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101 Critical Thinking Questions For Kids

A photo of Tom who is the Co-Founder of Questions About Everything

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Critical thinking questions for kids are a great way to get them to use their minds and think inquisitively about a variety of topics.

These thinking questions for kids are ideal if you want to challenge your kids to think about the world around them.

We’ve included some serious questions to get kids thinking, on topics such as society and fairness, while there are plenty of fun topics too, like superheroes that will engage your kids.

You can use these creative questions for kids in the classroom or at home. I used these questions in classes with my more advanced students to help them develop their fluency in English and to mix up the classes with some interesting discussions.

Wherever you use them, they’re sure to lead to some fascinating conversations, which it’s one of the best question games for kids!

Critical Thinking Questions For Kids

  1. If the internet didn’t exist, what do you think the world would be like?

2. In what ways would your life be different if you had another brother or sister?

3. What makes you different from the other kids in your class?

4. If you could choose your own name, what name would you choose?

5. What’s the best way to react when you get bad grades despite putting in a lot of effort?

6. What do you think would happen if it never rained?

7. What would happen if all the trees died out?

8. What do you think would happen if all the adults disappeared?

9. Do you think it’s easier being a child or an adult?

10. What do you think your teacher does when they aren’t at school?

11. How would you explain a flower to an alien if they had just landed on Earth?

12. How do you think the world would change if we discovered aliens existed?

13. Have you ever felt jealous towards your friends? Why?

14. What would the world be like if people could fly?

15. Do you think the world would be a better place if superheroes were real?


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16. What makes a joke funny?

17. If animals could talk, what do you think they would say?

18. If you could be the parent for the day, what would you do?

19. How do you think Batman manages to keep his identity secret?

20. What makes a person a good friend?

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21. How would you describe a color to someone who’s blind?

22. What’s the most important skill you’ll need when you’re an adult?

23. If you could cheat on a test and not get caught, would you do it?

24. What charity do you think is most important to donate to?

25. Would you like to have another sibling?

26. If you woke up as your favorite animal for the day, what would you do?

27. How many computers do you think there are in the world?

28. Which of the five senses do you think would be the worst to lose?

29. If you had $1 million, what would you do with it?

30. Is it better to give or receive a gift?

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31. What makes you unique?

32. If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

33. Have you ever lied because you were afraid of what might happen if you told the truth?

34. What would you do if your best friend was getting bullied at school?

35. What would you like to invent to make the world easier for people?

36. If you had more than 24 hours in a day, what would you do with the extra time?

37. What five words describe you best?

38. What’s the thing you enjoy doing the most?

39. Of all the things you’re learning in school, what do you think will be the most important when you’re an adult?

40. What do you think your life will be like in the future?

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41. If you could change the world in one way, what would it be?

42. Do you think your life would be easier or tougher if you lived in a different country?

43. If you could only eat one type of food each day, what would it be?

44. What would it be like to live somewhere where it’s dark for 24 hours a day?

45. If you found a magic lamp with a genie in it and they granted you three wishes, what would you wish for?

46. Do you think you can have too much money?

47. What would you do if a medical urgency happened to someone at home and there are no other adults around?

48. Do you think it’s better to spend time watching TV or reading a book?

49. In what ways do kids have it hard and adults have it easy?

50. If you feel sorry about being naughty, what should you do to make amends?

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51. Why is it important to be kind to others?

52. Why do we need to protect the environment?

53. Why do you think it’s important to listen to your parents?

54. When is lying ever acceptable?

55. Do you think there are animals out there we’re yet to discover?

56. How long is a piece of string?

57. Do you think the world would be a better place if there were no more ‘bad’ people?

58. Do you think we should resurrect extinct animals like the woolly mammoth or not?

59. Did the chicken or the egg come first?

60. Do you think we’ll be able to travel through time at some point in the future?

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61. When do you think something becomes impossible?

62. Why does the Easter bunny carry eggs when rabbits don’t lay eggs?

63. Do you think it’s possible that you can learn everything?

64. How many stars do you think there are in the sky?

65. Do you think fish ever get seasick?

66. If you ate your breakfast at lunch, would it still be classified as breakfast?

67. Why did the chicken really cross the road?

68. Do you think ghosts are real?

69. If you could be any Disney character, who would you be and why?

70. Do you think it’s important to speak more than one language?

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71. Do you think there’s life on other planets?

72. Why do you think your parents tell you off when you’re naughty?

73. How do you think your life would be different if you woke up and you were blind?

74. Should children set their own bedtimes?

75. Do you think children should have to wear school uniforms?

76. Can you name 10 different emotions?

77. If you had to guess, how many grains do you think there are on the average beach?

78. If you could go back in time and change one thing, what would it be?

79. What’s the hardest thing about being a child?

80. If you could improve your house in three ways, what would they be?

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81. How do you think children can make the world a better place?

82. Do you think time spent with family and friends is time well spent?

83. What makes you happiest at the moment?

84. Do you think it’s better to try and fail, than not to try for fear of failure?

85. What do you think is your biggest strength?

86. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

87. What skill do you want to learn that you don’t currently have?

88. What are you most afraid of?

89. What three words best describe your personality?

90. If you were to write a book, what would it be about?

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91. What can you do to make things better if you’re having a bad day?

92. What do you think your toys do at night when you go to bed?

93. How do you think waiters feel when people shout at them?

94. What would happen if we were suddenly under attack by aliens?

95. At what age do you stop being a child?

96. Why do adults make rules that they don’t follow?

97. If you could live in a treehouse, would it be better or worse than living in a normal house?

98. What does being happy mean to you?

99. What’s your favorite family tradition?

100. Would you ever consider writing a diary to help you think through your thoughts and feelings?

101. What’s the best thing that’s happened to you in the past week?

Looking For More Questions?

All about me questions for kids – Discover what your children really think about a range of serious and fun topics!

Icebreaker questions for kids – A great way to get to know children, whether you’re a teacher or a parent.

Questions for toddlers – Find out what you need to ask your toddlers to get them talking!

A photo of Tom who is the Co-Founder of Questions About Everything

Tom Stevenson

Co-Founder of Questions About Everything

Tom is a travel writer and Co-Founder of Questions About Everything. He grew up in the UK and enjoys spending his time traveling to new places, supporting Liverpool FC, and blogging about his adventures. He spent two years teaching English in Barcelona and frequently utilized question games and conversation starters as part of his lesson plans. As an EFL teacher, he took full responsibility for planning and delivering lessons, frequently employing creative and diverse questions to engage the children in conversation. Learn more about Tom on our About page.

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