Cause and effect — Critical thinking for kids

Thinking tip

Why → what — “the cause comes before “so”; the effect comes before “because””

1. “Cause, so effect.” — It rained all night, so the ground is wet.
2. “Effect because cause.” — The ice cream melted because the sun was very hot.
3. Coming first is not causing: the rooster crows before sunrise but does not cause it. Hot days bring both ice cream sales and swimming — heat causes both.

Use it for: Science, history, stories, reading comprehension and understanding why things go wrong.

Worked example: 🔗 “The ice cream melted because the sun was very hot.” What is the cause? → the sun was very hot

✏️ Practice

Work it out in your head or on paper, type the answer and press Check. Stuck? Press “Show me how”.

🏁 Lesson 13 test

20 questions. Check each answer, then go to the next one. Get 16 or more right to pass.

🏅 Sign in with Google to earn the 🔗 Cause Finder badge when you pass — and a certificate when you finish all 6 lessons of Part 3 · Reason it out. You can still take the test without signing in.

🖨️ Cause and Effect Worksheet for Kids

• Worksheet set 1 (PDF)
• Worksheet set 2 (PDF)
• Worksheet set 3 (PDF)