Chapter 1

Thinking

Be a detective! Look closely, spot the clues, and ask: what else could it be?

14 activities inside

Before you start: Tell a grown-up about a time you figured something out all by yourself.

4

Thinking · Critical thinking 10 min · pencil ★☆☆

Odd one out

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Read aloud In each row, three things belong together and one does not. Circle the odd one out. Can you say why?

Look at each row.
Circle the one that does not belong.

1

2

3

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Saying why one thing doesn’t belong is the start of reasoning.

Why does that one not belong?
Could another one be the odd one out?

Extend it: Put four things from the kitchen on the table and play odd one out.

I felt: (color one)

5

Thinking · Critical thinking 10 min · crayons ★☆☆

Rain detective

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Read aloud Did it rain today? Be a detective! Color every clue that tells you it rained.

Look at each picture.
Color the rain clues.

Color the clues that it rained

ice cream

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Detectives use clues to work out what is probably true.

Which clue is the best one?
Could there be a puddle without rain?

Extend it: Look out of the window together and find three clues about today’s weather.

I felt: (color one)

6

Thinking · Alternatives thinking 15 min · pencil, crayons ★☆☆

Three ways to carry water

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Read aloud A thirsty plant needs water. A bucket works. What else could carry water? Draw three ways. One can be silly!

Draw one way in each box.

Way 1

Way 2

A silly way!

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: There is almost always more than one way. Looking for it is a habit.

Which way would spill the least?
What makes your silly way silly?

Extend it: At bath time, carry water with a cup, a sponge and your hands. Which works best?

I felt: (color one)

7

Thinking · Alternatives thinking 15 min · pencil, crayons ★☆☆

Circle magic

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Read aloud Trace each circle. Then turn each one into something different. A sun? A face? A ball? Make all three different!

Trace each dotted circle.
Turn each one into something new.

Draw a circle. Make it something else!

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Seeing one shape as many things is flexible thinking.

What did your circles become?
Can you think of three more?

Extend it: Go on a circle hunt at home: plates, clocks, buttons. How many can you find?

I felt: (color one)

8

Thinking · Problem-finding 10 min · pencil ★☆☆

What’s wrong here?

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Read aloud Some of these pictures are silly. A fish can’t live in a tree! Circle every silly picture.

Look closely at each picture.
Circle the silly ones.

Circle the silly pictures

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Noticing that something is not right is the first step to fixing it.

How did you know it was silly?
How could we fix the silly ones?

Extend it: Say a silly sentence, like “I wear shoes on my ears,” and let your child spot it.

I felt: (color one)

9

Thinking · Problem-finding 10 min · pencil ★☆☆

Fix it!

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Read aloud Each thing on the left has a problem. Say what is wrong. Then draw a line to the thing that fixes it.

Say what is wrong.
Draw a line to the fix.

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Good problem-solvers first say what is wrong, then what would help.

What else could fix a torn page?
What problem did you fix today?

Extend it: When something goes wrong, ask “What is the problem?” before “How do we fix it?”

I felt: (color one)

10

Thinking · Judgment and taste 10 min · crayons ★☆☆

Best for the snow

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Read aloud It’s a snowy day! Color the things that would keep you warm outside. Then draw yourself ready for the snow.

Color what you would wear in the snow.
Draw yourself ready to play.

Color what you would wear in the snow

Draw yourself dressed for the snow

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Good judgment means choosing what fits the situation.

Which one would keep you warmest?
When is the swimsuit the best choice?

Extend it: Before going out, let your child pick clothes for the weather and say why.

I felt: (color one)

11

Thinking · Judgment and taste 15 min · scissors, glue ★☆☆

I like, I don’t like

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Read aloud Cut out the food cards. Glue each one in a box: foods you like, and foods you don’t.

Cut out the 4 cards.
Glue each one where it belongs.

I like

glue here

I don’t like

glue here

apple

carrot

sandwich

cookie

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Taste is personal, so any answer is right. Saying why is the skill.

Why don’t you like that one?
Has a food ever moved boxes for you?

Extend it: Try one new food this week and decide together which box it goes in.

I felt: (color one)

12

Thinking · Probabilistic thinking 15 min · pencil, crayons ★★☆

Pick a sock

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Read aloud Count the striped socks and the plain socks. If you grab one without looking, which will it probably be?

Count each kind of sock.
Color one square for each sock.
Circle the sock you will probably grab.

Which sock will you probably grab?

87654321

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: When there are more of one thing, it is more likely to be picked.

Could you still grab a plain sock?
How could a plain sock be more likely?

Extend it: Put 5 spoons and 1 fork in a bag. Guess, pull one out, put it back. Try it 10 times.

I felt: (color one)

13

Thinking · Probabilistic thinking 15 min · scissors, glue ★★☆

Will it happen?

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Read aloud Will it happen tomorrow? Cut out the cards. Glue each one in Will, Might or Won’t.

Cut out the 6 cards.
Glue each card in a box.

Will

glue here

Might

glue here

Won’t

glue here

sun comes up

dog flies

it rains

go to bed

fish walks

eat a cookie

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Some things are sure, some might happen, and some never will.

What would make rain more likely?
What else will happen for sure?

Extend it: At breakfast, guess together: will, might or won’t? Check at bedtime.

I felt: (color one)

14

Thinking · Systems thinking 10 min · pencil, crayons ★☆☆

The flower circle

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Read aloud A seed goes in the soil. With water and sun, it grows into a flower. The flower makes new seeds!

Follow the arrows with your finger.
Color each picture in the circle.

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Each part of the circle needs the others. That is systems thinking.

What if we forget the water?
Where do new seeds come from?

Extend it: Plant a bean in a cup of soil together and watch the circle begin.

I felt: (color one)

15

Thinking · Systems thinking 10 min · pencil ★☆☆

What happens next?

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Read aloud Things change. An egg hatches into a chick! Draw a line from each picture to what happens next.

Draw a line to what happens next.

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: One thing leads to the next. Seeing that is systems thinking.

What comes after the chick?
What will you be like when you are bigger?

Extend it: Put an ice cube on a plate. Check it every few minutes: what happens next?

I felt: (color one)

16

Thinking · Checking what's true 15 min · scissors, glue ★☆☆

Real or made-up?

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Read aloud Some animals are real. Some are only in stories. Glue each card in Real or Made-up.

Cut out the 6 cards.
Glue each one in Real or Made-up.

Real

glue here

Made-up

glue here

cat

unicorn

frog

dragon

elephant

mermaid

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Telling real from pretend is the start of checking what is true.

How do you know a dragon is made-up?
How could we check if an animal is real?

Extend it: When you read a story together, ask: could this really happen?

I felt: (color one)

17

Thinking · Checking what's true 10 min · pencil ★☆☆

Whose shadow?

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Read aloud These animals have lost their shadows. Look closely at each shape. Draw a line from each animal to its shadow.

Look at the ears, legs and tails.
Draw a line from animal to shadow.

Grown-up corner

Why it matters: Checking means looking for proof: the ears, the trunk, the shell.

Which part helped you know?
Which shadow was the trickiest?

Extend it: Make hand shadows on a wall with a flashlight and guess each other’s animals.

I felt: (color one)

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