Looking for an engaging way to teach flexibility, perspective taking, social awareness, and self-regulation? Kids around the world are having fun learning about their own super-strengths using the Superflex® Curriculum. Students learn how to become a flexible superhero through engaging and motivating activities. This two-book set comes with a storybook about how one Superflex (Aiden) takes on a group of imaginary creatures called UnthinkaBots (previously called Unthinkables), specifically Rock Brain. Students get to learn that everyone has UnthinkaBots in their brain, even teachers and parents! Students pretend to go to the Superflex Academy where they learn that they too can become their own superhero and manage their own team of UnthinkaBots. The curriculum guide includes lessons, handouts, and visual tools to transform your classroom, clinic, or home into a Superflex Academy.

IMPORTANT: The first book in the Superflex series is the multiple award-winning You Are a Social Detective! storybook, which builds a core foundation of social awareness needed before going to the Superflex Academy. Please spend time teaching You Are a Social Detective! first, before using the Superflex Curriculum with kids.

What's included

Superflex Curriculum: The 106-page curriculum contains lessons, activities, imaginary character profiles, and materials to create a personalized Superflex Superhero Training Academy in your classroom, small group, or home. Kids learn they can learn to become their own personal Superflex, who looks just like them. Kids also get to learn about a Team of UnthinkaBots (also called Unthinkables), who are cartoon-like characters, such as Rock Brain. Lessons are designed to show that kids have the superpowers to manage UnthinkaBots like Rock Brain, who makes people get stuck on their own ideas. The curriculum introduces 14 UnthinkaBots (Unthinkables), their sneaky imaginary powers, and strategies to keep the team of UnthinkaBots at bay.

Introductory Storybook: Superflex Takes on Rock Brain and the Team of Unthinkables, is a 21-page storybook that tells the story of how one boy named Aiden learned how to transform himself into his Superflex. Readers learn about Social Town (which is every town, everywhere) and how the crew of UnthinkaBots (Unthinkables) show up in the thinking of Social Town citizens. Superflex Aiden and his sidekick dog, Bark, go on a mission to let the citizens of Social Town know about and manage the UnthinkaBots in their school, home, and community.

Why people around the world are using the Superflex Curriculum

Many children and plenty of adults have difficulty with flexibility and self-regulation. Superflex provides a fun forum in which everyone can explore their own super-strengths while developing insights into the UnthinkaBots who might be nearby. The UnthinkaBots are motivating cartoon characters to help students learn in a non-threatening way.

How do I teach the Superflex Series

Begin with the lessons found in You Are a Social Detective! Storybook. The storybook introduces students to core social emotional learning (SEL) concepts, and its new companion Teaching Curriculum & Support Guide provides 10 fun, structured lesson plans and visual tools to support building students’ social attention, social interpretation, and self-awareness—the foundation for social emotional learning for everyone. The Superflex Curriculum was designed to be used only after students have practiced being a “social detective.”

The curriculum is intended for ages 7 to 10+ but can be adapted for use with younger and older kids. If teaching younger kids ages 5 to 7, or older kids, focus only on identifying the names and powers of the UnthinkaBots and imagining they are their own Superflexible superhero.

For students 8 years and older, start by reading the Rock Brain storybook to introduce the characters. Each lesson stands on its own and may take multiple sessions to teach. Teach slowly to help kids deeply understand the information and begin to integrate the concepts into their own thinking. Learn more key insights on how to teach Superflex in this free webinar. Also, please refer to our 10 Dos and Don’ts for Teaching Superflex.

Superflex is ME and YOU, and YOU, too!

It’s important to teach that students’ Superflex looks like THEM. The Superflex in the storybook is Aiden’s Superflex. Everyone has their own Superflex that looks just like them. Use the Superflex is Me! Coloring Sheet to teach this concept and have kids draw their inner Superflex. Watch the video below to learn more about this lesson from Ryan Hendrix, a member of our Social Thinking Training and Speakers’ Collaborative.

Superflex Music CD (Sold Separately)

Supplement your teaching with Superflex music! We teamed up with Grammy-nominated songwriters to create 13 fun kid songs that support the concepts and strategies taught through the Superflex Curriculum. The music is available via CD and streaming through popular music platforms. Preview the songs on this page.

How Superflex connects to the larger Social Thinking Methodology

Social Detective and Superflex are just a sampling of many products in the Social Thinking Methodology. A more comprehensive two-book curriculum, Social Thinking and Me (Winner and Murphy, 2016) is designed for students ages 9 to 12 to read as they engage in social emotional learning groups, classrooms, and/or at home.

Award-winning Social Detective & Superflex Series

Our award-winning Social Detective & Superflex series teaches social observation, social awareness, perspective taking, flexible thinking, and self-regulation. Click here to explore all our Social Detective & Superflex resources—why this social emotional learning series has sold more than 447,000 copies worldwide!