3 Games to Increase Creativity that Can be Played Anywhere Anytime

“I never made one of my discoveries through the process of rational thinking.”

– Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein was a great believer in the power of creativity and so have all the great thinkers and scientists of all time. No great breakthrough was ever done by people who did not think out of the box.

Luckily, creativity is a skill that can be developed. Here are some fun games that can be played by kids and adults alike anywhere, anytime, to help exercise the creative areas of your brain.

These games can be used in parties, or as an icebreaker session.

So next time, when you are bored, or are on a long drive, try out these games. We tried them at home and had great fun.

Game 1: 25 Uses Of…

This is a fun game where you can choose any common object and try to find 25 or more uses of that object. One person starts, then next and next and so on in a circle. The game continues till 25 uses are reached or no one can think of any more uses.

For example: 25 Uses of a Key

There are 3 players.

• Player 1: Open a lock
• Player 2: Scratch out stuck dirt from table
• Player 3: Weapon to hit someone if needed
• Player 1: Scratch
• Player 2: Dig the soil
• Player 1: Bookmark

And so on…

You can change the number from 25 to 30 or 50 and see how many you can reach. It is an amazing way to get the creative juices flowing and think out of the box.

This is an amazing game where we have seen some really weird and interesting uses of common objects. Try it and have fun!

Game 2: Good luck Bad Luck

This is a story game. You start a story with the first sentence. The next player adds to the story with an unlucky twist. The next player adds with a lucky twist and so on till you run out of options or the story is complete. At every turn a player can add one or two sentences only.

Read here for some more activities and games to build creativity

For example:

Start the story with: Fanny the Rabbit went to the park.

If there are 3 players:

• Player 1: It was his bad luck that the park was closed.
• Player 2: Luckily for him, his friend, Bunny stayed nearby.
• Player 3: Fanny went to Bunny’s house to play, but unluckily Bunny had to study for exams.
• Player 1: Lucky for Fanny that Bunny’s cousin was at home.

And so on…

The game can be played with children or adults. It is amazing to see the variety of good and bad situations that players can imagine taking the characters of the story through a tumultuous and adventurous ride.

Game 3: Spiraling Stories

The game of Spiraling Stories is simple – one person starts a story. The next person adds to it and it goes on in a circle (round robin) till the story comes to an end.

To start off, the 1st line of the story can be started by an adult (to set the tone, place, theme, key characters). It is then easier for the child to add to it. Every person can speak 1 or 2 sentences. The key is that story must move forward with each person’s contribution. They cannot just repeat or describe what the previous person has already said.

Read the detailed description of Spiraling Stories game here

“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.”

Maya Angelou