The article presents the results of a study of the cognitive activity of two samples of children of senior preschool age, with a difference of 20 years. Using the “Creative field” method, significant differences in the characteristics of mental activity and motivation of the studied groups were revealed in the direction of their decrease in the group of modern preschoolers. At the same time, the data obtained on intelligence, measured by the J. Raven test, indicate that modern preschoolers coped with tasks on this test a little better than their peers 20 years ago. An analysis of the current situation of child development is given.