Critical Thinking Activities for Kids

Critical Thinking

Critical thinking skills are one of the most important things we can instill in students, and that is perhaps one of the main reasons we become teachers in the first place. At Educational Innovations, we provide tools to help you challenge and inspire your students so they will develop those skills. Hand them an Energy Tube or Energy Ball and ask them what activates the light and sound show. Place an ice cube on each of the Amazing Ice Melting Blocks at room temperature. One ice cube instantly begins to melt and is totally gone in about 90 seconds while the other ice cube shows no evidence of melting. Can your students tell you why? When the Poly Density Bottle is shaken, blue and white beads mix as expected. However, when allowed to settle, the beads separate, white at the top and blue at the bottom. Then, the two separated colored beads slowly come together in the center of the liquid. Let your students discuss theories behind this phenomenon!
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  • Create a Mobile--Flinn STEM Design Challenge™

    Create a Mobile--Flinn STEM Design Challenge™

    Incorporate art into science and engineering concepts with this innovative activity.
    $56.95
  • Generating Electricity with Wind--Flinn STEM Design Challenge™

    Generating Electricity with Wind--Flinn STEM Design Challenge™

    Harness the wind's energy and transform it into electricity!
    $58.95
  • Marble Down: Flinn STEM Design Challenge™

    Marble Down: Flinn STEM Design Challenge™

    Introduce students to the dynamic realm of engineering design.
    $59.95–$87.95
  • Roller Coasters--Flinn STEM Design Challenge™

    Roller Coasters--Flinn STEM Design Challenge™

    Delve into concepts like conservation of energy, acceleration, friction, and engineering design.
    $78.95
  • Investigate a Twirling Toy--Flinn STEM Design Challenge™

    Investigate a Twirling Toy--Flinn STEM Design Challenge™

    Observe factors such as spin, flight trajectory, stability, and descent time.
    $19.95
  • Paper Airplanes--Flinn STEM Design Challenge™

    Paper Airplanes--Flinn STEM Design Challenge™

    Grasp the fundamentals of paper airplane design
    $28.95
  • Tape-O-Tronics Craft Box

    Tape-O-Tronics Craft Box

    Blend simple electronics with imaginative cardboard crafting!
    $31.95
  • Thames & Kosmos Ultralight Airplanes

    Thames & Kosmos Ultralight Airplanes

    Build flying gliders using ultra-lightweight plastic and bamboo components!
    $21.95
  • Measurement and Accuracy--Super Value Lab Practical Kit

    Measurement and Accuracy--Super Value Lab Practical Kit

    Systematically measure various colored solutions one step at a time.
    $43.95
  • Density Sphere Experiment Kit

    Density Sphere Experiment Kit

    Discover and apply concepts of density and buoyancy.
    $11.95
    *Backordered: 1/31/2025
  • 8" Plasma Globe

    8" Plasma Globe

    A fun and safe way to demonstrate Tesla Coils!
    $59.95
  • Drinking Bird Experiment Kit

    Drinking Bird Experiment Kit

    Investigate what drives this unusual bird.
    $11.95
  • Baffler's Bundle

    Baffler's Bundle

    Six of our most confusing, jaw dropping, and unexpected demonstrations
    $49.95
  • The Case of the Contaminated Creek

    The Case of the Contaminated Creek

    This cold case has an attention-grabbing environmental twist.
    $189.95
  • Octacog Balance Construction Toy and Game

    Octacog Balance Construction Toy and Game

    Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon (1 review)
    A STEM construction toy that's all about the physics of balance.
    $14.95–$49.95
  • The Think Tube

    The Think Tube

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    An utterly unique introduction to science inquiry.
    $7.95
  • Newton's Cradle

    Newton's Cradle

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    Witness the amazing laws of physics!
    $18.95
  • Wind Gyro

    Wind Gyro

    Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon Review star icon (5 reviews)
    Simply blow a steady stream of air downward onto the top, and it will spin!
    $6.95
    *Backordered: 1/31/2025
  • Rheoscopic Fluid

    Rheoscopic Fluid

    Captivate your students with this unique fluid.
    $19.95
  • Subtractive Color Theory Demonstration

    Subtractive Color Theory Demonstration

    Perfect for teaching the optics and physics of color mixing.
    $109.95
  • Radiometer

    Radiometer

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    Easily illustrate the conversion of light energy into mechanical energy.
    $17.95
  • Balancing Bird Puzzle

    Balancing Bird Puzzle

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    A wonderful do-it-yourself physics puzzle for students of all ages.
    $5.95
  • Exit: Escape Room Kits

    Exit: Escape Room Kits

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    Solve all the puzzles to get out!
    $14.95
  • Magnetic Field Cube

    Magnetic Field Cube

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    A striking new way to observe magnetic field lines - in 3D!
    $41.95
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Critical Thinking Learning Materials and Activities

As teachers, we want our students to be inquisitive. But what does it mean to "think like a scientist?" A key component is critical thinking. Learning materials that help your students to actively consider information, assess the validity of data, and form their own conclusions are an ideal way to bring critical thinking into your classroom.

Whether your students are trying to figure out why the beads float at different levels in our Poly Density Kit or are wondering which scientific principles are at work with our Atmospheric Mat, these critical thinking learning materials are bound to improve their skills and understanding of scientific phenomena. We agree with the scholar who wrote, "The value of science education might not always be in the facts, but in the thinking." Get your students thinking critically with activities from Educational Innovations!