101 Activities For Teaching Creativity And Problem Solving

Related Activities

• Rorschach Revisionist [18]


• Doodles [37]


• Drawing Room [59]


• Brainsketching [94]

Procedure

1. Ask participants to place a sheet of flip-chart paper on a table or on a floor hard
   enough to be written upon.


2. Direct one group member to draw a large rectangle on the paper, approximately
   one by two feet in size.


3. Have each group member write inside the rectangle one word unrelated to the
   problem. Tell them to write the words approximately the same distance from each
   other and spread them out within the rectangles.


4. Note that if there are six group members, for example, there should be six words
   spread around within different rectangles. Refer them to the Doodlin’ Around the
   Block Handout.


5. Direct the participants by saying:
   “When I tell you to start, each one of you simultaneously will begin drawing squares—about two
   inches by two inches—from the edges of the paper. Use the unrelated words as stimuli and write
   down ideas inside the boxes, one idea per box. Your will receive one point for each box with an idea.
   You may draw squares in any direction as long as they are connected. However, you must draw
   each square without lifting up your pen or pencil, so that each square will be connected. You may
   retrace lines if you wish. Group members who no longer can connect squares must stop writing.”


6. Refer them to the Doodlin’ Around the Block Handout for an example and
   instruct the participants to begin drawing.


7. After all squares have been completed, ask each group to total their ideas and
   report to the large group.


8. Award the winning group small prizes and ask all the groups to record
   their ideas on Post-it®Notes (one idea per note) and place them on a flip
   chart for evaluation.

Debrief/Discussion

Although it may seem counterintuitive, some of the best ideas from this exercise might

result when participants quickly draw the squares and generate ideas. Hesitation can

result in more conventional, analytical thinking. If participants are involved and motivat-

ed to complete this exercise, more unique ideas may pop out, so it is important that par-

ticipants do not spend too much time contemplating where to draw their boxes. The fact

that they may retrace lines should help facilitate this aspect.

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