Creativity games to introduce the innovative use of available material

Creativity games are games that you can use with participants to give them a hands-on experience of using conventional available material innovatively.

These games enable participants to learn some basics of creative thinking like:

• Visualise the final result
• Brainstorm the uses of available material vis-a-vis goal
• Think out-of-the-box./ Think unconventionally


Game 1:Make the longest line.

1. If the group is a large one (say 40) divide it into two groups of 20 each and use this game competitively.

2. Tell them the goal of the game is to make the longest human -line (not necessarily straight, although don't tell them taht until you are asked) possible. Tell them also that if a link in the line is broken anywhere they will lose the game.

3. Give them five minutes to brainstorm the material (anything that is available in the room) they will use to complete the task.

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4. Remind them to think out-of-the box.

5. After 5 minutes begin the activity.

6. You will find many interesting and innovative uses of shoe laces, scarves, ties, hair, the human body (some of them will lie flat on the ground) to make sure that they have made the longest human line.

7. Debrief this creativity game on their feelings and learnings to enable them to reflect on the innovative uses of the various materials they used.

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Creativity game 2: Four triangles

1. Materials required for this game: one box of matches and a saucer full of small marshmallow per table.

2. Pre-arrange the tables for this game. Place the saucer of marshmallows at the centre before the participants arrive in the room

3. This is a group game. Have a group of four to five people per table playing this game.

4. As the groups are settling down you'll hear curious questions about whether thay can eat the marshmallows. Tell them it is a reward they can have when they finish the activity successfully.

5. When the groups have settled down, give each table a box of matches.

6. Afterwards, tell them that their task is to make four triangles that touch each other. The constraint is that they can use only six matches to make the four triangles.

7. As this is a creativity game remind them to brainstorm on the innovative use of materials available to them in the room

8. Also remind them to literally think out-of-the-box.

9.Give them 10-15 minutes to play this creativity game.

10. Soon some of the groups will come up with the solution

11. One of the solutions is to use the marshmallows as connectors and arrange the six matches into a tetrahedron with a triangular base.





12. Debrief the feelings and learnings on the game to emphasize the principles of creativity.

13. For other games to be used in trainings go to the training games page.

To know more about the use of experiential learning games contact us.

Also get a monthly e-zine 'Stories for EL' free for stories that you can use to emphasise experiential learning. Stories and their lessons are easily remembered.

They can also be used to communicate a concept effectively. They add the 'aha' or 'Eureka' or 'got it' factor to presentations and lectures. They are great tools to use in debriefs of games, to drive home a crucial point.

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