Creativity games are training games to introduce the innovative use of available material

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

These training 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

Creativity Games 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 training game competitively.

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

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

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

5. After 5 minutes begin the training game.

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 or training game on their feelings and learnings to enable them to reflect on the innovative uses of the various materials they used.

Creativity games 2

Four triangles

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

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

3. This is a group training game. Have a group of four to five people per table playing this training 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 training game 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 or training 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 or training 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 training game to emphasize the principles of creativity.

Creativity games 3

Write a Poem

You can play this game individually or in groups. If you are using groups, then this is how the game goes.

1. Form groups of five


2. Ask the groups to write a list of 9 - 10 rhyming words, like: hill, till, mill, pill, will, kill, krill, still, li'l


3. When all the groups have finished this step, exchange thee lists between the groups, i.e., group 1 will get list 2, group 2, list three etc.


4. The groups then have to write a poem of ten lines. Each line should end with a rhyming word from the list.


5. When all the groups have finished this second step, each of the groups will present their poem to the larger group.

The results of the game are sometimes hilarious, sometimes fantastic and always creative.

Creativity games 4

Write a Poem

You can play this game in groups and this is how the game goes. Use flip charts to enable group writing. One person could volunteer to be the recorder for this process. The groups are given 5-7 minutes to write their Poem.

Each group is given a picture without human subjects in it.

1. Form groups of five. The task for the group is to write a poem together, which is inspired by the picture. The poem should have a human subject - woman, child, old person, parents, grandparents etc.


2. Once the poems are written, they are presented to the larger group

Creativity games 5:

Write a Story

You can play this game in groups and this is how the game goes. Use flip charts to enable group writing. One person could volunteer to be the recorder for this process. The groups are given 5-7 minutes to write their story.

1. Form groups of five. The task for the group is to write a story together. They could write a funny story, a thriller or any other kind of story. More often than not, a funny story is easily written within a short span of time.


2. One person in the group suggests the first line of the story. The recorder records it on the flip chart. The next person continues the story with his/her spin. In this way each person adds his/her line and continues the story, until a possible end is reached.


3. Each member should have contributed at least one line to the story, if not more.


4. Once the stories are written, then each of the groups present their story to the larger group.

Creativity games 6:

Develop business ideas

You can play this game in groups and this is how the game goes. Use flip charts to enable group writing. One person could volunteer to be the recorder for this process. The groups are given 5-7 minutes to populate the chart.

1. Form groups of five.


2. Give each group a paper clip. The task for the group is to list twenty - if not more - different uses of the paper clip.


3. Once this list is generated by all the groups, each group reads out its list to the larger group.


4. The ideas on each of the flip charts that have business potential are then examined and business models can be developed for the most feasible ones.

Creativity games 7:

Creative Problem Solving

You can play this game in groups and this is how the game goes. Use flip charts to enable group writing. One person could volunteer to be the recorder for this process. The groups are given 15 minutes to solve the problem innovatively.

You could choose to give each group a different problem or a provocative operation (PO) or you could choose to give them all one PO.

In the description below, I have used one PO: 'Disappearing makes for an exciting family activity'.

This is how the game is played:

1. Form groups of five. The task for the group is to use the PO to come with ways in which the PO will be true within 15 minutes.


2. Each person's idea is recorded on the flip chart


3. Each person in the group should contribute at least one idea if not more.


4. Once the ideas are recorded, then each of the groups present their ideas/solutions to the larger group.


5. The ideas will turn out to be marvelous, which could then be suggested to people who need them.

An example of a possible original solution when the PO is true is (This solution will be safe only when adults are playing it. For children, the venue will be their homes): Designate a place in town where all members of the family will meet. On arrival one or more of them can decide to be somewhere else. The task for those who 'appeared' is to locate the disappearing member(s). Once the member(s) is/are located, they have to join the group and treat the rest of the members. If the disappearing 'member' cannot be located then the family has to treat him/her, when the person reveals their location.

To know how to think creatively using this method buy the e-book New Training Games e-book and get the Creativity Techniques e-book with it absolutely free. This free e-book has the description of how to use the PO technique in groups to solve problems creatively.

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

To know more about the use of experiential learning games or training 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 training games and learning games, to drive home a crucial point.

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