Challenge: Children do not always understand abstract thinking hats very well at first. Tip: Make it visual and concrete
Use clear colours, pictograms and simple language.
Hang visual posters or work with real hats or headbands.
Child-friendly explanations work better than theory.
Challenge: Too many hats at once confuses younger children. Tip: Start with 2 or 3 hats (e.g. white, red, yellow) and expand slowly.
Less is more, especially in the beginning. Build it slowly
Challenge: Children don’t know how to think properly at a particular hat this requires training and repetition. As a teacher, think out loud: ‘When I think with the black hat, I see that…’. Tip: Give example-thinking
Modelling helps tremendously in thinking development.
Challenge: Some children are afraid to speak out or follow others. Tip: Alternate classroom and individual
Let children draw or write individually first and only then share. This way each child gets thinking space.
Challenge: Children quickly lose the thread in the process. Tip: Use fixed routines. Therefore, work with a fixed rhythm, e.g.:
Choose hat
Ask question
Share answer
Repetition builds confidence.
Challenge: Children lose focus in long sessions. Tip: Keep it short and energetic
Use a timer per hat (e.g. 3 minutes per line of thinking) and make sure there are active forms of work (drawing, moving, choosing cards) this ensures more involvement.
Challenge: Children often only want to think positively (yellow) or creatively (green). Tip: Encourage all thinking, including the ‘difficult’
Explain that all hats are important – including critical thinking or allowing for feelings.
Use examples where the black or red hat makes a difference.
