One thing I love about teaching this grade is seeing the excitement in their faces when we have a game day or a “critical thinking” morning. By 5th grade many feel students are beyond wanting to “play” games, but this is not the case, they are still young and want to interact and compete with their friends. Critical thinking is a crucial life skill that must be developed and applied at an early age. Critical thinking refers to a person's ability to actively reason, analyze information, and apply the appropriate response to produce a desired result. Games are a great way to get students engaged and develop their critical thinking skills in a fun environment. Thinking and strategy games are just one of many qualities that are necessary for imparting charisma and leadership skills to the next generation. Many of us would claim that we don’t have the ‘natural gift’ that charismatic leaders like Nelson Mandela or Mahatma Ghandi had. However, charisma and leadership are qualities that, to a large extent, can be taught and trained. With these skills becoming more important in today’s job market, creating an environment where these skills are used early on can provide children with an additional edge in becoming effective, active citizens in our society. I can only be the teacher I want to be if I can help my students become better thinkers. And the most effective way to do this is to fill my classroom with diverse games that encourage this type of thinking, logical skills (risk taking, thinking strategy, creativity and negotiation) and emotional skills (persuasion, emotional connection, body language, and dealing with vulnerability). This is why I’m asking my community to help me raise $300 for the logic puzzles and critical thinking activities. This collection will add 13 new games to our classroom and help my students grow their exquisite minds.