critical thinking skills games for adults

7 Puzzles to Challenge Your Critical Thinking

Can you spot the connections and sort these items.

Posted March 5, 2015 | Reviewed by Ekua Hagan

The theme of this post is critical thinking—and the kinds of puzzles that can be constructed around it. This term is used frequently in psychology and education . There are various definitions, but the one that best suits our purpose and which is, in the end, perhaps the best, is the ability to comprehend the logical connections among ideas, words, phrases, and concepts . In the relevant scientific literature, of course, the term is used much more broadly as a framework for understanding human cognition . But in my opinion, the best way to understand things is to construct puzzles to illustrate their basic essence.

Critical thinking involves skill at recognizing a pattern in given information and especially recognizing how the information is connected to the real world. Here are a couple of very simple examples. First, consider the five words below:

Cruise ship
Walking on foot
Automobile (not a race car)

Now, put them in order from the slowest to the fastest, when they are going at maximum speed. The solution, of course, is: 4-2-5-1-3.

As with all such puzzles, there might be slightly different solutions—one could claim that some automobiles go faster than cruise ships. This “indeterminacy” characterizes this kind of thinking. However, some puzzles are straightforward. For instance, what do the following five things have in common?

The answer? These are all words referring to shades of blue.

The seven puzzles below are to the ones above, though hopefully more challenging. Some involve knowledge of facts, but critical thinking is still involved in such cases because the organization of the facts according to some principle is always involved—for example, a puzzle may ask you to put five items in order of their dates of invention.

The following tongue-in-cheek definition of critical thinking by Richard W. Paul, a leading expert on critical thinking theory, says it all: “Critical thinking is thinking about your thinking while you’re thinking in order to make your thinking better.”

I. What do the following 5 things have in common?

Orange juice

II. Put the following buildings or structures in order of height, from the shortest to the tallest.

Typical camping tent

III. What do the following animals have in common?

IV. Put the following inventions in order from earliest to most recent.

V. What feature do the following words have in common?

Imagination

VI. Put these bodies of water in order in terms of volume, from smallest to largest .

VII. What do the following landmasses have in common?

I. They are all drinkable liquids. II. 5-1-4-3-2 III. They all have a tail. They are also all quadrupeds. IV. To the best of my knowledge: 5-4-3-1-2 V. They start with a vowel: a, e, i, o, u VI. 4-2-1-5-3 VII. They are all peninsulas.

Marcel Danesi, Ph.D. , is a professor of semiotics and anthropology at Victoria College, University of Toronto. His books include The Puzzle Instinct and The Total Brain Workout .

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Nice probably the best free brain games that i've tried, i really noticed the difference since i started doing online brain training, i wanted to find games to improve concentration and found them in braingymmer, fair amount of brain games for adults that work on my phone as well, pretty good brain games for adults, 'i like the brain training exercises, it is becoming easier for me to remember names and places etc.', what people often ask us, what is brain training.

Brain training, is the usage of digital exercises, also called brain games. Those exercises are used to stimulate mental activities with the purpose of improving your cognitive abilities.

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Brain games are a very new science, and many researchers are still discovering the effects. While tens of millions of people world wide are using brain games, scientific results are still very much in the process of being discovered. Currently we support a variety of international universities in their studies.

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21 Amazing thinking games for adults | Classic brain games

Thinking games for adults is the best way to train your brain. It not only improves your intellectual capacity but also sharpens up your skills and makes you more productive.

Thinking games for adults will help you to:

It helps you in increasing your creativity and imagination.
It increases your concentration skills.
It improves your memory and information retention ability.
It builds and repairs brain cells.

It helps you in making a decision quickly. It also sharpens up your thinking process by playing with logic and challenging yourself with puzzles, games, riddles, knowledge-based games etc.

In this post we will present 21 of the best thinking games for adults , so you can see and choose which one is best for you!

1. Mind Benders

Mind Benders by Martin Gardner is a game of logic and puzzles. This game is a collection of puzzle problems that include Zen koan questions, puzzles in geometry, and magic squares.

To play this game you need to solve the problems in order starting from easy to hard. Once you are done with answering the easy ones, you can move on to the next harder ones until you have finished all of them.

Sudoku, which means “single number”, is a popular logic game. It is a Japanese puzzle of numbers in which players must fill in the blanks so that each row, column, and region contain the digits 1 to 9 and no more than four of them are used together in each row, column, or region.

3. Flip Question

This game requires you to answer the questions in a logical way, without relying on any wrong information. It is kind of a simple puzzle involving finding the right order for the numbers that are shown from 1 to 80.

4. Logic Trails

Logic Trails is a game that requires you to follow a trail of logical deductions. The basic rules are:

Be sure to not make any assumptions.
Always start with an assumption.
Weave logic from the given premises to the conclusion. What do you need more than anything else is to be sure that your answer is correct and values your ideas?

5. Hinge Puzzle

Hinge Puzzle is a classic game with a lot of challenging questions. It requires you to find the ways by which the three given figures can be connected into one figure, without lifting the puzzle apart and possibly disabling it from being completed.

6. Tower of Hanoi

Tower of Hanoi is a strategy game for 2 players who are trying to get their wooden disks on top of the tower filled with discs. One person moves the disks at a time, while the other player is trying to stop them.

7. 20 November 2012 Brain Teaser

From 20 November 2012, this puzzle will keep your brain working as it asks you to solve a riddle every time you look at it. Your mission is to find out what happened on this day by solving all kinds of riddles and puzzles.

Bamboo is a classic board game that requires you to move the tokens from start to finish in order. There will be various obstacles in the way that you must avoid in order to get your token moved. You can also use logic and help other players by giving them boosts on their way.

9. Labyrinth

This is a great strategy game that requires you to move your token by using the correct path among the colored labyrinths. You will have to start from easy ones and then move your way towards harder ones.

10. Monopoly Empire

Monopoly Empire is a fun logical game that requires you to build your empire in a realistic manner just as the original game does. The only thing is that this version requires you to build your empire from scratch.

11. Moondial

Moondial is a classic logic game that requires you to follow the instructions given to get the token through a maze of obstacles. You would have to start at easy ones and then move on to harder ones until you have completed all of them.

12. Transport

Transport is a logic game that allows you to race a vehicle in a puzzle-like scenario just like the original board game. The only difference between this version and the original one is that the puzzle will be solved with a vehicle rather than with trains.

13. Hangman’s Puzzle

This is an easy puzzle game that requires you to find out the letter that can form words from the given stack of letters, without using any letters twice in the same word. It is also great for improving your memory and attention skills.

14. The Alphabet Game

The Alphabet Game is a fun game that requires you to guess the letters by making use of your logic and knowledge. This game starts from the alphabet A and it will keep on going until you cannot guess it in any other way from any other letter. The aim is to try to guess them all!

15. Sudoku meets Asteroid

Excluding the differences in the rules, it is still a Sudoku game, you must fill up all the cells on a grid so that each row, column and region has only 1 to 9 numbers. The only difference here is that instead of using numbers 1 to 9, you will be using letters of the alphabet.

16. Letter Sequence

Letter Sequence is a fun puzzle game that requires you to identify the sequence in which the letters are given. The only difference is that they are not numbers but letters of the alphabet. This game will test your memory and attention skills as it requires you to remember them all.

17. Magic Square Puzzle

The magic square puzzle is a great thinking game that consists of square blocks filled with various letters. It will test your logical thinking skills as you have to find the square blocks that consist of some letters and use a combination of them to form a whole number.

18. Jigsaw Puzzle Fun

Like the original jigsaw puzzles, this version features over 15 different puzzles that feature animals like lions, kangaroos, sharks, dolphins, elephants and more. It requires you to put the puzzle pieces together in order so that there are no overlapping or missing pieces.

19. Alignment Game

Alignment Game is a great puzzle game that requires you to connect the dots on a grid to form various patterns. This game will test your memory and attention skills by asking you to solve the pattern without looking at the given grid.

20. Rubik’s Snake

Rubik’s Snake is another great logic game that will require you to find out a snake by rotating the blocks around it until it has become a snake again. The only thing is that this version is played with a snake instead of blocks and will test your logical thinking skills instead.

21. Wheel of Fortune

Wheel of Fortune is a logic game that requires you to match the letters on the wheel so that each letter on the wheel lands on an appropriate letter in the grid. It will test your memory and attention skills as it requires you to remember them all!

Conclusion – thinking games for adults

Playing thinking and puzzle games is not just a fun activity that the kids do. It is also a great way for adults to improve their memory, brainpower and logic skills . The best thing about these games is that they are fun to play and they require a lot of thinking as well.

These games will help you increase your IQ level by giving you the ability to make logical decisions in various situations without having to worry about the outcome. They also improve your problem-solving skills by testing and training them every time you play one of these games.

Playing these games can also help you to develop your logical reasoning and become better at making decisions in a more efficient manner. The best part about playing these games is that they are very fun!

Now that you have found out the best thinking and puzzle games for adults, it is time to try one of them and see for yourself how much your IQ has improved or how much better you have become at playing them.

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critical thinking skills games for adults

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Rules For Playing KenKen®

The numbers you use in a KenKen puzzle depend on the size of the grid you choose. A 3 x 3 grid (3 squares across, 3 squares down) means you use the numbers 1, 2, and 3. In a 4 x 4 grid, use numbers 1 to 4. A 5x5 grid requires you use the numbers 1 to 5, and so on.

The numbers in each heavily outlined set of squares, called cages, must combine (in any order) to produce the target number in the top corner using the mathematic operation indicated (+, -, ×, ÷).

Here's how you play:

Use each number only once per row, once per column.
Cages with just one square should be filled in with the target number in the top corner.
A number can be repeated within a cage as long as it is not in the same row or column.
To start, click on any square. A "number ring" appears with that grid's possible numbers. These numbers will also show up on the left side above the grid as the "Notes" box.
Ready to fill a number in that square? Just click the one you want in the number ring. It will then appear in the middle of the square.

If you'd like to repeat a note (notes) in another square, simply drag the number from the original square to the new one. Click here to see the video of how it works.
When you've ruled out one of your notes, click on it again in the Notes box. The number will disappear from the square.
When you fill in a number in a square (by selecting from the number ring), any notes in that square will disappear.
Changed your mind about a number? In the number ring, click the red eraser icon to clear the square.
To hide the number ring, click the red "X."
How to Use the Keyboard: You can enter numbers and notes by using the keyboard. Once you’ve selected a square, you can press shift and a number key to enter (or delete) that number as a note. Or, to just enter a number in a square, press that number on the keyboard (no shift). To delete a number or note, press C.

