you accept?

Is it better to read the book before you see the movie? Give one good reason for and one against.

Then ask: What does each one do that the other cannot?

Should someone in a hurry be allowed to cut in line? Give one good reason for and one against.

Then ask: What kind of hurry would be a fair exception?

Is a rule still a good rule if most people break it? Give one good reason for and one against.

Then ask: Should the rule change, or the people?

You find a jacket on the playground with no name in it. How do you get it back to its owner?

Then ask: What would you try if your first idea did not work?

You have one hour and three things to do, and only two will fit. How do you choose?

Then ask: What did you give up, and was it the right thing to give up?

Your friend teaches you a game, and you think the rules are unfair. What do you do?

Then ask: How would you say it so your friend still wants to play?

You have to carry a full glass of water across a crowded room without spilling. What is your plan?

Then ask: What would you change after the first spill?

You have to split a cake among five people, and all you have is a knife. How do you make it fair?

Then ask: What if the one who cuts has to choose last?

Your class can take one trip: the museum, a farm or the lake. How should the class decide?

Then ask: Is a vote always fair? Who could it leave out?

You are building the tallest tower you can out of paper and tape. What do you try first?

Then ask: What did the first collapse teach you?

Two friends each tell you a different story about the same fight. How do you work out what happened?

Then ask: What one question would you ask both of them?

You forgot your lunch. Name three things you could do.

Then ask: Which one has the best chance of working, and how can you tell?

A younger kid keeps losing at a game and wants to quit. How do you keep it fun without letting them win?

Then ask: Is changing the rules for one player fair to the others?

You and a friend disagree about which way to the park is shorter. How could you find out for sure?

Then ask: What would make that test fair?