101 Activities For Teaching Creativity And Problem Solving

Free Association Activities: “Blue Skies” 201

45. Sense Making

Background

Our everyday language is colored by references to the five senses: “I hear you,” “I see

what you mean,” “I feel for you,” “That’s a tasty idea,” “I smell a rat!” Such phrases usu-

ally prompt a variety of sensory images, corresponding to whatever sense is involved.

These images, in turn, help communicate meaning and increase understanding.

Just as our senses allow us to experience different stimuli, sensory images can help us

experience the different perspectives needed to create ideas.

Objectives

• To help participants generate as many creative ideas as possible


• To help participants learn how to use the activities to generate ideas

Participants

Small groups of four to seven people each

Materials, Supplies, and Equipment

• For each group: markers, two flip charts, and masking tape for posting flip-chart
  sheets


• For each participant: one sheet each of three different colors of sticking dots
  (^1 / 2 ′′diameter) and one pad of 4 x 6 Post-it®Notes


• Three sheets each of 8.5′′x 11′′paper and pens or pencils for each participant

Handout

• Sense Making Ideas Handout

Time

30 minutes

07 VG 167-216 10/6/04 12:17 PM Page 201