Grades 3–5
Ask the Advice Column
Be the advice columnist: read three letters from kids with problems and write what they could do and your best advice.
SEL worksheet · Problem solving and decisions
Plan B: Flexible Thinking
When Plan A falls through, think flexibly: write a Plan B for six letdowns, from a rainy picnic to a lost game.
- Grade level
- Grades 2–5
- Time
- About 20 minutes
- Answer key
- Yes, page 2 of the PDF
- Kids practice
- Problem solving, Decision making, Thinking about consequences, Safety
What kids do
Printed on the sheet:
- Flexible thinking means finding a new plan when Plan A doesn’t work out. Plan B can still be fun!
- Write a Plan B for each letdown.
- Plan A doesn’t work…
- “It rains on picnic day.”
- “All the swings are taken.”
- “My friend is sick and can’t come over.”
- “The store is out of my favorite cereal.”
- “I forgot my book for reading time.”
Teacher tip
Talk about your own Plan B moments, like when it rained on a field trip.
How to use it
- Use real (and safe) classroom problems as extra examples.
- Let kids share how they decided, not just what they picked.
- Model your own answer first. Kids open up more when the grown-up goes first.
Watch for
Some scenarios involve safety. Make sure every child knows which grown-ups to tell.
Talk about it
- Who could you ask for help?
- How might someone else see it differently?
Take it further
Act out a scenario two ways: one choice and then another.
US Letter, prints well in black and white. Free for home and classroom use: print as many copies as you need.
More problem solving and decisions worksheets
Grades 2–4
Problem-Solving Word Search
Find twelve problem-solving words, like option, calm and fair, hidden across, down and on a slant, then use one in a tip.
Grades 2–5
Five Steps to Solve a Problem
Number the five problem-solving steps in order, then use them on a forgotten-homework problem.
Grades 2–4
Many Ways to Solve It
Brainstorm three solutions for three everyday problems and star the best one for each.
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