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Online cognitive flexibility trainers

6 cognitive flexibility exercises: the rule changes in the middle of the game, and you have to drop the old one fast and pick up the new one. Rounds are short, one to two minutes, and the mistakes right after a rule change honestly show where your thinking gets stuck. You can play 10 minutes a day without signing up.

6 trainers 1–2 minutes per round 10 minutes a day free
Start with “Task Switcher”

Rule switching

Task SwitcherThe frame color tells you the rule: blue means odd or even, orange means more or less than five. The rule changes withou... Stroop: Color or WordA color word appears in colored ink. The question above it changes: sometimes you need the ink color, sometimes the word... Connect in OrderTap the circles, alternating numbers and letters: 1 — A — 2 — B — 3 — C… Each new board is bigger. Card SorterSort the cards onto the sample cards. Nobody tells you the rule: figure it out from the “right/wrong” feedback. Sometime...

Comparison and interference

Same ShapeShapes appear one at a time. Say whether the new shape is the same as the previous one. One minute: answer fast and accu... Meaning and ColorOn the left is a color name, on the right a color. Do they match? The word on the right card will try to trick you: look...
Why

What is cognitive flexibility

Cognitive flexibility is the ability to change your approach at the right moment. You’re writing an email to a coworker, a minute later you answer your child’s question, then you get back to the email. The task changed halfway through, there’s a detour on the road, the recipe calls for something you don’t have: every time you have to drop the usual move and quickly find a new one. When flexibility runs short, people keep repeating the old solution out of habit, even though it no longer works.

In this section you can see it quite literally. In Task Switcher the same digit is judged by odd or even one moment and against five the next, and your hand reaches for the previous answer. In Stroop: Color or Word the question changes without warning. Connect in Order is based on the Trail Making Test: numbers and letters alternate, and you have to keep your place in both series. Same Shape and Meaning and Color make you compare features quickly while something tries to trip you up. And in Card Sorter, based on the Wisconsin test, nobody names the rule at all: you have to work it out from the hints and notice when it changes.

Where to start

Start with Task Switcher and Connect in Order: the rules take a second to explain, and you feel each switch right away. Once you’re comfortable, move on to Card Sorter, where you have to find the rule yourself. It’s the hardest task in the section.

How to practice

  • Mistakes right after a rule change are normal. Watch not your total score but how quickly you readjust: that is the skill itself.
  • Don’t keep your finger hovering over a button. First look at the frame color or the question, then answer: the habit of checking the rule is worth more than a fraction of a second.
  • Mix this section with attention and logic exercises. Flexibility builds on them, and switching trainers within one workout is a small switch in itself.
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Questions

Frequently asked questions

How much time should I spend on cognitive flexibility?

Rounds are short, so five minutes a day on this section is enough: two or three games with different rules. Spend the rest of your workout on other skills. What matters is training regularly, not a lot once a week.

Will it get easier to switch between tasks in everyday life?

You will definitely get better at similar tasks: adjusting faster to a new rule and answering out of habit less often. How much of that carries over to work and daily life varies from person to person. The odds are better if you also notice in real life when you’re clinging to an old solution and consciously try another one.

Are the exercises suitable for kids and people over 60?

Connect in Order is included both in the “Kids” collection (from age 6) and in the “60+” collection. Task Switcher is in the “60+” collection. The other exercises in the section are faster-paced and are better suited to teens and adults.

Where should I start if I get confused when the rule changes?

With Task Switcher: it has just two simple rules, and the frame color tells you which one applies. If even that feels hard, play a few rounds of the Stroop Test from the attention section, which has a single rule, and then come back.

Is it free?

Yes, 10 minutes of play a day are free, no sign-up needed. A free account saves your results and shows your progress chart. Paid plans are coming soon; for now you can keep playing after the free 10 minutes.

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