Students as well as teachers enjoy taking a fresh look at the world around them. One of my favorite activities is looking at common objects with a creative eye. You can purchase any number of creative thinking booklets from teaching supply sources or,you can look around and create your own. Give it a try. Here are a few to get your brain warmed up. It’s addictive once you start.
List new uses for each: an egg carton, a newspaper, a clothespin, ten feet of string, an empty can.
What can you make using ribbon, craft paper, cotton balls and 3 bamboo skewers?
What can you make from a rubber band, a box, 3 marbles and a spoon?
List new uses for each: a worn-out shoe, a fishing tackle box, an empty plastic container, a fork, a paperclip.
The idea can be a quick classroom brainstorming session or it can grow into a creative build-it project much like a diorama with a written component where the ‘creating genius’ explains the thinking behind the project. So, make it as quick or as thorough an idea as fits your needs. You could be fostering a future inventor’s million dollar creation!