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The 12 best brain games for adults to train memory and focus

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What’s brain training?

4 benefits of brain training games.

The limitations of brain training games

12 best brain games for adults

Use your time wisely.

Your body and mind work together to help you function. Why exercise one and not the other?

Brain games are workouts for your mind that stretch your soft skills, improve cognitive function, and boost mental fitness . You might already play some without realizing it, like completing a crossword on the way to work or spending a Sunday morning relaxing with a newspaper.

With so many puzzles and brain games for adults out there, it can be hard to tell which will work for you. Here are 12 favorites to sharpen your mind, build new skills, and strengthen others.

Brain training uses mental fitness activities to help your mind function better. These exercises include number games like Sudoku, word games like crosswords or Scrabble, and even full training programs like Lumosity. They stretch your individual soft skills like critical thinking and logic. Similar to how muscles become stronger with regular physical exercise, strengthening your cognitive skills takes consistent practice, and brain games are just one way to do so.

Training your brain creates more connections between neurons , contributing to neuroplasticity. This helps your brain learn and adapt, improving cognition and even easing pain. Continuous learning, like picking up a new language, practicing a professional skill , or expanding your social network through mentorship , are just a few ways to boost neuroplasticity.

Fun brain games do the same thing, just on a smaller scale. They give you the chance to stretch your cognitive function without the commitment or effort of in-depth learning, which makes them perfect for busy people. You can practice on your commute, lunch break , or weekend off to keep your mind active.

Playing brain games isn’t just entertaining. It can strengthen your cognitive agility and help you control your mind . Here are four benefits of practicing brain games and concentration exercises in your free time :

1. Improve brain function

A study of the cognitive training game Lumosity found that after three weeks of daily 15-minute play, test subjects saw improvements in attention, processing speed, visual memory, and executive functions . These results mean that you need less than two hours per week of practice to assist brain functions like memory and focus.

2. Strengthen memory

According to a 2022 study published in NEJM Evidence, people experiencing mild memory problems saw improved cognition and less brain shrinkage after eight weeks of completing crosswords. The results suggest that crosswords could even become a treatment option for people with memory problems after more research occurs, and that similar games requiring recall from clues could offer the same benefits.

3. Reduce dementia risk

A study from Cambridge University found that reading, playing checkers, and doing jigsaw puzzles throughout life are associated with a significant reduction in dementia . That’s because those activities promote complex patterns of mental activity, preventing potential decline later in life.

4. Increase attention levels and logic skills

Studies of university mathematics students found that play was more effective than traditional teaching approaches in learning and decision-making . The study showed that games help people learn critical thinking processes . Rather than simply looking for answers, students could think ahead and evaluate possible outcomes to make better decisions .

The limitations of brain training games

Although brain puzzles and mind games encourage your brain to adapt and thrive, they aren’t a magic fix to make your brain work at 100% . A review from Scientific American says that research about brain games is overall inconsistent , though the general impacts of training your brain are promising. Doing a crossword once in a while won’t improve your mental fitness . But, like physical exercise, consistency and long-term practice of brain exercises are key to a long-lasting positive impact on brain fitness, according to a review from Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. T he review found that potential improvements you find from games will be skill-specific.

As you get better at a logic game, you may see improvements in your problem-solving skills . But that doesn’t mean you get better at thinking in general. You’ll need to practice a game that targets other areas to improve them. It’s best to think of playing brain games as just one tool to become smarter .

Don’t forget to pair brain training with attention to the rest of your health. Without nutrition and exercise, your brain can’t perform its best. Complement your training with physical exercise, a balanced diet, and healthy social connections to feel the full impact of your cognitive growth.

With so many brain teasers, puzzles, and word games, the right games for you can be hard to narrow down. Here are 12 great options to try, including plenty of free brain games for adults:

Sudoku is a popular logic-based number puzzle that originated in Japan. The goal is to fill a 9x9 grid with numbers so that each row, column, and 3x3 square contains the numbers 1–9. To complete the puzzle, you have to flex your working memory and critical thinking skills to think ahead of the consequences of each number.

Playing Sudoku often, even for a short time, could pay off later on. Studies of older adults have found links between higher cognitive function and playing number games daily .

Sudoku is a great free brain game for adults that you can play online or on an app. You can also buy a paper booklet or look for the puzzle in your newspaper. Just be sure to play with a pencil, should you need to move some numbers around.

2. Lumosity

Lumosity is a platform with a wide collection of games that test your cognitive function. Scientists built the games to focus on brain training and mental fitness, with specific options for individual skills like attention , flexibility , and problem-solving.

You can play up to three games per day for free or choose a paid subscription service — $11.99 per month — for more gameplay from the app or web. Whichever plan you opt for, Lumosity tracks your progress and adjusts to your difficulty level to encourage skill growth.

3. Peak

Like circuit training for your mind, Peak challenges you with short, intense mental workouts that test memory, mental agility, and focus . If you have a competitive spirit, you can measure yourself up against other players and boost your motivation .

Peak is app-only, available on iOS and Android. It’s free to use, although the subscription service provides more tailored workouts and performance insights to help you reach your goals. It’s one of the best brain games online if you’re ready to commit to learning on a regular basis.

4. Crosswords

Diving into a crossword puzzle invites you to tap into your long-term memory for vocabulary and general knowledge. But beyond a workout for your memory, crossword puzzles stimulate your logical reasoning, asking you to consider word count, available letters, and clues to find the right answer.

You can find daily crosswords in most newspapers, like The New York Times , or use a dedicated app to practice on your phone.

5. Brainwell

Brainwell is another brain trainer with an algorithm that builds you a personal workout plan, targeting everything from memory to language with games from neuroscientists. Beyond gameplay, Brainwell provides feedback on your performance, letting you pinpoint new areas for improvement.

Another app-only service, you can begin with a free trial and level up to a subscription starting at $1.99. Then you gain access to more features, like challenging friends and family to compete.

This two-player tactical game has been the subject of books, movies, and television series, so it needs little introduction. Chess requires you to predict and assess risks, potentially activating your flow state . It encourages divergent and creative thinking and can improve your memory skills , giving you the chance to build relationships with opponents along the way.

You can invest in a physical board to play with a partner or find chess online or in your app store. There are even online courses to help you improve your chess skills.

7. Cognifit

CogniFit is a digital healthcare company that provides comprehensive cognitive measurement and enhancement tools. The experience begins with a brain test to assess your cognitive well-being and identify strengths and weaknesses , including concentration, hand-eye coordination, and memorization. Based on the results, the program gives you a personalized brain training regimen.

Although the platform has a basic free version, diving deeper requires a monthly premium subscription that begins at $19.99. More specific cognitive tests cost $49.99 each. It’s available on iOS and Android.

8. SET

SET is a fast-paced card game where players identify patterns among cards from the deck. Each one displays symbols that vary by number, color, shading, and shape. The goal is to find sets of three identical or different cards. The card game is a fun way to practice pattern recognition, quick decision-making, and short-term memory. Set isn't exactly a memorization technique but it is a great way to keep your mind sharp.

There is a digital app available on iOS and Android, but you can buy a physical card set to play live with friends or loved ones from major toy retailers.

9. Scrabble

This classic word game is more than a test of your vocabulary. By placing words on the board strategically, you challenge your critical thinking, recall, and spatial reasoning. Whether you practice with friends on a traditional board or compete online with a digital version, Scrabble is a great way to boost both your linguistics and strategic thinking.

Any kind of trivia is an excellent memory game for adults, requiring you to stretch your long-term recall and look for connections between seemingly unrelated facts. Platforms and games like Trivia Crack , Jeopardy , and Sporcle are great ways to play independently from your phone or desktop.

An after-office trivia night or icebreaker is a great way to encourage fun learning with coworkers while bonding as a team . And if you live in a city, you can likely find a local cafe or bar near you that hosts trivia nights.

For old-school video game fans, Portal is a single-player narrative game that involves puzzles and physics. To get through the game, you must use spatial awareness, logic, and creative problem-solving to portal through one environment to the next. The game is available on the Steam network and compatible with Mac and Windows.

12. Elevate

Elevate is a brain training app that began as an SAT and language learning service, which explains its focus on developing practical soft and hard skills . In addition to cognitive function, you can improve written communication, speaking, and math.

Elevate is a great resource for professionals who want to fine-tune their granular skills. Games are very specific, letting you target everything from proper comma use to learning to calculate percentages. You can try it out for free on iOS and Android, with extra features available with in-app purchases.

Brain games for adults are a fun way to pass the time and keep your mind sharp. Explore these 12 options, download your favorite to your phone, or carry a booklet wherever you go.

To sustain your goals, coaching is another enriching, hands-on way to improve your personal and professional development. You can further identify and work on your strengths and weaknesses while setting tangible goals to help you grow.

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Elizabeth Perry is a Coach Community Manager at BetterUp. She uses strategic engagement strategies to cultivate a learning community across a global network of Coaches through in-person and virtual experiences, technology-enabled platforms, and strategic coaching industry partnerships. With over 3 years of coaching experience and a certification in transformative leadership and life coaching from Sofia University, Elizabeth leverages transpersonal psychology expertise to help coaches and clients gain awareness of their behavioral and thought patterns, discover their purpose and passions, and elevate their potential. She is a lifelong student of psychology, personal growth, and human potential as well as an ICF-certified ACC transpersonal life and leadership Coach.

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Group games are ideal for developing critical-thinking skills.

The link between critical thinking and one’s education is obvious – you can’t learn well unless you think well.

Critical thinking is the ability to look at problems in new ways, to analyse how parts of a whole interact with one another and to interpret information and draw conclusions.

Critical thinking and problem-solving skills were once thought to be the domain of gifted people. Today, they are necessary for every individual and group who seeks to make sensible decisions about financial, health, civic, workplace and leisure activities.

The solutions to international concerns such as climate change and global warming require highly developed critical thinking and problem-solving abilities. These skills include the ability to effectively analyse and evaluate evidence, arguments, claims and beliefs.

Benefits of Developing Critical-Thinking Abilities

The ability to solve interesting and unfamiliar problems often leads to the development of other skills such as increased engagement, higher concentration levels and improved thought processing.

Here are a few examples of experiences that occur in many programs which may provide you with an opportunity to focus on problem-solving skills:

Forming a project team to solve an existing, yet complex problem.
Thinking of a new campaign slogan to broadcast a difficult, yet important message.
Adopting a rational, analytical and evidence-based approach to investigate a conflict.
Challenging one of your group’s long-held beliefs or practices.

Naturally, one of the most powerful (not to mention, enjoyable) ways to develop and strengthen your group’s problem-solving skills is to employ the use of fun group games.

