diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 6453989f72136..749e8813f3551 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -435,6 +435,9 @@ The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](http://keepachangelog.com/en/1.0.0/).
 - Deprecated passing `resume_from_checkpoint` to the `Trainer` constructor in favor of `trainer.fit(ckpt_path=)` ([#10061](https://github.com/PyTorchLightning/pytorch-lightning/pull/10061))
 
 
+- Deprecated `ClusterEnvironment.creates_children()` in favor of `ClusterEnvironment.creates_processes_externally` (property) ([#10106](https://github.com/PyTorchLightning/pytorch-lightning/pull/10106))
+
+
 ### Removed
 
 - Removed deprecated `metrics` ([#8586](https://github.com/PyTorchLightning/pytorch-lightning/pull/8586/))
diff --git a/docs/source/clouds/cluster.rst b/docs/source/clouds/cluster.rst
index a4a1524c05734..6f1c70b48b448 100644
--- a/docs/source/clouds/cluster.rst
+++ b/docs/source/clouds/cluster.rst
@@ -290,8 +290,9 @@ and node rank (node id). Here is an example of a custom
 
 
     class MyClusterEnvironment(ClusterEnvironment):
-        def creates_children(self) -> bool:
-            # return True if the cluster is managed (you don't launch processes yourself)
+        @property
+        def creates_processes_externally(self) -> bool:
+            """Return True if the cluster is managed (you don't launch processes yourself)"""
             return True
 
         def world_size(self) -> int:
diff --git a/pytorch_lightning/plugins/environments/cluster_environment.py b/pytorch_lightning/plugins/environments/cluster_environment.py
index 251e8ba16f6e7..237842b4ffb59 100644
--- a/pytorch_lightning/plugins/environments/cluster_environment.py
+++ b/pytorch_lightning/plugins/environments/cluster_environment.py
@@ -13,14 +13,30 @@
 # limitations under the License.
 from abc import ABC, abstractmethod
 
+from pytorch_lightning.utilities import rank_zero_deprecation
+
 
 class ClusterEnvironment(ABC):
     """Specification of a cluster environment."""
 
+    @property
     @abstractmethod
-    def creates_children(self) -> bool:
+    def creates_processes_externally(self) -> bool:
         """Whether the environment creates the subprocesses or not."""
 
+    def creates_children(self) -> bool:
+        """Whether the environment creates the subprocesses or not.
+
+        .. deprecated:: v1.5
+            This method was deprecated in v1.5 and will be removed in v1.6. Use the property
+            :attr:`creates_processes_externally` instead.
+        """
+        rank_zero_deprecation(
+            f"`{self.__class__.__name__}.creates_children()` was deprecated in v1.5 and will be removed in v1.6."
+            " Use the property :attr:`creates_processes_externally` instead."
+        )
+        return self.creates_processes_externally
+
     @abstractmethod
     def master_address(self) -> str:
         """The master address through which all processes connect and communicate."""
diff --git a/pytorch_lightning/plugins/environments/kubeflow_environment.py b/pytorch_lightning/plugins/environments/kubeflow_environment.py
index 10a020d35a529..c92c10dfad8bd 100644
--- a/pytorch_lightning/plugins/environments/kubeflow_environment.py
+++ b/pytorch_lightning/plugins/environments/kubeflow_environment.py
@@ -35,7 +35,8 @@ def is_using_kubeflow() -> bool:
         excluded_env_vars = ("GROUP_RANK", "LOCAL_RANK", "LOCAL_WORLD_SIZE")
         return all(v in os.environ for v in required_env_vars) and not any(v in os.environ for v in excluded_env_vars)
 
-    def creates_children(self) -> bool:
+    @property
+    def creates_processes_externally(self) -> bool:
         return True
 
     def master_address(self) -> str:
diff --git a/pytorch_lightning/plugins/environments/lightning_environment.py b/pytorch_lightning/plugins/environments/lightning_environment.py
index b3558c23d6b94..6919b211cb0ba 100644
--- a/pytorch_lightning/plugins/environments/lightning_environment.py
+++ b/pytorch_lightning/plugins/environments/lightning_environment.py
@@ -40,7 +40,8 @@ def __init__(self):
         self._global_rank: int = 0
         self._world_size: int = 1
 
-    def creates_children(self) -> bool:
+    @property
+    def creates_processes_externally(self) -> bool:
         """Returns whether the cluster creates the processes or not.
 
