Develop Critical Thinking Skills with Age Appropriate Mysteries

Critical thinking is what helps us analyse information, solve problems and make informed decisions. For children, these are all important traits in their development and education, making critical thinking an essential skill for their future. 

Mysteries naturally help children get curious about how to solve a problem — to think critically. For older children, mystery young-adult novels may do the trick, however, younger children can also benefit from mysteries. Developing critical thinking skills with age-appropriate mysteries can help spark a love of learning and facing challenges in children of all ages, as young as toddler age. It’s all about finding the right books.

Critical Thinking in Early Childhood

Children start to develop critical thinking skills between the ages of 5 to 9. At this age, brain development is at its peak, and our mind starts to be able to think rationally, understand logic and make connections. It’s at this age you will start to see your child think ‘outside of the box’.

“But why…as parents we all know the question well. However, it’s a sign our children are starting to think critically and want to know why things happen and analyse the information they are receiving. It’s an important time we should nurture.” 

However, we can begin to nurture our childrens’ critical thinking skills from any age. Through play, reading, encouraging them to find reasons and giving them room to think, you can start your child’s love for finding the reason ‘why’ behind things.

Mystery Books to Help Children Develop Critical Thinking Skills

Picture Books

Picture books are a great way to get young children involved and interested in reading. By following along with mystery picture books, children start to use their wonder and critical thinking to assess what is happening and what may come next. They also help introduce children to new topics in a fun and explorative way.

Picture books give children a unique opportunity to learn as they combine both images and words. It allows developing minds to connect new words with familiar images, helping guide them and their critical reading skills easier as they learn. 

Busy Books

Busy books are ideal for helping children develop critical thinking skills. Whether your child enjoys immersing themselves in an intriguing story, solving challenging puzzles or participating in games, Busy Books give them the opportunity to do so while developing their critical thinking. The different age-appropriate activities are aimed to help children in different stages of their development, and age up with them. For instance, Busy Books Australia has books suitable for ages 18 months and up

The interactive element of Busy Books is also ideal for children on the spectrum and with different learning styles. Being able to be hands-on and explore in different ways not only keeps their attention and focus, but gets them involved in new and different ways. As a result, they build confidence in their learning, while their critical thinking skills get a workout too. 

Frequently Asked Questions About Developing Critical Thinking Skills