Creating and Thinking Critically | EYFS

EYFS definition

Creating and thinking critically is the EYFS characteristic concerned with developing ideas, connecting experiences and choosing ways to tackle things. In early childhood, it can appear in imaginative play, practical problem-solving and children’s attempts to explain or improve what they are doing.

What does this characteristic describe?

The phrase names one of the three Characteristics of Effective Learning in England’s EYFS. It concerns how children use what they know, consider possibilities and develop ways forward.

Creating is broader than making art. Thinking critically here does not mean criticising others or holding a formal debate. A child can explore a strategy through objects and actions before explaining it in words.

What might this look like in practice?

Children making a pretend campsite notice that their fabric roof keeps slipping. They suggest different fastenings, try them and decide which holds. Another child turns a familiar story into a new adventure, connecting characters and events in an original way.

During play with containers, a child chooses a smaller scoop after noticing that a large one spills over the edge. The revised approach draws on what happened earlier.

Supporting ideas and strategies

An adult might offer useful knowledge, wonder aloud, demonstrate a possibility or invite children to compare their attempts. Materials, photographs or gestures can help make an idea easier to share.

There may be several workable solutions. The emphasis is on developing thinking, rather than guessing the adult’s preferred answer or producing a formal explanation of every decision.

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