Creativity games are great tools for bringing out the imagination within us all. They provide fun and learning, transforming boring times into memorable experiences. To help you find some of these creative games, the Under30CEO team created a list of games and activities for adults and students alike!
We also made a list of our six favorite entrepreneurship games. Check that out too!
Below are some of our favorite games for creativity and innovation!
Creativity games for fun and creative thinking
Creativity is not just about artsy endeavors. It is about problem-solving, critical thinking, and innovating. And the hype is real. People believe creativity and innovation education can change the world. Even the U.S. government has also promoted “creativity and innovation as the next big thing” and said that “anybody can be an inventor” (Source). Nonetheless, here are ten games that can inspire creativity in anyone, regardless of age or profession.
1. Play a new card game: Products: Invent-it, Pitch-it (#1 overall pick)
How to play: Products by skypig mixes Shark Tank with an Apples-to-Apples-like card game. Players invent new products and pitch these awesome or hilariously horrible innovations to an investor. It encourages creative ideation and public speaking about your ideas. Create a “sneaker that has a jet engine” or even crazier inventions that you can think of.
Materials needed: Your group, the card deck, instructor manual (optional)
Benefits
- Actually hilarious and fun: Many team-building “activities and games” are not actual games and activities. Products, on the other hand, is legitimately fun and always makes my group laugh and have a good time.
- Ideative-thinking: Not many games focus on invention education as a premise for the game. skypig (the game publisher) did this masterfully by making skill-building fun, interactive, and collaborative.
- Unlimited playability: To invent stuff in the game, you put Feature cards like “that has wheels” onto Product cards like a “television” to create “a television that has wheels.” Since each Product and Feature card combination is unique, there is little room for boring repetition.
See also: Six Ways to Foster Collaboration in the Workplace
2. Play Charades, but better
How to play: Unlike traditional charades, the entire team is involved in acting out a word or phrase, while one person guesses. This encourages teamwork and collaboration.
Materials needed: Your group
Benefits:
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Teamwork in action: Experience the adrenaline rush of synchronized creativity as your team acts in harmony. It’s like a choreographed dance routine, but with hilarious gestures and expressive charades.
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Boosted confidence: This game allows everyone to showcase their creative instincts, helping to build confidence, especially in shy team members.
3. Play the word associations game
How to play: Start with a random word. Each group member takes turns saying a word associated with the previous one. If they fail to think of a word or repeat a word already being said, they’re out!
Materials needed: Your group
Benefits:
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Mental gymnastics: This game exercises your team’s brains as they make quick connections between words. It’s like a mental relay race where creativity and fast thinking are the keys to success.
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Communication ninjas: This activity sharpens your team’s ability to communicate succinctly and effectively, paving the way for seamless collaboration.
4. Become an improv hero
How to play: Divide the team into pairs or small groups and give them a random scenario or prompt. The teams must improvise a skit or scene based on the scenario, using their creativity and spontaneity to deal with the issue.
Materials needed: Your group
Benefits:
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Quick-thinking superheroes: This game taps into your team’s mental agility as they come up with witty lines and hilarious improvisations on the spot. It’s like your team’s creativity takes center stage.
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Teamwork with a twist: Collaborate with your scene partners and build upon each other’s ideas, creating a seamless and entertaining performance. It’s like a theatrical ensemble where the final act is a testament to your collective genius.
5. Debate your team fast and impromptu
How to play: Choose thought-provoking topics or issues and divide the team into two groups: one supporting the topic and the other opposing it. Engage in a lively 1-minute debate where participants use their creativity and persuasive skills to make their case. Choose a judge to pick a winner.
Materials needed: Your group, topics beforehand (optional)
Benefits:
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Critical thinking champions: This game sharpens your team’s critical thinking skills as they analyze and present arguments creatively. This game is your intellectual battleground, where creativity becomes your secret weapon.
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Confidence boosters: Embrace the art of persuasive communication and witness your employees’ confidence soar as they present their arguments with flair and creativity.
6. Talk without talking
How to play: Divide the team into pairs. One person in each pair chooses an object or concept and mimes it without using any words or sounds. The other person tries to guess what the mime represents.