         If at least :code:`LOCAL_RANK` is available as environment variable, Lightning assumes the user acts as the
diff --git a/pytorch_lightning/plugins/environments/lsf_environment.py b/pytorch_lightning/plugins/environments/lsf_environment.py
index af6bfbb8163c9..06563c7f017bb 100644
--- a/pytorch_lightning/plugins/environments/lsf_environment.py
+++ b/pytorch_lightning/plugins/environments/lsf_environment.py
@@ -52,7 +52,8 @@ def is_using_lsf() -> bool:
         required_env_vars = ("LSB_JOBID", "LSB_HOSTS", "JSM_NAMESPACE_LOCAL_RANK", "JSM_NAMESPACE_SIZE")
         return all(v in os.environ for v in required_env_vars)
 
-    def creates_children(self) -> bool:
+    @property
+    def creates_processes_externally(self) -> bool:
         return True
 
     def master_address(self):
diff --git a/pytorch_lightning/plugins/environments/slurm_environment.py b/pytorch_lightning/plugins/environments/slurm_environment.py
index fb5c3d1e92cbf..d599c513650c2 100644
--- a/pytorch_lightning/plugins/environments/slurm_environment.py
+++ b/pytorch_lightning/plugins/environments/slurm_environment.py
@@ -24,7 +24,8 @@
 class SLURMEnvironment(ClusterEnvironment):
     """Cluster environment for training on a cluster managed by SLURM."""
 
-    def creates_children(self) -> bool:
+    @property
+    def creates_processes_externally(self) -> bool:
         return True
 
     def master_address(self) -> str:
diff --git a/pytorch_lightning/plugins/environments/torchelastic_environment.py b/pytorch_lightning/plugins/environments/torchelastic_environment.py
index f6c0335ac5cc8..9e4b4a9482bfd 100644
--- a/pytorch_lightning/plugins/environments/torchelastic_environment.py
+++ b/pytorch_lightning/plugins/environments/torchelastic_environment.py
@@ -31,7 +31,8 @@ def is_using_torchelastic() -> bool:
         required_env_vars = ("RANK", "GROUP_RANK", "LOCAL_RANK", "LOCAL_WORLD_SIZE")
         return all(v in os.environ for v in required_env_vars)
 
-    def creates_children(self) -> bool:
+    @property
+    def creates_processes_externally(self) -> bool:
         return True
 
     def master_address(self) -> str:
diff --git a/pytorch_lightning/plugins/training_type/ddp.py b/pytorch_lightning/plugins/training_type/ddp.py
index 4499c1d7dfc41..fd8ee49cf15d7 100644
--- a/pytorch_lightning/plugins/training_type/ddp.py
+++ b/pytorch_lightning/plugins/training_type/ddp.py
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ def _is_single_process_single_device(self) -> bool:
 
     def setup_environment(self) -> None:
         # start the other scripts
-        if not self.cluster_environment.creates_children():
+        if not self.cluster_environment.creates_processes_externally:
             self._call_children_scripts()
 
         # set the task idx
@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@ def _check_can_spawn_children(self):
             raise RuntimeError(
                 "Lightning attempted to launch new distributed processes with `local_rank > 0`. This should not happen."
                 " Possible reasons: 1) LOCAL_RANK environment variable was incorrectly modified by the user,"
-                " 2) `ClusterEnvironment.creates_children()` incorrectly implemented."
+                " 2) `ClusterEnvironment.creates_processes_externally` incorrectly implemented."
             )
 
     def set_world_ranks(self) -> None:
diff --git a/tests/accelerators/test_accelerator_connector.py b/tests/accelerators/test_accelerator_connector.py
index e6a18d538eb1d..7ad93b167794d 100644
--- a/tests/accelerators/test_accelerator_connector.py
+++ b/tests/accelerators/test_accelerator_connector.py
@@ -369,7 +369,8 @@ class CustomCluster(LightningEnvironment):
         def master_address(self):
             return "asdf"
 
-        def creates_children(self) -> bool:
+        @property
+        def creates_processes_externally(self) -> bool:
             return True
 
     trainer = Trainer(
diff --git a/tests/deprecated_api/test_remove_1-6.py b/tests/deprecated_api/test_remove_1-6.py
index 74ab533d39efb..22ce20618f2e8 100644
--- a/tests/deprecated_api/test_remove_1-6.py
+++ b/tests/deprecated_api/test_remove_1-6.py
@@ -20,6 +20,12 @@
 from pytorch_lightning import Trainer
 from pytorch_lightning.callbacks import ModelCheckpoint
 from pytorch_lightning.callbacks.early_stopping import EarlyStopping
+from pytorch_lightning.plugins.environments import (
+    KubeflowEnvironment,
+    LightningEnvironment,
+    SLURMEnvironment,
+    TorchElasticEnvironment,
+)
 from pytorch_lightning.plugins.training_type import DDPPlugin, DDPSpawnPlugin
 from pytorch_lightning.utilities.distributed import rank_zero_deprecation, rank_zero_warn
 from pytorch_lightning.utilities.model_helpers import is_overridden
@@ -421,3 +427,17 @@ def test_v1_6_0_is_slurm_managing_tasks():
 
