A great fit if they…
love puzzles, riddles and open-ended challenges and want a place to think out loud with peers who get them. Gifted or 2e kids who crave a real mental challenge, without pressure, feel at home.
Math & Logic · Thinking Skills
Brain Lab: Grow Your Own Thinking Skills
for Ages 7 to 11
A weekly thinking lab for kids who love puzzles, riddles and codes. They stretch their reasoning next to kids who think the way they do, with no race to be first.
- Ages
- 7 to 11 (open Spring 2027 section: ages 7 to 10)
- Class size
- 6–8 max
- Format
- Live online · 21 weeks
- Mentor
- Ms. L
Show me available times
From $39.71 /week
Course details
Course Overview
Young Scholars Academy's Brain Lab: Grow Your Own Thinking Skills is a weekly live online thinking class for curious gifted or 2e (2e) kids ages 7 to 11 who love a good puzzle. With Ms. L, students solve logic puzzles and riddles, crack codes, play creative strategy games and talk through big questions, with no pressure and no competition. Every session also leaves room to talk about how they solved things and what to do when a puzzle doesn't work on the first try.
Something new to crack
Each week brings a new mix of logic puzzles, riddles, code-breaking challenges, creative strategy games and "big question" discussions. Activities rotate "popcorn-style," so no two weeks feel the same. A kid who isn't excited by one kind of puzzle gets something different soon.
Thinking out loud, together
Challenges are collaborative. Students work with a partner or the group, then talk about how they got their answer. That reflection helps the kid who knows the answer but can't yet say how they got there.
Mistakes are part of the plan
When a puzzle goes wrong, the class talks about what happened and what to try next. Students practice a healthy relationship with challenge alongside peers who feel the frustration too. The goal is a kid who enjoys a hard problem and knows what to do when the first idea doesn't work.
A room built for deep thinkers
Social-emotional learning runs through every class. Students explore big questions in Socratic discussions and support each other through hard puzzles. Curiosity, humor and individuality are welcome.
Ages 7 to 11 (open Spring 2027 section: ages 7 to 10) · Prerequisites · Who it's for
Is this the right class for my kid?
Start here, or take something first?
Start here. No experience is needed and there's no placement test.
Can they keep taking it?
Yes. The puzzles, codes and big questions change every term. Kids who love the code-breaking weeks can look ahead to Cryptography: Codes, Puzzles, & Ciphers when they're older.
New students
Welcome. Every session is a fresh set of challenges, so new students jump in alongside everyone else.
Returning students
New puzzles, new codes and new big questions, so they keep building on the thinking habits they started.
Learning outcomes
What will my kid learn this semester?
Puzzles and riddles
Solve logic puzzles and riddles, then explain the steps they took.
Codes and strategy
Crack coded messages and work through strategy challenges with a partner or the group.
Big questions
Share a view in a "big question" discussion and build on a classmate's idea.
Try another way
Switch to a new approach when the first one fails, and say what they changed.
What gets stronger all semester
Brain Lab runs as a weekly lab, so there are no units.
Track 1
Explaining their thinking
Saying how they got an answer, not just what it is.
Track 2
Working together
Solving challenges with a partner or the group, and building on others' ideas.
Track 3
Handling a hard puzzle
Naming what went wrong and choosing what to try next.
Growth · Progress reports
You'll see the growth every week
What you'll notice at home
Your kid brings a riddle to dinner and makes everyone explain how they got their answer. When their own puzzle goes wrong, they say "let me try another way" and keep going.
What changes on the inside
A hard problem starts to feel like fun instead of a threat, because they know what to do when the first idea doesn't work.
A write-up every week
A short report from Ms. L about your child's actual work: what they made, where they shined, what's next.
Materials Needed
- Paper and a pencil or pen.
You'll get this list by email when you enroll, then 1 week, 3 days and 1 day before class starts.
Getting started
What happens after you enroll
1. Your welcome email
Zoom link, Google Classroom link and an add-to-calendar button in one place. Forward it to your child: Young Scholars Academy can't email students directly.
2. Google Classroom
Syllabus, the weekly Zoom link and a way to message Ms. L.
3. Every week
A short progress report from Ms. L about your child's actual work.