Group Activities Which Develop Critical-Thinking Skills

The images below provide links to a sample of simple group activities which may help you develop the critical thinking and problem-solving abilities of your group, drawn from playmeo’s ever-expanding activity database .

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7 Fun Critical Thinking Activities to Train Your Brain to Think More Clearly

Post author: Sherrie Hurd, A.A.
Post published: August 9, 2018
Reading time: 8 mins read
Post category: Brain Power / Personal Development / Self-Improvement

Critical thinking activities not only help us develop a sharper mind, but they also help us develop a consistent mindset and way of thinking.

While thinking is easy, critical thinking, on a consistent basis, takes some skill . Improving it helps us develop a healthy way of reasoning, analyzing and empathizing that helps us take the right actions and perform the right deeds.

Yes, we can think about helping someone make a decision, but can we truly help them make the best one for their given situation ?

How to Improve Your Critical Thinking with These Activities

And what about our own issues? Can we clearly and concisely make the best possible decision each and every day according to the experience we have? This is where critical thinking comes in.

There are actually ideas which can vastly improve our critical thinking skills and help us create a better long-term outcome .

Maybe we can try these fun critical thinking activities to train our brain to be the best it can be.

1. stay on topic.

How easy is it for you to lose your concentration during a discussion? For me, it seems pretty easy, but the truth is, sometimes when you communicate, it’s easy to take, what I call, “tangents”.

For example, if I’m planning a way to complete a task, but yet I start talking about something else that needs to get done, I am going off topic . Every time I go off topic, I take the focus off the present issue.

One of the best activities to improve your critical thinking is practicing the incredibly hard objective of staying on task . Try it and see just how difficult it can sometimes be. It will be challenging to stay focused , but it will also be fun learning how to train your brain on a thinking “tightrope”.

The good news is, it does help improve the quality of your thought patterns.

2. Understand true motives

This is just smart thinking if you ask me. There are times when, during a conversation, someone will present an idea that supports their cognitive bias . It’s not easy to catch sometimes, but if you are good at critical thinking, you will notice the indicators. Pay attention to the details of the argument and understand how these details apply to the ones who are talking.

Unfortunately, some people have selfish motives and you will want to become familiar with the telltale signs. As you practice filtering out the true motives, it will become easier overtime to do so. Here’s the interesting part: you will also notice biases in yourself as well. Practice seeing things from a neutral position instead.

3. Character improvements

Now, take a look at your good and bad traits. When arguments arise, how often do you admit you’re wrong? How often do you turn to introspection? It’s important to regularly do an inventory of your own character . It’s also important to gauge just how much you are willing to learn from others .

Maybe you are truly right most of the time, but is it wise to remain steadfast in your beliefs ? Could it be more important to bend toward someone else’s opinion of the situation at hand? These are good questions to ask yourself as you examine who you really are.

After a rather heated argument , rehash the debate and come from your partner’s standpoint instead. Try to understand things from their point of view and decide to agree the next time to see what transpires. Maybe change is good for you.

4. One thing at a time

It also benefits you to take one problem at a time when working through various life circumstances. A good way to do this is by taking steps. First, identify the problem. Then decide whether you have a solution or not. I found out long ago that some problems require a number of steps instead of one big solution.

Sometimes these steps turn into smaller problems which must be solved before tackling the larger problem. This has to be discovered by careful analyzation of each step.

Practicing this technique of solving problems will help you stay patient in the future instead of getting irritable and overwhelmed when things take a turn for the worst.

Here’s a fun twist. Take a simple problem, for practice, and break it down into increments. Make different decisions on smaller portions of the problem to see where those decisions lead you.

5. Review your day

Wasted time is one of the biggest obstacles to productive thinking, and another culprit is procrastination, as you already know. So, first off, you must try to perform better during the day. Then, you need to practice doing a recap of what you’ve accomplished.

At the end of your workday, instead of watching television, try going back over all the things you got done. Think of your conversations , your errands, and even your thinking. Was it time well spent, or did you procrastinate and worry most of the day? Maybe you thought too long on the past.

Each evening, take time to recap your day and take note of any wasted time. This will help you improve in that area .

6. Journal your actions and reactions

At the end of each day or week, write down certain notable happenings in your day to day life. Write about the event and how it made you feel. Talk honestly about how you reacted to the situation. Do you feel good about what you said or did?

Now, analyze your response in this way. If you feel as though you could have reacted differently, then how do you plan to do that? Keep these journal entries so you can learn how to better respond to situations and eliminate instances of making rash decisions.

7. Illustrations

When debating something, it can get hard to convey a moral or standard that’s important to you. Illustrations can provide a story that helps the other person see how your argument works.

For instance, if you’re trying to help someone and they refuse to accept or understand your gesture, then talk to them about how your offer is similar to saving someone from having a physical accident (like an illustration of you pulling them out of the way or a speeding automobile.)

Maybe your gesture of help will eliminate a bad consequence by sharing an unrelated illustration or story. So, in your mind, practice placing ideas in story form for better understanding. When real problems come, you will have easy to understand illustrations in case you’re struggling with a solution.

Final words

The reason why improving critical thinking is so important is that activities like the above ones help us train our brain to stretch to new limits. Our simple thinking can be transformed into a well-informed intellect, paired with the ability to feel and reason productively. Critical thinking can actually improve our quality of life and the life of the ones we love.

To take advantage of the best the world has to offer, you must activate your brain’s powers. Once you start to practice the above activities, you will be surprised by your own critical thinking skills. Let’s do this together and enjoy the process of learning.

References :

https://www.lifehack.org
https://www.thebalancecareers.com

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Top 7 Critical Thinking Games and Activities for Sharpening Minds

Most people would agree that critical thinking is an essential skill.

This article will provide the top 7 critical thinking games and activities to sharpen your mind.

You'll discover games and brain exercises for kids to promote development, engaging online games for adults, apps to improve logical thinking, and more activities to enhance cognitive abilities and lifelong learning.

Introduction to Critical Thinking and Brain Exercises

Critical thinking is the ability to carefully evaluate information and arguments to reach logical conclusions. This important skill helps with decision making, learning, and overall performance. Playing games that exercise critical thinking provides engaging and fun ways to sharpen our minds.

Exploring the Role of Critical Thinking in Cognitive Development

Critical thinking allows us to analyze ideas, evaluate arguments, and make reasoned decisions. As a skill, it helps us with:

Problem solving - Finding solutions to complex issues through logical analysis.
Learning - Critically evaluating new information to expand knowledge.
Performance - Carefully considering ideas leads to improved outcomes.

Developing critical thinking from a young age builds cognitive abilities that lead to better academic and career success later in life.

Unlocking the Benefits of Brain Training Games

Games that exercise critical thinking and logic provide the brain a mental workout that can:

Improve concentration and focus - Puzzles and strategy games demand full attention.
Boost memory - Remembering moves/patterns engages short-term memory.
Enhance problem solving - Finding solutions stretches cognitive abilities.
Increase mental agility - Quick thinking when making moves speeds up cognition.

In addition to cognitive benefits, critical thinking games tend to be fun and engaging. This makes practicing an enjoyable activity that also keeps the mind sharp.

Which game is best for brain sharp?

According to Healthline, some of the top games and puzzles for exercising your brain include:

This tile-based game combines elements of gin rummy and mahjong. It helps improve memory, planning, and flexible thinking. The changing game conditions require you to constantly strategize and adapt.

Jigsaw Puzzles

Assembling jigsaw puzzles is great brain exercise. It improves visual-spatial skills, memory, and creative problem solving. Puzzles also provide a calming, meditative experience.

Rubik's Cube

The classic Rubik's cube has stood the test of time. Trying to solve it enhances visual-spatial abilities, focus, and perseverance. It also teaches the value of breaking problems down step-by-step.

This abstract strategy game builds visual-spatial skills and planning. Fitting patterned tiles onto your board requires forward thinking a few turns ahead.

The popular Japanese number puzzle flexes your logical thinking and memory. It also teaches the technique of breaking down problems into smaller, manageable pieces.

So in summary, games like Rummikub, puzzles, Rubik's Cube, Azul, and Sudoku are fantastic options for sharpening your mind. They train visual-spatial skills, memory, flexible thinking, problem decomposition, and more. Consistently playing games that exercise different cognitive abilities keeps your brain fit and healthy.

What games increase IQ?

Games that require critical thinking, logic, reasoning, and problem-solving can help increase IQ. Some of the top IQ-boosting games include:

Crossword puzzles exercise reasoning skills, analysis, and imagination. Solving tricky clues flexes your brainpower. The more crosswords you do, the faster your thinking gets.

Skills Trained: Reasoning, analyzing, imagination

A classic party game, Pictionary boosts imagination, flexibility, and time management. Quick sketches under a time limit push creative boundaries.

Skills Trained: Imagination, flexibility, time management

Pretend play builds language, reasoning ability, and flexibility. Kids negotiate roles, invent dialogue, and act out stories. Adult role-playing games have similar benefits.

Skills Trained: Language, reasoning, flexibility

Assembling jigsaws requires spatial insight, perseverance, and focus. Sorting pieces taxes working memory and attention span. The reward of the finished picture motivates you onward.

Skills Trained: Imagination, perseverance, focus

In summary, games that make you think outside the box, solve problems, handle pressure, and strategize can all contribute to better brainpower over time. Mix up the games you play to train a wide range of cognitive skills.

How to sharpen your mind game?

Here are some of the best games to help improve your memory and sharpen your mind:

Crossword puzzles

Crosswords are classic brain games that exercise your vocabulary, general knowledge, and memory. Start with simple crosswords and work your way up to more advanced ones.

Chess helps enhance critical thinking, pattern recognition, strategy development, and concentration. Play against friends or a computer program at varying difficulty levels.

Jigsaw puzzles

Assembling jigsaw puzzles exercises visual-spatial skills, patience, and problem-solving. Start with 100-500 piece puzzles and try different types like 3D puzzles.

Sudoku helps improve logic, attention, and visual scanning. Begin with easy 4x4 grids and advance to standard 9x9 expert-level sudoku.

Memory games

Games like Concentration/Memory exercise visual memory and concentration. Observe images, patterns, or card positions and try recalling their locations.

Multi-tasking games

Fast-paced, multi-tasking video games make you juggle different objectives, training mental flexibility. Games like Tetris require responding quickly while planning ahead.

Start by playing these games a few times a week for 30-60 minutes. As you advance, increase difficulty levels and session duration to continually challenge your mind. Keep a record of your progress.

What is a popular example of a brain training game?

Sudoku is one of the most popular and effective brain training games. According to Dr. Hunter, sudoku helps improve concentration, logical thinking, and problem-solving abilities.

