Creative thinking requires stimulation for the brain! Read on for some creative thinking activities and exercises to develop one’s imagination to great proportions!

When was the last time you explored your creative side and gave a vent for your imaginative power? In today’s fast-paced life, creativity often takes a backseat. Work issues and then personal issues tend to overshadow our capability of creative thinking. Companies often hold problem solving sessions, brain exercise or brainstorming sessions to simplify issues in relation with the company. Sitting at a round table conference does not mean you will end up with creative solutions. Routine thinking leaves a person drained and this hampers creative thinking skills. Here, we shall take a look at some creative thinking activities and exercises to develop better coordination at work and resolve personal issues. These creative thinking exercises can be used for successful results even in schools.

Activities and exercises for creative thinking

This exercise for creative thinking will help students or professionals develop skills of looking at things through various angles. Divide the group into two teams. Give both teams a picture that has three shapes drawn on it. It can be anything simple such as a circle, a hexagon and a triangle in any color. The answers can range from the basic to the creative kinds. A person may describe it simply as a circle or a triangle or someone may describe the circle as a basketball or even a sun! The whole point about this creative thinking exercise is to develop various angles towards problem solving. It is about having an imaginative power to solve problems by having a different approach and attitude.

Creative writing exercises will help to hone a person’s skill and approach towards different issues. Give two objects to groups of people. For example - a cherry and a cake. Ask them to write down the materials or composition of the selected objects and describe its uses. It can be like the following - a cherry is red in color and is used as an ingredient for various recipes. The flavors of a cake can be many from chocolate to butterscotch. Once the meaning is clear, the two objects should be made to relate to each other. In this example, the cherry can be used as a topping on the cake. Ask the group to bring up endless possibilities to correlate and bring about a connection between the objects. With the combination of various ideas, one can end up having many creative answers.

Our brains also need exercise. Make people think regularly with this creative activity. Make a collection of 5 items of any kind. For example, it can be a cup, a bag, a bottle, jewelry item and a folder. Ask people to write down various uses for these objects but in a creative fashion. For example, the cup can be used as a jewelry box or the folder can act as a coaster. Encourage people for wacky and creative answers. The wackier, the better! It will be surprising to see the kind of answers that are possible. Such a creative exercise will even encourage introverts to participate and mingle.

This activity can help people to realize how we can dictate things in our everyday life by adding just a little amount of creativity. Give any random word to the group. For example - Cat. Ask the group to add random words that can alter the whole meaning of the initial word given. It can be cute cat, white cat, cat eyes, happy cat, etc. The words need not have relation with the actual word given. It shows how we can look differently at any situation only by having a positive approach.

This is yet another interesting exercise. Ask certain questions that make one think… creatively! For example, ‘how does one write with invisible ink?’ or, ‘what does one plant to grow a seedless watermelon?’ These questions can be given to groups and one can have a fun time reading some really creative answers. Questions like these are bound to set all the creative juices flowing.

A simple photograph of a colored box or an actual box can be put to good use. Ask a person to describe one part of the colored box. This can include description such as the number of edges, the colors, the size, the total number of sides, etc. From here, the person should add uses for the box. (For example, it can be used to play with building blocks.) Pose this question to a group of people and ask them to shed their inhibitions to be able to think creatively.

Use these exercises and activities for creative thinking and work on improving the way a mind can function. Find endless possibilities to reenergize the brain with these simple and creative activities!

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