Which of the following questions promotes critical and creative thinking in children ?

The correct option is: "Which can be the best way to save water and why ?"

Explanation:

Critical and creative thinking involves analyzing a situation, evaluating possibilities, reasoning, and generating innovative solutions rather than merely recalling facts.

Let us analyze the given questions:

1. "Which can be the best way to save water and why ?" - This question is open-ended. It encourages children to think about different conservation strategies, evaluate which one is most effective, and justify their reasoning ("why"). This requires higher-order critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

2. "Where does water come from in your city ?" - This is a factual, recall-based question with a fixed answer.

3. "How many states and how many capitals are there in your country ?" - This requires direct recall of rote memory facts.

4. "What is the name of your country and its geographical location on the map ?" - This also relies purely on factual information and memory recall.

Therefore, the question asking children to evaluate the best way to save water along with an explanation of "why" is the only one that promotes critical and creative thinking.