Examining the effects of philosophy practices with children on preschool children's creativity and critical thinking skills

The aim of this study is to examine the effects of Philosophy for Children (P4C) practices on the creativity and critical thinking skills of preschool children aged five to six. P4C is an approach aimed at developing children's critical, creative, collaborative, and caring thinking skills. The study employed a pre-test and post-test experimental design with a control group, dividing participants into two groups: an experimental group and a control group. While P4C practices were implemented with the experimental group, no interventions were made with the control group. During the data collection process, the "Evaluation of Critical Thinking Through Philosophical Inquiry for Five-Six-Year-Old Children Scale (ECTPI)" was used to measure critical thinking skills, and the "Early Childhood Creativity Scale (ECCS)" was used to assess creativity levels. Data analysis revealed a significant increase in the critical thinking and creativity skills of the children in the experimental group following the P4C practices. However, no noticeable changes were observed in the control group. The findings of the study demonstrate that the P4C (Philosophy for Children) method is an effective pedagogical approach for fostering cognitive skills such as critical thinking and creativity in early childhood. In this context, the widespread adoption of P4C in preschool education could contribute to strengthening children's cognitive, intellectual, and social skills. The study offers practical recommendations for educators and policymakers and highlights the value of inquiry-based philosophical education in early childhood. Key Words: Philosophy for Children, P4C, critical thinking, creativity, preschool education