Here's why sudoku is such an effective brain exercise:

Sudoku requires players to use logical reasoning to fill in number grids. This trains your brain's logic, analysis, and critical thinking capacities.

To solve sudoku puzzles, you need to hold and manipulate information in your short-term memory. This boosts your mental agility.

Sudoku involves pattern recognition and visual processing. Spotting patterns and visual cues strengthens these cognitive skills.

The number placements in sudoku have only one possible solution. Finding this trains your brain in analytical thinking.

Sudoku puzzles start easy but get harder. The increasing difficulty forces your brain to keep adapting - keeping your mind challenged.

In summary, sudoku combines logic, memory, pattern recognition, analysis, and problem-solving into one simple game. This all-round brain workout is why it's considered one of the best daily brain training activities. The best part is sudoku puzzles are fun, free to access, and you can play them anywhere anytime!

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Critical thinking games for kids to foster early development.

Children can start building critical thinking skills early with these entertaining games suited for young minds.

Chess for Kids: Developing Strategy and Foresight

Chess helps develop strategic thinking, focus, and patience in kids. As one of the critical thinking games for kids, chess also improves their mental focus. By thinking several moves ahead and visualizing different scenarios, young minds learn how to plan systematically. The game teaches children how to achieve long-term goals through a series of thoughtful short-term decisions. With its structured gameplay, chess promotes discipline and determination in kids.

Sudoku: A Numbers Game to Enhance Logical Thinking

Sudoku puzzles encourage logical reasoning and concentration, making them perfect for young minds to improve short-term memory and problem-solving skills. As children fill in the number grid using logic rather than math, they train their brains to think critically. The game helps them identify patterns, analyze information, and make deductions step-by-step. Playing sudoku teaches vital cognitive skills like breaking down complex problems and testing different solutions.

Wordle and Scrabble: Building Vocabulary Through Play

Fun word games like Scrabble and Boggle promote vocabulary, spelling, and creativity. They offer excellent mind games examples that engage children in language-based critical thinking. As kids rearrange letter tiles to form words, they build their vocabularies. The games also encourage pattern recognition, strategizing, and flexible thinking. Young minds learn to assess different word options and choose the best fit based on patterns and meanings. Scrabble and Boggle make learning new words engaging, improving children's literacy in an enjoyable way.

Engaging Brain Exercise Games Online for Adults

Adults can further strengthen their cognitive abilities with these popular critical thinking games.

Crossword Puzzles: A Daily Brain Workout

Crossword puzzles are one of the most popular free brain games for adults. Working on crosswords daily provides an engaging brain workout that builds word power, memory, and deductive reasoning skills. The format requires deducing meanings from clues and strategically filling in answers on a grid. As more answers are revealed, the interconnected nature allows the solver to leverage letter patterns and eliminate possibilities.

Online crossword puzzle sites and apps like Wordle have surged in popularity, especially during the pandemic. Their convenience and daily brain training effect have become a beneficial self-care habit for many. Incorporating crosswords into one's routine serves as an entertaining way to exercise the mind.

Strategy Board Games: Sharpening Minds with Chess and Go

Classic strategy games like Chess, Checkers, and Go involve critical thinking and analysis to evaluate moves and countermoves. Their competitive format requires concentrating fully and visualizing the board to strategize several steps ahead. Over time, regularly playing these games strengthens working memory, pattern recognition, and problem-solving abilities.

Playing against real opponents, whether in-person or online via sites like Chess.com, increases engagement and motivation to excel. For those new to such brain games, beginning with tutorials and lower-level computer opponents can provide an approachable onramp before advancing. Overall, the level of mental challenge involved makes these strategy games some of the best brain games for adults.

Logic Puzzles and Brainteasers: Stretching the Mind Beyond Limits

Logic puzzles and brainteasers give the brain an intense workout by forcing it to analyze unfamiliar situations and think unconventionally. These critical thinking games task solvers to uncover hidden connections, make inferences, and recognize patterns. Attempting such mind-bending mental challenges on a regular basis leads to improved mental flexibility, problem-solving skills, and analytical abilities over time.

Popular examples like Sudoku and logic grid puzzles offer a spectrum of difficulty levels to accommodate different experience levels. Those seeking to stretch their logical thinking abilities even further may enjoy programming games and applications like Brainwell and Brainturk. Overall, incorporating logic puzzles and teasers into one's routine serves as effective games to improve logical thinking for programming and other intellectually demanding fields.

Online Games to Improve Logical Thinking and Mental Agility

These digital games provide adjustable difficulty levels to match skills and keep minds sharp.

Brain Training Apps: Lumosity and Elevate for Cognitive Enhancement

Games like Lumosity and Elevate offer science-based activities designed by neuroscientists and experts to challenge core cognitive abilities. These brain training apps aim to increase mental agility through fun, engaging games and puzzles.

Some key features of brain training games like Lumosity and Elevate include:

Personalized training programs based on a initial cognitive assessment
Variety of games targeting different cognitive skills like memory, attention, flexibility, problem solving
Adjustable difficulty levels to continue challenging the brain
Performance tracking to monitor progress over time
Short daily training sessions for convenience

By training core cognitive abilities like memory, speed, and problem solving, these apps help sharpen mental skills that translate to daily life. The adjustable difficulty and variety keeps the brain engaged.

Online Puzzles and Problem-Solving Games: A Virtual Challenge

Web-based critical thinking games present puzzles, visual challenges, and brain teasers to enhance logical reasoning abilities. Platforms like BrainGymmer and Brainturk curate a wide selection of fun yet challenging games for adults and students to practice critical thinking skills.

Some examples of problem-solving games found on these sites include:

Logic puzzles like Sudoku, number placements, and pattern recognition
Visual spatial challenges with rotating shapes and images
Brain teasers and riddles to decode patterns and lateral thinking
Strategy games with adjustable difficulty like chess, checkers, Mahjong

The virtual format allows playing these critical thinking games solo or multiplayer. The games adapt to the player's skill level, keeping the challenge engaging. The variety works different parts of the brain. Playing these games helps sharpen cognitive abilities like planning, reasoning, and problem solving.

Activities and Games to Sharpen Cognitive Abilities

In addition to games, there are various activities that can help improve mental performance and logical thinking.

Jigsaw Puzzles and Rubik’s Cube: Spatial Reasoning and Memory

Engaging in hands-on activities like jigsaw puzzles and solving a Rubik’s Cube can greatly improve spatial reasoning and memory retention. Assembling the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle requires visual-spatial skills to recognize patterns and fit pieces together. This builds connections in the brain's right hemisphere, which handles visual information. Successfully completing puzzles also gives a sense of accomplishment that boosts motivation.

Twisting and turning a Rubik's Cube to solve it involves visualizing multi-dimensional rotations and mapping out sequential moves. This strengthens working memory, focus, and problem-solving abilities. The color and shape patterns engage the brain's visual and spatial processing centers. Both jigsaw puzzles and the Rubik’s Cube are excellent brain exercise games for adults and kids alike.

Board Games to Increase Personal Wellness: Sagrada and Azul

Playing aesthetically pleasing and strategic board games like Sagrada and Azul can increase personal wellness and productivity through cognitive training. Sagrada's dice-drafting game mechanics involve planning ahead to craft the perfect stained glass window. This logical thinking activity improves short-term memory, cognitive flexibility, and abstract reasoning.

Azul's tile-laying gameplay with beautiful patterns boosts spatial visualization, working memory, and processing speed. The social yet competitive fun motivates the brain to strategize moves and calculate risks. Board games provide an immersive form of entertainment while sharpening vital cognitive skills.

Classic Games and New Challenges: From Solitaire to Brain it On!

Classic games like Solitaire, combined with modern challenges found in apps like Brain it On!, offer a diverse range of brain exercises to keep the mind sharp. Solitaire relies on focus, planning ahead, and quick calculations to clear the tableau. As one of the most popular classic games, Solitaire trains short-term memory and logical sequencing in an accessible way.

Brain it On! takes the brain training up a notch with physics-based puzzles to improve lateral thinking. Players must visualize solutions by drawing lines, shapes, and ramps. The increasingly difficult levels require creative problem-solving, spatial reasoning, and mental flexibility. Balancing nostalgic card games with novel brain teasers gives the mind a full workout.

Conclusion: Embracing Critical Thinking Games for Lifelong Learning

Critical thinking games provide an entertaining and effective way to exercise our minds. As we get older, it becomes increasingly important to engage in brain-stimulating activities to maintain and enhance cognitive functioning. Playing games that require logic, strategy, and problem-solving skills can yield valuable benefits.

Here are some key reasons to make critical thinking games a regular part of your routine:

Prevent Cognitive Decline - Challenging your brain with fun puzzles and games may help prevent memory loss and cognitive aging effects. Using critical thinking skills keeps neural connections strong.

Improve Concentration - Playing games that require focus, like chess or word puzzles, bolsters your concentration stamina. This can translate to better productivity and mental clarity in daily life.

Enhance Creativity - Logic games and strategic simulations spark creative problem solving. Flexing your mental muscles in new ways boosts overall inventiveness.

Reduce Stress - Immersing in an engaging game provides a positive outlet to relieve anxiety. It also distracts from worrying thoughts.

Bond with Others - Playing games together, whether in-person or online, is a fun way to connect. Shared challenges build relationships.

Make critical thinking games a consistent part of your lifestyle at any age. Keep your mind energized and your cognitive abilities sharp well into the future.

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Fun Critical Thinking Activities

Learning to evaluate information, find credible sources, and prepare for counterarguments is an important skill for people to learn, especially in the modern age of information. Here are 10 great critical thinking activities designed to develop your critical thinking skills.

With so much information on the internet, parsing through what’s true and what isn’t can be a difficult challenge that relies heavily on your ability to think critically . The rest of this article will discuss 10 fun activities to improve your critical thinking skills.

Worst Case Scenario

In this first scenario, you’ll want a group of friends to bounce ideas around. The premise works by assuming that you and a group of friends are in a worst-case scenario. This might be the classic stranded on a desert island trope, but you can also change it up with something like being trapped in a spaceship with hostile aliens aboard.

In this exercise, you’ll be required to think both creatively and critically to evaluate what your best course of action is, how to allocate resources, and who should take on what roles and responsibilities.

Creative Construction

This exercise works your critical thinking muscles by forcing you to evaluate the resources you have on hand, what you can build out of them, and how you’re going to go about constructing it with the tools you have.

Story Telling

A very popular game that’s still worth its salt for adults, this activity starts with a series of random images. You can pull these straight from pictures on a browser and put them into a slideshow. Get a group together for your favorite storytime.

