Children respond well to questions. They love to answer. Ask them thought-provoking questions and make a game of it. Ask them simple things like "What has long ears and a fluffy tail?" Or look around the room, and describe something they will have to look for. To stimulate memory and recall, ask them questions about what they did yesterday. Ask what they learned yesterday.
Play verbal games of right and wrong. Make a statement, such as "Today is Wednesday" and have them respond as to whether that statement is right or wrong. When the statement is wrong, have the children say what is correct. Play other word games in which you state a list of related items, such as animals, then ask the children which animal was repeated.
Play games in which the children look at a collection of objects (or pictures of them) and they decide which object doesn't belong in the group. Have them determine what makes the other objects in the group similar or related. Ask them to name other objects that could belong in the group.
Tell the children a series of directions; then have the children follow the directions. The directions can be for starting an activity or a series of physical steps, such as "Remove your left shoe and place it on your desk then turn your chair around and sit." Other physical activities that stimulate thinking include playing charades, Simon Says and hide and seek.
Bring out games and toys to encourage cognitive development. Numerous board games exist to engage a child's mind. Consider the many classics, such Chutes and Ladders, Candyland and Connect Four. Also let the children play card games, like Old Maid and Uno. Toys which encourage construction, such as Legos, Tangrams, or other building blocks, help develop thinking skills. And let them work jigsaw puzzles that are appropriate for their age group.