6 Ways to Foster Flexible Thinking to Improve Learning in Children Under 10

Cognitive flexibility is essential for young learners as it shapes their learning abilities, enabling them to adapt to new situations and think creatively when solving problems. Encouraging this skill can have a significant impact on their current and, most importantly, future learning.

1. Ask Open-Ended Questions

Encouraging children to consider multiple solutions stimulates their ability to think flexibly. Open-ended questions push them to go beyond their initial response.

Examples:

• While reading a story, ask: "What else could happen next in the story?" This invites the child to imagine alternative endings.
• When they are working on a puzzle, instead of offering help, you can ask: "What other ways could you try to fit this piece?" This encourages them to experiment with different approaches.

2. Teach Them to Detach from Their First Ideas

Children often cling to their first response or solution. Encouraging them to rethink their initial answers helps them reassess situations and remain open to other possibilities.

Examples:

• After solving a math problem, ask: "Can you solve this in a different way?" or "Is there another method you could try?" This reinforces the idea that there’s not always just one right way to reach the solution.
• While they are drawing, suggest: "What if you tried drawing it from a different angle, or in another way?" This pushes them to reconsider their perspective, promoting adaptability in their creative process.

3. Model Flexible Behavior

Children learn by example. Showing cognitive flexibility in your own actions can have a powerful impact. When they see you adapting to changes or uncertainty, they are more likely to adopt the same attitude.

Examples:

• If you face a problem at home, such as a recipe going wrong or not turning out well, present the situation as solution-oriented: "This didn’t work, what else can I try?" This shows your child that it’s normal to accept failures, try different strategies, and adapt.
• When plans change, like a trip being canceled due to rain, express positivity: "It’s raining, so what can we do instead?" This models resilience and adaptability in the face of the unexpected, rather than dwelling on frustration.

4. Promote Creative Activities

Games, puzzles, and artistic activities naturally foster flexible thinking by encouraging children to imagine multiple solutions to the same problem or objective. Creative activities push children to approach things in original ways.

Examples:

• During creative time, offer open-ended projects, such as: "Build something with these blocks" instead of giving strict instructions. This encourages experimentation.
• Introduce storytelling improvisation games where children must continue a story on the spot or invent new ones using the same characters. This type of activity develops flexibility by encouraging quick thinking and adaptation to new story twists or creating them.

5. Integrate Games with Changing Rules

Games with evolving rules encourage children to adapt quickly and think flexibly. This helps them understand that flexibility is necessary in unpredictable situations. Games like Uno or Monopoly, as well as "Simon Says," work well for this.

Examples:

• Play "Simon Says," but change the rules periodically, such as asking them to clap twice instead of once. This forces children to stay alert and adjust their responses.
• Offer board games where the rules evolve as you play. It can be as simple as creating new "house rules" during the game to encourage flexibility while respecting guidelines.

6. Use Everyday Life Situations

Encourage children to solve real-life problems in different ways. This shows them that flexible thinking applies outside of school and has an impact on daily life.

Examples:

• When they face a personal challenge, like building a tower of blocks that keeps falling, ask: "What else could you try to make it more stable?" This encourages resilience and creative problem-solving, while emphasizing what’s important for success, beyond predefined methods.
• During a trip to the supermarket, give them a simple yet flexible task: "Can you think of three different ways we could find all the items we need faster?"