Not only does this create some hilarious stories, but it allows you to develop your critical thinking skills by evaluating how the image you’re given and the story might pair up.

Pragmatic Problem Solving

Where applicable, you can convert this idea into action by sharing your plan with public officials or starting a petition to inspire the change you want to see. Considering how different perspectives and resources play into this quandary is a powerful thought exercise that can help you develop your critical thinking skills.

Critical Analysis

Another great and dead simple exercise to develop your critical thinking skills is analyzing a popular piece of literature. Read it carefully and evaluate the author’s opinion, the biases behind them, and how you would either agree or contradict their viewpoints.

Controversy Conundrum

Not only do you have to present and uphold your viewpoint, but you’ll be obligated to address and respond to opposing viewpoints. To make this a twist, consider which side you’d take in the question and force yourself (and all participants) to defend their opponents’ points of view.

Alien Vacation

An entertaining premise puts you in the role of a tour guide for an alien on vacation. Evaluate something you take for granted, like a baseball game, and try to explain every aspect about it in a way that an alien would be able to comprehend. To add some humor, take turns on this exercise and have a friend play the alien to ask those probing questions.

Prison Promises

Competitor compromises.

Not only is this exercise good for developing critical thinking , but it’s a good way to think about your business. Consider your greatest business rival and assess how you could help them succeed further in their business without detrimentally affecting your own.

Final Thoughts on Fun Critical Thinking Activities

There are lots of great critical thinking exercises you can partake in, whether you want to get a group of friends together or just sit down with a pen and a pencil. Developing these skills is a dynamic and valuable way of improving your ability to solve problems.

5 Team Building Games For Adults That Teach Critical Thinking Skills

Team building games are not only fun; they break the monotony of daily routines and help us to develop valuable skills. Some games help us to acquire critical thinking skills, which make us productive and increase our output in the workplace. Corporate training through critical thinking games is beneficial for both small and established organizations because it fosters trust and problem-solving skills among the employees. Brain training activities are quite common; however, critical thinking games are much better if you want to teach skills faster.

So keep reading on and learn if you want to learn a 5 new games for boosting critical thinking in your team.

Why Team Building Activities are Important

The leading organizations know the importance of corporate training. A business can either succeed or fail, depending on the ability of its employees. Regular training inculcates relevant skills and knowledge to the workers who in turn use it to boost production.

Team building activities improve work relations, therefore creating a conducive working environment. Working together to solve different problems shows the employees that they need each other to reach their organization’s goals. This knowledge is applied in the office as each one understands how to work with different individuals and talents.

Team building activities also allow employees to socialize, network, and get to know each other. Making friends in the workplace is the first step to increasing productivity. Employees can work together to solve problems. This is the moment when critical thinking games step in: a common goal to achieve in a playful format brings out each team members’ stregths.

When employees work together in team building games, they celebrate and have fun together, which inspires them to work harder and win more. Cheering and supporting each other in these activities promotes team bonding and motivates them to rise to the next level. Working together also promotes creativity and innovation. This is why critical thinking activities for employees need to be planned ahead and implemented withing your company.

Create games, self-guided and audio tours, team building events and educational content that captures peoples' attention.

Teaching critical thinking through team building games for adults

The good thing about corporate training and team building games is that they equip you with knowledge in and out of office. The following team building games will teach you critical thinking skills while having fun:

1. If You Build It

This critical thinking game for adults is not only simple, but it’s also flexible – this means that anybody can participate. The game starts when the teams are divided into small groups, given equal amounts of different materials, such as building blocks, pipes, or even marshmallows. The teams are assigned a task that involves construction. This can either be to build the tallest structure, for instance, a castle. The groups should work together until they come up with the required structure. This game inculcates problem-solving and communication skills.

Zoom is an exciting game that can be used both in the classroom and to foster cooperation in the workplace. The team sits or stands in a circle, and each is given a unique picture of an animal, object, or other items. To make it more exciting, the instructor starts a unique story then the next member continues the story following the picture provided. This team building game inculcates creative collaboration skills for adults and children alike. You can get more critical thinking and other games for Zoom here.

3. Shrinking Vessel

Critical thinking can be difficult to master with brain training; however, with fun team building games such as shrinking vessel, it becomes effortless. The activity starts with dividing members into small teams. Each group has to work together to fit into a shrinking space until; there is no room in between. The boundary can be made of cones or a rope. This game equips you with teamwork and problem-solving skills .

4. It’s a Mystery

Many people love a good mystery, and this can be exciting when people work in groups. In this critical thinking game for adults, each team member is given a numbered clue. In order to solve this mystery, for instance, if you are told to find the missing eggs, teams must work together following the clues in order. Solving this case might require the groups to move around to uncover more clues to solve the mystery. This game is important because it teaches you problem-solving and communication.

5. The Worst-Case Scenario

The objective of this activity is to foster teamwork. In this case, every team has to collaborate to come up with a list of must-have items in extreme circumstances. The members are divided into smaller groups; then the instructor explains an example of the worst scenario. For instance, one group could have a scenario where they are stuck in a burning house or a hijacked plane. Each group has to decide on 5 or 10 must-have items to get them to safety. The decision to choose the items must be unanimous. Among critical thinking games this activity draws out everyone’s personalities, expert knowledge and helps to prioritize.

Some managers don’t give them the attention they deserve, choosing to concentrate only on work itself, however, team building activities are important because they break the monotony and equip employees with relevant skills. Especially in the form of critical thinking games for adults, which are created with the purpose of training participants into making better decisions. These activities are beneficial to both the workers and the organization, and this boosts the output and productivity.

Waiting game for virtual meetings is a bonus in our list of games for critical thinking. This game needs input from people with different skills and knowledge base. Common goal to clean the gameboard and reveal hidden picture gets everyone talking. Logical puzzles promote discussion and breaks silence!

We hope you enjoyed this list of critical thinking team building activities and manage to implement some of them in your organization!

Authors Bio Hazel is an entrepreneur at heart and has built a regionally recognized and successful multi-million dollar businesses – Biz Group , starting the company in 1993 with just $700. The group now employs 62 professionals and provides services in the fields of design and delivery of corporate training, teambuilding, meeting facilitation and organizational health through culture and engagement.

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Best Critical Thinking Board Games for Adults

By: Author Cheryl Kochenderfer

Categories Board Games , 2 Player Board Games , Euro , Family Board Games , Round-Ups

Critical thinking skills are… critical! They help us think outside the box, analyze situations, and problem-solve effectively.

To keep those critical thinking skills sharp, you’ll need to use them! Our top picks for the best critical thinking board games for adults are here to help.

We’ve done the research. Now it’s your turn to decide which is for you. So put your critical thinking cap on, pick your favorite, and get ready to play!

Table of Contents

???? Our Top Picks for Best Critical Thinking Board Games for Adults

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Five Tribes

Players: 2-4 Playing time: 40-80 minutes

The death of the sultan has brought about a great opportunity in Naqala. The seat of power is up for grabs, and it’s best to strike while the iron is hot! Can you use the region’s Five Tribes to your advantage and become ruler of this Arabian land?

Five Tribes is a set collection and bidding game played on a modular board. The rules seem straightforward, but you’ll need to use your best critical thinking and planning skills to achieve goals.

Turn-taking happens in steps and begins by bidding for turn order. In the movement phase, pick up meeples from any square on the board and move them Mancala-style. The meeples you pick up dictate what you do in the action phase. Ultimately, you’ll trade meeples to collect cards, which can be exchanged for coins. It’s about strategic placement and trading up.

The wealthiest player in Arabia is the winner, so go big or go home!

Players: 1-4 Playing time: 30-45 minutes

Welcome to the Pacific Northwest! The region of Cascadia is as diverse as it is beautiful . The terrain includes deserts, mountains, valleys, and rivers – and it’s your job to decide where they all go.

Played on individual modular boards, everyone begins with a starting tile with all 7 terrains represented. On your turn, add a terrain tile and animal token to your board. Place them strategically because adjacent terrains add up to points. End-game bonuses are also waiting for those with the most of each landscape.

But don’t forget about the wildlife in Cascadia! Wildlife tokens are played and scored according to different rules in each game. Maybe hawks prefer flying over deserts, or animals like to travel in pairs. Things to bear in mind!

Turns run out when the tiles do, so use your time – and tiles – wisely! Will you be a force of nature in Cascadia? Play to find out.

Players: 2-4 Playing time: 30-45 minutes

You’ve been tasked with tiling the beautiful walls of a mosaic-style building. But you can’t add tiles just anywhere! Tile placement and planning are critical in this game.

Azul is played in three rounds with three phases each. Players get their own personal walls. Purchase tiles from the community factory and think about which will fit best and how exactly you’ll lay them out. But don’t overstock – excess tiles count against you!

It’s time to tile! Organize your tiles row by row. But use some critical thinking here — certain patterns and orders will earn you more points!

Building up walls isn’t always a bad thing. May the most beautiful one win!

Players: 2-4 Playing time: 15 minutes

Quoridor is a quick-playing game requiring spatial awareness and logic .

It comes with a square playing board, wall-like blocks, and pawns. On your turn, choose to place a wall or move your pawn one space. The ultimate goal is to move all pawns to the other side – but that task is more challenging than first meets the eye! You’ll be balancing defense and offense as you make your way across.

Create corridors to block your opponent, but don’t neglect your pawns in the process. Will you get walled-in or race your pawns to victory?

Charterstone

Players: 1-6 Playing time: 45-75 minutes

Charterstone is a land-grabbing and city-building game. As a legacy game , the board will change along with your moves.

Players utilize two workers throughout the game. Start off small but create a bustling village by the end. Take an action on your turn – that might be placing a worker and buying a benefit or collecting your workers from the table . Ultimately, you need to use your workforce to create the most prosperous city in the land.

The game builds well — starting simple and becoming more complex. There are more and more choices and strategies as you progress. If you can predict your opponents’ future moves, you may even be able to use them to your benefit.

But don’t let analysis paralysis bring you down! Keep calm and build on.

Players: 2 Playing time: 20 minutes

This buzz-worthy game will have you exercising your analytical and abstract strategy skills.

Hive is a tile-placement game that requires zero setup and can be played almost anywhere. The opposing sides have either black or white tiles representing different insects – and your collection of creepy crawlies is itching to get out and play.

Each turn, players add an insect tile to the communal hive. The goal is to surround the opposing queen bee, taking her down. Creatures move differently – spiders crawl three tiles away, the elegant bee moves only one space, and the pesky mosquito takes on the abilities of those around it. Analyze the insects at play and decide which should hop, crawl, or soar to victory.