     with pytest.deprecated_call(match=r"`AcceleratorConnector.is_slurm_managing_tasks` was deprecated in v1.5"):
         trainer._accelerator_connector.is_slurm_managing_tasks = False
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "cluster_environment",
+    [
+        KubeflowEnvironment(),
+        LightningEnvironment(),
+        SLURMEnvironment(),
+        TorchElasticEnvironment(),
+    ],
+)
+def test_v1_6_0_cluster_environment_creates_children(cluster_environment):
+    with pytest.deprecated_call(match="was deprecated in v1.5 and will be removed in v1.6"):
+        cluster_environment.creates_children()
diff --git a/tests/plugins/environments/test_kubeflow_environment.py b/tests/plugins/environments/test_kubeflow_environment.py
index 29b8bba587922..44fb66fca0d91 100644
--- a/tests/plugins/environments/test_kubeflow_environment.py
+++ b/tests/plugins/environments/test_kubeflow_environment.py
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 def test_default_attributes():
     """Test the default attributes when no environment variables are set."""
     env = KubeflowEnvironment()
-    assert env.creates_children()
+    assert env.creates_processes_externally
 
     with pytest.raises(KeyError):
         # MASTER_ADDR is required
diff --git a/tests/plugins/environments/test_lightning_environment.py b/tests/plugins/environments/test_lightning_environment.py
index 012aa877ec57b..2de3574a1805f 100644
--- a/tests/plugins/environments/test_lightning_environment.py
+++ b/tests/plugins/environments/test_lightning_environment.py
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 def test_default_attributes():
     """Test the default attributes when no environment variables are set."""
     env = LightningEnvironment()
-    assert not env.creates_children()
+    assert not env.creates_processes_externally
     assert env.master_address() == "127.0.0.1"
     assert isinstance(env.master_port(), int)
     assert env.world_size() == 1
@@ -48,13 +48,13 @@ def test_attributes_from_environment_variables():
 
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
-    "environ, creates_children", [({}, False), (dict(LOCAL_RANK="2"), True), (dict(NODE_RANK="1"), False)]
+    "environ, creates_processes_externally", [({}, False), (dict(LOCAL_RANK="2"), True), (dict(NODE_RANK="1"), False)]
 )
-def test_manual_user_launch(environ, creates_children):
+def test_manual_user_launch(environ, creates_processes_externally):
     """Test that the environment switches to manual user mode when LOCAL_RANK env variable detected."""
     with mock.patch.dict(os.environ, environ):
         env = LightningEnvironment()
-        assert env.creates_children() == creates_children
+        assert env.creates_processes_externally == creates_processes_externally
 
 
 @mock.patch.dict(os.environ, {"GROUP_RANK": "1"})
diff --git a/tests/plugins/environments/test_lsf_environment.py b/tests/plugins/environments/test_lsf_environment.py
index fbdb2197bdf51..e3a5a67ba4be2 100644
--- a/tests/plugins/environments/test_lsf_environment.py
+++ b/tests/plugins/environments/test_lsf_environment.py
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ def test_manual_master_port_and_address():
 def test_attributes_from_environment_variables():
     """Test that the LSF environment takes the attributes from the environment variables."""
     env = LSFEnvironment()
-    assert env.creates_children()
+    assert env.creates_processes_externally
     assert env.master_address() == "10.10.10.0"
     assert env.master_port() == 10234
     assert env.world_size() == 4
diff --git a/tests/plugins/environments/test_slurm_environment.py b/tests/plugins/environments/test_slurm_environment.py
index 111d317b3a5fa..e2f1df4ecd9ad 100644
--- a/tests/plugins/environments/test_slurm_environment.py
+++ b/tests/plugins/environments/test_slurm_environment.py
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 def test_default_attributes():
     """Test the default attributes when no environment variables are set."""
     env = SLURMEnvironment()
-    assert env.creates_children()
+    assert env.creates_processes_externally
     assert env.master_address() == "127.0.0.1"
     assert env.master_port() == 12910
     with pytest.raises(KeyError):
diff --git a/tests/plugins/environments/test_torchelastic_environment.py b/tests/plugins/environments/test_torchelastic_environment.py
index 19e64fba2e65f..d0df262c169cb 100644
--- a/tests/plugins/environments/test_torchelastic_environment.py
+++ b/tests/plugins/environments/test_torchelastic_environment.py
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 def test_default_attributes():
     """Test the default attributes when no environment variables are set."""
     env = TorchElasticEnvironment()
-    assert env.creates_children()
+    assert env.creates_processes_externally
     assert env.master_address() == "127.0.0.1"
     assert env.master_port() == 12910
     assert env.world_size() is None
diff --git a/tests/plugins/test_ddp_plugin.py b/tests/plugins/test_ddp_plugin.py
index c7e8d1ffc9224..78ae931330307 100644
--- a/tests/plugins/test_ddp_plugin.py
+++ b/tests/plugins/test_ddp_plugin.py
@@ -80,7 +80,8 @@ def test_incorrect_ddp_script_spawning(tmpdir):
     """Test an error message when user accidentally instructs Lightning to spawn children processes on rank > 0."""
 
     class WronglyImplementedEnvironment(LightningEnvironment):
-        def creates_children(self):
+        @property
+        def creates_processes_externally(self):
             # returning false no matter what means Lightning would spawn also on ranks > 0 new processes
             return False