How to Help Your Child Think Logically (Ages 5 to 12)

Logical thinking is the ability to go from what we know to what must be true. It underpins maths, science, reading comprehension and good decisions. The good news: it grows with practice.

The building blocks

• Patterns: noticing what repeats and predicting what comes next.
• Order: putting things in a line by size, time or rank.
• If-then: "If it rains, the ground gets wet."
• Elimination: ruling out what cannot be true.
• Checking: making sure an answer fits all the facts.

Activities for ages 5 to 8

1. "What comes next?" with coloured blocks, beads or claps.
2. Sorting games with two rules: red AND round.
3. Ordering puzzles: "Mia is taller than Leo, Leo is taller than Ben. Who is the shortest?"
4. "Guess Who" style games, which teach asking yes/no questions and eliminating.

Activities for ages 9 to 12

1. Logic grid puzzles with pen and paper.
2. Strategy board games that require planning several moves ahead.
3. Simple coding: sequences, loops and if-then rules.
4. Number puzzles that need a rule, not a calculator.

How to coach without giving the answer

• "What do we know for sure?"
• "Is there anything we can rule out?"
• "Can you draw it?"
• "Does your answer fit every clue?"

These questions teach the method, which is worth more than any single answer.

The Smart Kids Club gives children 5 logic puzzles a day for their age group, each with a child-friendly explanation. See also the best puzzles and games for growing brains.