This two-player game has one clear winner and loser. Will you fly high or feel the sting of a loss? Head to the hive to find out!

Mandala is an aesthetically pleasing game involving colorful card collections.

The goal is to fill up your river with these cards. You can have up to 8 cards in your hand. When it’s your turn you can add cards to the mountains or fields to form mandalas or discard unwanted colors. There are rules for where and how to place each color though, so analyze your choices well.

Once a mandala is complete, players go back and forth choosing which color cards from the mandala to add to their rivers. You want your river to be overflowing. The extra cards get you points at the end so avoid a drought at all costs!.

It’s the type of game that’s easy to pick up once you see it and start playing. Get into the flow of things with Mandala!

Dinosaur Island

Players: 1-4 Playing time: 90-120 minutes

Head to Dinosaur Island! Here, you’ll be responsible for a Jurassic Park-themed operation. Your workers and scientists must collect DNA, analyze it, and produce the correct sequence to revive these extinct creatures.

Dinosaur Island gets you thinking critically by working out these equations and using business savvy. You must research and develop the busiest theme park to bring in those visitors – and profits.

If you can’t decode the DNA and build your business, your theme park will go extinct! How will you fare on the island? Will you dino- soar or sink?

Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig

Players: 2-7 Playing time: 45-60 minutes

If you like critical thinking games with a theme, you’ll enjoy Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig.

It’s the Post-Napoleonic era, and castles are in high demand. The Mad King Ludwig commissioned his finest architects to design a castle according to his demands. You’ll work with others, but only one architect will get the final say.

In Between Two Castles, you’ll work with the players on either side of you to create a castle. Cards represent different rooms. Pick up two at a time and decide which castle they will benefit most – the right or left. Add each card to the optimal blueprint. Room placement matters as you get extra points for satisfying the King’s wishes.

You’ll be collaborating and competing with others while creating designs. The mechanics are unique, but you’ll catch on quickly after a few rounds.

Decision-making is the key to the castle! So don’t get yourself between a rock and a hard place. Get between two high-scoring castles instead!

Chess and Go

Players: 2 Playing time: 10-60 minutes

Chess is a race to take down the opposing King. All the pieces move according to specific rules but work together. You’ll want to keep as many pieces as possible during your mission.

In Chess, there are many routes to choose from. Observe the board, think ahead, and consider your options. Devise the best plan of attack – or defense. You can slowly weaken the opposition or go straight for their King. But the first player to say “Checkmate” wins!

Go is the oldest critical thinking game still played – and it’s survived for a reason! It’s a simple concept but employs high-level thinking. Two players use either white or black tiles. Go back and forth, placing one of your tiles on the board each turn.

If you surround your opponent, you claim their tile. At the end of the game, count the open intersections and the seized tiles to determine the winner. It’s all about gaining territory. So strategize and go, go, go!

We hope you enjoyed our list of the best critical-thinking board games for adults! Playing these board games will help you improve your problem-solving, logic, and critical-thinking skills, all while having fun!

Have you tried any of the games on this list? Did we miss any of your favorites? Drop a comment below and let us know what you think! We’d love to hear from you.

You may also enjoy:

Best Logic Board Games for Adults
Best Logic Board Games for Kids
Best Strategy Board Games
Best Strategy Board Games for Kids
Best Strategy Card Games

Cheryl is a teacher, writer, and board game fan. She likes incorporating games into all areas of her life, from classrooms and family nights to lively parties with friends. While she’s played too many to count, her favorites have always been classics like Codenames and chess.

10 Team-Building Games That Promote Critical Thinking

Begin a story that incorporates whatever happens to be on your assigned photo. The next student continues the story, incorporating their photo, and so on.

What Are The Best Team-Building Games For Promoting Critical Thinking?

by TeachThought Staff

One of education’s primary goals is to groom the next generation of little humans to succeed in the ‘real world.’

Yes, there are mounds of curricula they must master in a wide breadth of subjects, but education does not begin and end with a textbook or test.

Other skills must be honed, too, not the least of which is how to get along with their peers and work well with others. This is not something that can be cultivated through rote memorization or with strategically placed posters.

Students must be engaged and cooperation must be practiced, and often. The following team-building games can promote cooperation and communication, help establish a positive classroom environment and — most importantly — provide a fun, much-needed reprieve from routine.

See also Team-Building Games For The First Day Of School

10 Team-Building Games That Promote Collaborative Critical Thinking

You can purchase a classroom-ready version of team-building games that promote critical thinking here .

1. If You Build it…

This team-building game is flexible. First, divide students into teams and give them equal amounts of a certain material, like pipe cleaners, blocks, or even dried spaghetti and marshmallows.

Then, give them something to construct. The challenge can be variable (think: Which team can build the tallest, structurally-sound castle? Which team can build a castle the fastest?). You can recycle this activity throughout the year by adapting the challenge or materials to specific content areas.

Skills: Communication; problem-solving

2. Save the Egg

This activity can get messy and may be suitable for older children who can follow safety guidelines when working with raw eggs. Teams must work together to find a way to ‘save’ the egg (Humpty Dumpty for elementary school students?) — in this case, an egg dropped from a specific height. That could involve finding the perfect soft landing, or creating a device that guides the egg safely to the ground.

Let their creativity work here.

Skills: Problem-solving, creative collaboration

Zoom is a classic classroom cooperative game that never seems to go out of style. Simply form students into a circle and give each a unique picture of an object, animal, or whatever else suits your fancy. You begin a story that incorporates whatever happens to be on your assigned photo. The next student continues the story, incorporating their photo, and so on.

Skills: Communication; creative collaboration

4. Minefield

Another classic team-building game. Arrange some sort of obstacle course and divide students into teams. Students take turns navigating the ‘minefield’ while blindfolded, with only their teammates to guide them. You can also require students to only use certain words or clues to make it challenging or content-area specific.

Skills: Communication; trust

See also 10 Team-Building Games For A Friendlier Classroom

5. The Worst-Case Scenario

Fabricate a scenario in which students would need to work together and solve problems to succeed, like being stranded on a deserted island or getting lost at sea. Ask them to work together to concoct a solution that ensures everyone arrives safely. You might ask them to come up with a list of 10 must-have items that would help them most, or a creative passage to safety. Encourage them to vote — everyone must agree to the final solution.

Skills: Communication, problem-solving

6. A Shrinking Vessel

This game requires a good deal of strategy in addition to teamwork. Its rules are deceptively simple: The entire group must find a way to occupy a space that shrinks over time until they are packed creatively like sardines. You can form the boundary with a rope, a tarp or blanket being folded over, or small traffic cones. (Skills: Problem-solving; teamwork)

7. Go for Gold

This game is similar to the ‘If you build it’ game: Teams have a common objective but instead of each one having the same materials, they have access to a whole cache of materials. For instance, the goal might be to create a contraption with pipes, rubber tubing, and pieces of cardboard that can carry a marble from point A to point B in a certain number of steps, using only gravity.

Creative collaboration; communication; problem-solving

8. It’s a Mystery

Many children (and grown-ups) enjoy a good mystery, so why not design one that must be solved cooperatively? Give each student a numbered clue. In order to solve the mystery — say, the case of the missing mascot — children must work together to solve the clues in order. The ‘case’ might require them to move from one area of the room to the next, uncovering more clues.

Skills: Problem-solving, communication

9. 4-Way Tug-of-War

That playground classic is still a hit — not to mention inexpensive and simple to execute. For a unique variation, set up a multi-directional game by tying ropes in such a way that three or four teams tug at once. Some teams might choose to work together to eliminate the other groups before going head-to-head.

Skills: Teamwork; sportsmanship

10. Keep it Real

This open-ended concept is simple and serves as an excellent segue into problem-based learning. Challenge students to identify and cooperatively solve a real problem in their schools or communities. You may set the parameters, including a time limit, materials, and physical boundaries.

Skills: Problem-solving; communication

While education technology is a basic and crucial component of the 21st-century classroom, educators must still ensure that students are engaging with each other in meaningful ways. Team-building exercises are a great way to do this, and because of this, they will never go out of style.

Aimee Hosler is a writer and mother of two living in Virginia. She specializes in a number of topics, but is particularly passionate about education and workplace news and trends. She holds a B.S. in Journalism from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo and is a contributor to several websites including OnlineSchools.com; 10 Team-Building Games For Kids, Teenagers, or Adults

TeachThought is an organization dedicated to innovation in education through the growth of outstanding teachers.

Educationise

11 Activities That Promote Critical Thinking In The Class

Ignite your child’s curiosity with our exclusive “Learning Adventures Activity Workbook for Kids” a perfect blend of education and adventure!

Critical thinking activities encourage individuals to analyze, evaluate, and synthesize information to develop informed opinions and make reasoned decisions. Engaging in such exercises cultivates intellectual agility, fostering a deeper understanding of complex issues and honing problem-solving skills for navigating an increasingly intricate world. Through critical thinking, individuals empower themselves to challenge assumptions, uncover biases, and constructively contribute to discourse, thereby enriching both personal growth and societal progress.

Critical thinking serves as the cornerstone of effective problem-solving, enabling individuals to dissect challenges, explore diverse perspectives, and devise innovative solutions grounded in logic and evidence. For engaging problem solving activities, read our article problem solving activities that enhance student’s interest.

52 Critical Thinking Flashcards for Problem Solving

What is Critical Thinking?

Critical thinking is a 21st-century skill that enables a person to think rationally and logically in order to reach a plausible conclusion. A critical thinker assesses facts and figures and data objectively and determines what to believe and what not to believe. Critical thinking skills empower a person to decipher complex problems and make impartial and better decisions based on effective information.

Importance of Acquiring Critical Thinking Skills

Critical thinking skills cultivate habits of mind such as strategic thinking, skepticism, discerning fallacy from the facts, asking good questions and probing deep into the issues to find the truth. Acquiring critical thinking skills was never as valuable as it is today because of the prevalence of the modern knowledge economy. Today, information and technology are the driving forces behind the global economy. To keep pace with ever-changing technology and new inventions, one has to be flexible enough to embrace changes swiftly.

Today critical thinking skills are one of the most sought-after skills by the companies. In fact, critical thinking skills are paramount not only for active learning and academic achievement but also for the professional career of the students. The lack of critical thinking skills catalyzes memorization of the topics without a deeper insight, egocentrism, closed-mindedness, reduced student interest in the classroom and not being able to make timely and better decisions.