Spring 2027 · Schedule · Tuition
At a glance
Key facts
- Provider
- Young Scholars Academy (WASC-accredited virtual school for gifted or 2e students, ages 5-18)
- Course
- Brain Lab: Grow Your Own Thinking Skills
- Mentor
- Ms. L
- Ages
- 7-11 (open Spring 2027 section: ages 7-10)
- Format
- Live online small-group class on Zoom, 6 to 8 students max per class (average class: 5 students)
- Class length
- 45 minutes, once a week
- Term
- Spring 2027, January 4 to May 28, 2027 (21 weeks)
- Category
- Math & Logic
- Credit option
- No: enrichment only
Spring 2027 sections
| Section | Ages | Day | Time (PT / ET) | Weeks | First class | Mentor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brain Lab: Grow Your Thinking Skills (45 min) - Ms. L - Ages 7-10 - T @ 1 PT | 7-10 | Tuesday | 1:00 PM-1:45 PM PT / 4:00 PM-4:45 PM ET | 21 | 01/05/2027 | Ms. L |
Last class: 05/25/2027.
All times Pacific, with Eastern alongside.
Tuition (Spring 2027)
- Flex Payment Plan: $41.80/week ($877.80 total)
- Pay Up Front (Save 5%): $39.71/week ($833.91 total)
- New Year All-Access Pass (covers 21-week spring classes; pay in full): Bronze $2,797 (4 live courses + Friendship Social Club), Silver $3,597 (5 live courses + 1 free bonus course), Gold $5,797 (8 live courses + 2 free bonus courses). Class switches allowed during the first month (January 4 to February 3, 2027).
- Guarantee: Try It From The Inside. 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Not in love? Switch courses (equal or lesser value) or take a credit. Payment plans can also stop future payments after 30 days. Attendance required.
How to enroll
- Course page and enrollment: https://youngscholarsacademy.org/courses/brain-lab-grow-your-thinking-skills
- Free Spring Open House: November 11, 2026, 5 PM PT. RSVP: https://youngscholarsacademy.org/spring-open-house
- Questions: support@youngscholarsacademy.org
Meet Your Mentor
Ms. L
Mentor
Design & Technology Teacher, Gaming & STEAM
- 10 years in-person teaching
- Nearly 1,000 online students
- Gaming
- Design & Technology
- STEM
Brain Lab: Grow Your Own Thinking Skills FAQ
Questions parents ask about Brain Lab: Grow Your Own Thinking Skills
Is this a competitive class?
No. Young Scholars Academy's Brain Lab is collaborative and designed for real mental challenge without pressure or competition.
My kid gets frustrated when they get something wrong. Is that a problem?
Mistakes are part of the class. Students talk about how they approached a problem and what to try next, and they practice handling challenge with peers who feel it too.
Does my kid need to be good at puzzles already?
No experience is needed. If they enjoy puzzles, riddles or open-ended questions, they'll fit right in. There's no placement test.
Is it the same every week?
No. Activities rotate between puzzles, riddles, codes, strategy games and big-question discussions, so each week is different.
How long is each class?
Brain Lab sessions are 45 minutes, sized for younger learners.
Try It From The Inside Satisfaction Guarantee
The Young Scholars Academy Promise
If you’re not 100% in love with the course, you have options depending on how you enrolled:
Pay In Full Option
You can switch to another course of equal or lesser value that’s a better fit or get a credit to use toward a future course.
Payment Plan Option
You can either get credit toward a future course, switch to another course of equal or lesser value that’s a better fit, or stop all future payments after a 30-day processing period.
No risk. No stress. Just the learning and belonging you have been looking for.
We can offer this because we know what we do works for thousands of other families. Kids become more self-confident. They find their people. And families tell us this is the place where their student finally feels welcome. We know it will work for your family, too.
All-Access Passes have separate terms and conditions. Please see the All-Access Pass pages.
It goes without saying, but we’ll say it anyway... to qualify for the satisfaction guarantee policy, you have to actually attend the classes. This is not a cancellation policy. It’s a satisfaction guarantee. You can’t be satisfied or dissatisfied if you don’t attend.
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About Young Scholars Academy
Young Scholars Academy is a virtual village that offers one-of-a-kind, engaging enrichment courses and community for 5-18-year-old bright, quirky kids to empower them to develop their strengths, make like-minded friends, cultivate life skills, build confidence, and feel great about themselves under the loving care of expert mentors. description2: >- Picture a place where your child fits in, is celebrated, mentored, and loves learning the unique content their beautiful brain craves. That happens every day at YSA for over 1,200+ families, and it can happen for your family, too.
WASC Accredited · 1,200+ Families · 93% Re-Enroll · 47+ States, 17 Countries, 6 Continents
Learn more about YSATheir best year starts here.
Right now, a kid who thinks like your kid is in a course they chose, with a mentor who was once just like them, surrounded by friends who don't think they're weird... they think they're interesting.
Your child is one click from finding out what that feels like.