Benefits of Critical Thinking Skills in Education

Certain strategies are more eloquent than others in teaching students how to think critically. Encouraging critical thinking in the class is indispensable for the learning and growth of the students. In this way, we can raise a generation of innovators and thinkers rather than followers. Some of the benefits offered by thinking critically in the classroom are given below:

It allows a student to decipher problems and think through the situations in a disciplined and systematic manner
Through a critical thinking ability, a student can comprehend the logical correlation between distinct ideas
The student is able to rethink and re-justify his beliefs and ideas based on facts and figures
Critical thinking skills make the students curious about things around them
A student who is a critical thinker is creative and always strives to come up with out of the box solutions to intricate problems

Read our article: How to Foster Critical Thinking Skills in Students? Creative Strategies and Real-World Examples

Critical thinking skills assist in the enhanced student learning experience in the classroom and prepares the students for lifelong learning and success
The critical thinking process is the foundation of new discoveries and inventions in the world of science and technology
The ability to think critically allows the students to think intellectually and enhances their presentation skills, hence they can convey their ideas and thoughts in a logical and convincing manner
Critical thinking skills make students a terrific communicator because they have logical reasons behind their ideas

Critical Thinking Lessons and Activities

11 Activities that Promote Critical Thinking in the Class

We have compiled a list of 11 activities that will facilitate you to promote critical thinking abilities in the students. We have also covered problem solving activities that enhance student’s interest in our another article. Click here to read it.

1. Worst Case Scenario

Divide students into teams and introduce each team with a hypothetical challenging scenario. Allocate minimum resources and time to each team and ask them to reach a viable conclusion using those resources. The scenarios can include situations like stranded on an island or stuck in a forest. Students will come up with creative solutions to come out from the imaginary problematic situation they are encountering. Besides encouraging students to think critically, this activity will enhance teamwork, communication and problem-solving skills of the students.

Read our article: 10 Innovative Strategies for Promoting Critical Thinking in the Classroom

2. If You Build It

It is a very flexible game that allows students to think creatively. To start this activity, divide students into groups. Give each group a limited amount of resources such as pipe cleaners, blocks, and marshmallows etc. Every group is supposed to use these resources and construct a certain item such as building, tower or a bridge in a limited time. You can use a variety of materials in the classroom to challenge the students. This activity is helpful in promoting teamwork and creative skills among the students.

It is also one of the classics which can be used in the classroom to encourage critical thinking. Print pictures of objects, animals or concepts and start by telling a unique story about the printed picture. The next student is supposed to continue the story and pass the picture to the other student and so on.

4. Keeping it Real

In this activity, you can ask students to identify a real-world problem in their schools, community or city. After the problem is recognized, students should work in teams to come up with the best possible outcome of that problem.

5. Save the Egg

Make groups of three or four in the class. Ask them to drop an egg from a certain height and think of creative ideas to save the egg from breaking. Students can come up with diverse ideas to conserve the egg like a soft-landing material or any other device. Remember that this activity can get chaotic, so select the area in the school that can be cleaned easily afterward and where there are no chances of damaging the school property.

6. Start a Debate

In this activity, the teacher can act as a facilitator and spark an interesting conversation in the class on any given topic. Give a small introductory speech on an open-ended topic. The topic can be related to current affairs, technological development or a new discovery in the field of science. Encourage students to participate in the debate by expressing their views and ideas on the topic. Conclude the debate with a viable solution or fresh ideas generated during the activity through brainstorming.

7. Create and Invent

This project-based learning activity is best for teaching in the engineering class. Divide students into groups. Present a problem to the students and ask them to build a model or simulate a product using computer animations or graphics that will solve the problem. After students are done with building models, each group is supposed to explain their proposed product to the rest of the class. The primary objective of this activity is to promote creative thinking and problem-solving skills among the students.

8. Select from Alternatives

This activity can be used in computer science, engineering or any of the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) classes. Introduce a variety of alternatives such as different formulas for solving the same problem, different computer codes, product designs or distinct explanations of the same topic.

Form groups in the class and ask them to select the best alternative. Each group will then explain its chosen alternative to the rest of the class with reasonable justification of its preference. During the process, the rest of the class can participate by asking questions from the group. This activity is very helpful in nurturing logical thinking and analytical skills among the students.

9. Reading and Critiquing

Present an article from a journal related to any topic that you are teaching. Ask the students to read the article critically and evaluate strengths and weaknesses in the article. Students can write about what they think about the article, any misleading statement or biases of the author and critique it by using their own judgments.

In this way, students can challenge the fallacies and rationality of judgments in the article. Hence, they can use their own thinking to come up with novel ideas pertaining to the topic.

10. Think Pair Share

In this activity, students will come up with their own questions. Make pairs or groups in the class and ask the students to discuss the questions together. The activity will be useful if the teacher gives students a topic on which the question should be based.

For example, if the teacher is teaching biology, the questions of the students can be based on reverse osmosis, human heart, respiratory system and so on. This activity drives student engagement and supports higher-order thinking skills among students.

11. Big Paper – Silent Conversation

Silence is a great way to slow down thinking and promote deep reflection on any subject. Present a driving question to the students and divide them into groups. The students will discuss the question with their teammates and brainstorm their ideas on a big paper. After reflection and discussion, students can write their findings in silence. This is a great learning activity for students who are introverts and love to ruminate silently rather than thinking aloud.

Finally, for students with critical thinking, you can go to GS-JJ.co m to customize exclusive rewards, which not only enlivens the classroom, but also promotes the development and training of students for critical thinking.

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Thanks for the great article! Especially with the post-pandemic learning gap, these critical thinking skills are essential! It’s also important to teach them a growth mindset. If you are interested in that, please check out The Teachers’ Blog!

8 Awesome Critical Thinking Apps For Adults

What makes one person different from another? Well, besides their identity, it’s their ability to critically analyze everything and make a decision that carves a distinct life for everyone, making them unique from one another. Intellectual standards also come in handy when looking forward to determining the extent of critical thinking in an individual.

Critical thinking is one trait that is used in many areas of life. From observing, and forming judgment to decision making, enhancing critical thinking skills has become imperative for adults. Apps can be an effective option to get started with this journey of developing such crucial life skills.

Hence, in this post, you will find the various apps that can help adults build and enhance their critical thinking skills.

The concept of critical thinking

Critical thinking is known as the process of actively and successfully conceiving, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating knowledge as a basis for belief and action. It requires intellectual discipline.

A Critical thinker with practice:

raises important issues and articulate them simply and clearly
collects and evaluates pertinent information, effectively interpreting it using abstract concepts.
reaches well-thought-out findings and solutions, evaluating them in light of pertinent criteria and standards
successfully collaborates with others to find solutions to challenging situations
thinks critically about other schools of thought like recognizing and evaluating. Their underlying presuppositions, implications, and application of thoughts into actions also fall under the concept of thinking into practice.

Applications useful for critical thinking amongst adults

1. lumosity .

It is a popular brain training app developed by neuroscientists. Its purpose is to boost memory and attention span while encouraging problem-solving behavior and divergent thinking to think of flexible solutions.

The cognitive training program on Lumosity is a fun, engaging method to exercise your brain and learn more about how the mind functions. The Lumosity application, which is used by more than 100 million people worldwide, consists of games that challenge players’ memory, speed, flexibility, and problem-solving skills.

This app helps train adults into a more critical state by taking their time and utilizing it into solving puzzles through this app, the critical thinking quality will flourish among them.

App link : Play store | App store | Web app

It is a personalized app to train the brain and consists of daily game workouts. It provides a calendar that is easy to access and allows you to log your workout conveniently to track your performance and progress.

The app consists of 30 cognitive and concentration games relevant enough to help progress critical thinking and provides adaptive difficulty progression.

A very important aspect that this app provides is what medical professionals have been telling us since the inception of time, exercise. Be it physical or mental, this app helps in scheduling exercises well in advance for a busy adult.

App Link: Play store | App store | Web app

3. Brain it on

It is a physics-based puzzle game that offers different types of brain stimulation through challenges and puzzles. It asks the user to solve different puzzles by drawing on the screen, and the purpose is to encourage divergent thinking and problem-solving.

It is a highly rated app under the recommendation for mental skills.

“Brain it On!” features an arcade-style appearance and launches the main game as soon as the app is opened. The game will begin with simple challenges like drawing a straight line, tilting a form in a certain way, etc., similar to other casual puzzle games. Making the most of the early levels is crucial because as the game progresses, the riddles will become increasingly challenging.

App link: Play store | App store | Web App

This app is available on both Google Play and iOS App Store. It provides more than 45 brain training games that combine technology and neuroscience and aims to improve memory, attention, problem-solving, and mental agility through fun.

In addition, the app improves users’ performance by providing feedback after each game and provides insights and statistics based on the user’s age and profession.

Three times a week of practice is advised by the developers. Each exercise adapts to the user’s proficiency level and concludes with feedback. The basic premium edition of Peak Pro gives unlimited access to all 40+ exercises, along with individualized training sessions and comprehensive feedback (mainly percentage and graphs on progress), whereas the basic free version only permits a small selection of randomly chosen daily activities.

5. Brainwell

This rather cool app provides over 50 games to stimulate different parts of your brain. It includes journals like puzzles, teasers, mind tests, and more. It functions to improve memory, attention span, focus, and IQ.

With over 1 million downloads, it promises to help with problem-solving, attention, visual skills, and language. Designed with neuroscience knowledge, it challenges the users and helps sharpen one’s mind.

App Link: Play store | App store

This game app has been a favorite for adults for a long time. The online version of chess, similar to the offline game, helps an individual develop foresight and perseverance. It tests an individual’s sportsmanship and helps sharpen thinking and decision-making skills.

Chess is bound to improve an individual’s cognitive skills, attention span, and memory along with logical thinking and comes with many more benefits.

This app and its cognitive enhancing power are known to the entire world, probably the most adult-friendly among the lot, this app is an amazing productive time-pass for busy professionals out there.

App link : Play store | Web app

7. Brainturk

The printer is a mobile and computer-based app that provides over 40 games and meditation techniques based on neuroplasticity principles. These games help improve attention span, language skills, focus, short and long-term cognitive memory, and tools to address psychological barriers.

Neuropsychological researchers have used these games as they were shown to increase the strength of brain muscles and memory speed and provide complex stimulation to an individual’s brain. Some of the games include the flanker task, Stroop task, picture back, tracking objects, revised space fortress, and math games.

App link: Play store | App store | Web app

8. Geist

Geist is another brain training app designed to keep the brain functioning actively. It is based on neuroplasticity and developed by experts and has also been used in the research community.

It provides 24 games with more than 720 levels that help in improving brain connectivity, memory, logic concentration, reaction, and mathematical skills. It also provides workouts that a personalized win individual, cater to their curated goals, and allows tracking of the progress based on scientific testing.

It also provides a series of meditation that helps in brain training. Geist provides a study of your performance following a brain training session. It compares you to other Geist users and identifies some of your cognitive strong points. You can unlock new tests by using the Geist points you earn by doing well on these exercises. This is a wonderful addition because it makes sure users are proficient before moving on.

App link: App store

Conclusion

It is important that we view the world from a subjective point of view; for that, we require information and the ability to identify assumptions and arguments from hardcore facts and truth. Critical thinking aims to reason and inquire about creating and updating one’s opinions based on solid arguments. Being able to think critically is practical for us as individuals since it is important in a world that prioritizes the ability to manage information.

An engineer, Maths expert, Online Tutor and animal rights activist. In more than 5+ years of my online teaching experience, I closely worked with many students struggling with dyscalculia and dyslexia. With the years passing, I learned that not much effort being put into the awareness of this learning disorder. Students with dyscalculia often misunderstood for having just a simple math fear. This is still an underresearched and understudied subject. I am also the founder of Smartynote -‘The notepad app for dyslexia’,

Critical thinking definition

Critical thinking, as described by Oxford Languages, is the objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a judgement.

Active and skillful approach, evaluation, assessment, synthesis, and/or evaluation of information obtained from, or made by, observation, knowledge, reflection, acumen or conversation, as a guide to belief and action, requires the critical thinking process, which is why it's often used in education and academics.

Some even may view it as a backbone of modern thought.

However, it's a skill, and skills must be trained and encouraged to be used at its full potential.

People turn up to various approaches in improving their critical thinking, like:

Developing technical and problem-solving skills
Engaging in more active listening
Actively questioning their assumptions and beliefs
Seeking out more diversity of thought
Opening up their curiosity in an intellectual way etc.

Is critical thinking useful in writing?

Critical thinking can help in planning your paper and making it more concise, but it's not obvious at first. We carefully pinpointed some the questions you should ask yourself when boosting critical thinking in writing:

What information should be included?
Which information resources should the author look to?
What degree of technical knowledge should the report assume its audience has?
What is the most effective way to show information?
How should the report be organized?
How should it be designed?
What tone and level of language difficulty should the document have?

Usage of critical thinking comes down not only to the outline of your paper, it also begs the question: How can we use critical thinking solving problems in our writing's topic?

Let's say, you have a Powerpoint on how critical thinking can reduce poverty in the United States. You'll primarily have to define critical thinking for the viewers, as well as use a lot of critical thinking questions and synonyms to get them to be familiar with your methods and start the thinking process behind it.

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7 Games for Critical Thinking that Add Play to Your Day
Free Critical Thinking Infographic Cheat Sheet in 2022
5 Interesting Activities & Games for Boosting Critical Thinking Skills
Fun Critical Thinking Games For Adults / When finished, critical pass
Games for Building Critical-Thinking Skills
Critical thinking activities adults best and reasonably

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Critical thinking puzzles for adults (with answers)
2 The aMAZEing PuzzleBox. 3 Eight critical thinking puzzles - with answers. 3.1 Puzzle 1 - Letter puzzles. 3.2 Puzzle 2 - Commonalities and differences. 3.3 Puzzle 3 - Falling on his feet. 3.4 Puzzle 4 - Walk this way. 3.5 Puzzle 5 - Shapes and symbols. 3.6 Puzzle 6 - Three hard options.
7 Puzzles to Challenge Your Critical Thinking
First, consider the five words below: Cruise ship. Bicycle. Airplane. Walking on foot. Automobile (not a race car) Now, put them in order from the slowest to the fastest, when they are going at ...
Fun critical thinking online games for adults
The above critical thinking online games for adults are both enriching and fun. From online chess to Sudoku puzzles, Spent, and more, these games exercise your ability to evaluate, analyze, reflect, use logic, and rely on other critical thinking skills. Be sure to check them out today! References [PC] Games that will push critical thinking from ...
Brain training games for all cognitive skills
Your brain has an enormous range of abilities, which can be divided in five major cognitive skills. Our brain games challenge you to exercise these skills. All brain games are based on trusted psychological tasks and tests. So use our free brain games to improve your memory, attention, thinking speed, perception and logical reasoning!
21 Amazing thinking games for adults
17. Magic Square Puzzle. The magic square puzzle is a great thinking game that consists of square blocks filled with various letters. It will test your logical thinking skills as you have to find the square blocks that consist of some letters and use a combination of them to form a whole number. 18.
Challenge your mind with critical thinking puzzles online
Our logic puzzle games are designed to challenge your ability to analyze situations, make decisions, and solve problems effectively. By regularly playing our deductive reasoning games, you'll enhance your capacity for critical thinking, which is invaluable in both personal and professional contexts. Our KenKen puzzles cater to a diverse range ...
Problem Solving Games, Activities & Exercises for Adults
Problem solving games are activities that require players to use critical thinking skills to solve puzzles. Example activities include escape rooms, Sudoku, and murder mysteries. ... There are many types of problem solving activities for adults. You can do online problem solving games, which require a different skill set than in-person problem ...
12 Best Brain Games for Adults to Improve Memory & Focus
Here are 12 great options to try, including plenty of free brain games for adults: 1. Sudoku. Sudoku is a popular logic-based number puzzle that originated in Japan. The goal is to fill a 9x9 grid with numbers so that each row, column, and 3x3 square contains the numbers 1-9.
Find Critical Thinking Games & Exercises
Critical thinking is the ability to look at problems in new ways, to analyse how parts of a whole interact with one another and to interpret information and draw conclusions. Critical thinking and problem-solving skills were once thought to be the domain of gifted people. Today, they are necessary for every individual and group who seeks to ...
7 Fun Critical Thinking Activities to Train Your Brain to Think More
Take a simple problem, for practice, and break it down into increments. Make different decisions on smaller portions of the problem to see where those decisions lead you. 5. Review your day. Wasted time is one of the biggest obstacles to productive thinking, and another culprit is procrastination, as you already know.
Top 7 Critical Thinking Games and Activities for Sharpening Minds
So in summary, games like Rummikub, puzzles, Rubik's Cube, Azul, and Sudoku are fantastic options for sharpening your mind. They train visual-spatial skills, memory, flexible thinking, problem decomposition, and more. Consistently playing games that exercise different cognitive abilities keeps your brain fit and healthy.
101 Brain Teasers for Adults (with Answers)
Glass. 13. There is a word in the English language in which the first two letters signify a male, the first three letters signify a female, the first four signify a great man, and the whole word ...
Fun Critical Thinking Activities
The rest of this article will discuss 10 fun activities to improve your critical thinking skills. Contents. 1 Worst Case Scenario. 2 Creative Construction. 3 Story Telling. 4 Pragmatic Problem Solving. 5 Egg Rescue. 6 Critical Analysis. 7 Controversy Conundrum.
5 Interesting Activities & Games for Boosting Critical Thinking Skills
List of activities that involve adults thinking critically! 1. Shrinking Vessel. This is a team-building activity that is best played with more than 30 participants. The population is split up into small teams of 2-4, and everyone is enclosed in a shrinking space that can be achieved by flexible boundaries—rope, cones, etc.
10 Engaging Online Games To Test Your Critical Thinking Skills
7. Brainstorm. Critical thinking is all about making decisions based on analytical observation and this game allows individuals to brainstorm and find answers to challenging questions. In this game, the players need to answer questions that come on the screen by choosing the correct answer from the given options.
5 Critical Thinking Team Building Games For Adults
This team building game inculcates creative collaboration skills for adults and children alike. You can get more critical thinking and other games for Zoom here. 3. Shrinking Vessel. Critical thinking can be difficult to master with brain training; however, with fun team building games such as shrinking vessel, it becomes effortless.
Best Critical Thinking Board Games for Adults Problem-Solving
Players: 2-7. Playing time: 45-60 minutes. If you like critical thinking games with a theme, you'll enjoy Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig. It's the Post-Napoleonic era, and castles are in high demand. The Mad King Ludwig commissioned his finest architects to design a castle according to his demands.
10 Great Critical Thinking Activities That Engage Your Learners
Writing (or drawing) and silence are used as tools to slow down thinking and allow for silent reflection, unfiltered. By using silence and writing, learners can focus on other viewpoints. This activity uses a driving question, markers, and Big Paper (poster-sized is best).
Top 8 Fun Brain Games for Adults
Interestingly, thinking skills may be improved through playing brain games for adults that can help develop, train and enhance the skill. To be more specific, thinking skills encompass the wide range of creative thinking, critical thinking , analytical thinking and strategic thinking skills that work together to allow employees at work to best ...
10 Team-Building Games That Promote Critical Thinking
You can form the boundary with a rope, a tarp or blanket being folded over, or small traffic cones. (Skills: Problem-solving; teamwork) 7. Go for Gold. This game is similar to the 'If you build it' game: Teams have a common objective but instead of each one having the same materials, they have access to a whole cache of materials.
11 Activities That Promote Critical Thinking In The Class
6. Start a Debate. In this activity, the teacher can act as a facilitator and spark an interesting conversation in the class on any given topic. Give a small introductory speech on an open-ended topic. The topic can be related to current affairs, technological development or a new discovery in the field of science.
8 Awesome Critical Thinking Apps For Adults
3. Brain it on. It is a physics-based puzzle game that offers different types of brain stimulation through challenges and puzzles. It asks the user to solve different puzzles by drawing on the screen, and the purpose is to encourage divergent thinking and problem-solving. It is a highly rated app under the recommendation for mental skills.
Using Critical Thinking in Essays and other Assignments
Critical thinking, as described by Oxford Languages, is the objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a judgement. Active and skillful approach, evaluation, assessment, synthesis, and/or evaluation of information obtained from, or made by, observation, knowledge, reflection, acumen or conversation, as a guide to belief and action, requires the critical thinking process ...

7 Puzzles to Challenge Your Critical Thinking

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21 Amazing thinking games for adults | Classic brain games

1. Mind Benders

3. Flip Question

4. Logic Trails

5. Hinge Puzzle

6. Tower of Hanoi

7. 20 November 2012 Brain Teaser

9. Labyrinth

10. Monopoly Empire

11. Moondial

12. Transport

13. Hangman’s Puzzle

14. The Alphabet Game

15. Sudoku meets Asteroid

16. Letter Sequence

17. Magic Square Puzzle

18. Jigsaw Puzzle Fun

19. Alignment Game

20. Rubik’s Snake

21. Wheel of Fortune

Conclusion – thinking games for adults

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7 Fun Critical Thinking Activities to Train Your Brain to Think More Clearly

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Maybe we can try these fun critical thinking activities to train our brain to be the best it can be.