Materials needed: Your group
Benefits:
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Enhanced nonverbal communication: This game sharpens your team’s ability to communicate effectively without words. This activity fosters creativity in finding innovative ways to convey messages.
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Boosted team spirit: Experience moments of laughter and joy as you witness your team members’ hilarious and creative interpretations of various mimes.
7. Play abstract Charades
How to play: Similar to traditional charades, but with a creative twist. Instead of acting out specific words or phrases, participants must convey abstract concepts, emotions, or even entire stories through gestures and expressions.
Materials needed: Your group
Benefits:
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Emotional intelligence development: This game pushes your team’s creativity to the limit as they express complex feelings through movement and nonverbal cues, making them emotional intelligence champions.
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Enhanced nonverbal empathy: Unlock the secrets of nonverbal communication and boost your team’s ability to empathize with others.
8. Go crazy with puzzles
How to play: Provide teams with various puzzles, such as jigsaw puzzles, riddles, or brain teasers. Once they finish one puzzle, they progress to the next. The team who finishes the quickest is the winner.
Materials needed: Your group, assorted puzzles
Benefits:
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Stimulated out-of-the-box thinking: This game pushes your team members to explore unconventional approaches and to discover innovative perspectives and solutions.
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Fostered collaborative triumphs: Witness the power of teamwork as your employees join forces to conquer challenging puzzles.
9. Create sculptures together
How to play: Provide teams with sculpting materials such as clay, Play-Doh, or modeling clay. Challenge them to create sculptures based on given themes or prompts, encouraging imaginative interpretations and creative expression.
Materials needed: Your group, sculpting materials (clay, Play-Doh, modeling clay)
Benefits:
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A tangible manifestation of creativity: Get ready to witness magic in action as your team members mold and shape their creative visions into physical forms.
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Celebration of individuality: Embrace the uniqueness and diversity of interpretations as each team member unveils their extraordinary sculpture.
10. Open the box of innovation
How to play: Fill a box with random objects, such as office supplies, toys, or miscellaneous items. One participant selects an item from the box and describes how it can be repurposed or used creatively in a different context.
Materials needed: Your group, box, various objects
Benefits:
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Creative problem-solving: This game stimulates participants’ ability to think creatively and find innovative uses for ordinary objects.
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Divergent thinking: Encourage participants to explore multiple perspectives and consider alternative uses or functions for everyday items.
Creativity-boosting activities to ignite imagination
Let’s switch gears and dive into some creativity-boosting activities you can do individually or in a group. Prominent universities like MIT and the University of Missouri have promoted invention education activities to boost confidence and teach how to invent. It is an excellent use of time! These activities aim at creating a culture of imagination, creativity, and innovation. Here are our picks!
11. Conduct a braniac creativity session
How to play: Present a challenging problem or scenario to the team and ask them to generate as many creative solutions as possible within a given time limit.
Materials needed: Your group, whiteboard or flipchart, markers
Benefits:
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Harnessing the power of innovation: Prepare to be amazed as your team unleashes a storm of fresh and unconventional ideas. This activity encourages them to explore uncharted territories of creativity.
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Collaborative excellence: Like a superhero squad, each member brings unique perspectives, joining forces to create ingenious solutions.
See also: 7 Biggest Mistakes to Avoid when Planning a Virtual Corporate Event
12. Make collaborative Art
How to play: Divide the team into small groups and provide each group with art supplies. Assign a theme or topic and ask the groups to create a collaborative artwork.
Materials needed: Your group. Art supplies (paper, paints, brushes, etc.)
Benefits:
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Masterpieces fueled by teamwork: Prepare to be dazzled by the artistic symphony that unfolds before your eyes. Each brush stroke and imaginative idea blends like a symphony, resulting in a collaborative artwork that’s a testament to the creative genius lurking within your team.
13. Do a crazy indoor scavenger hunt
How to play: Create a list of unique or unconventional items for teams to find within the workplace or a designated area. The teams must use their creativity to locate and present the items in the most imaginative way possible.
Materials needed: Your group, scavenger hunt list, cameras or smartphones
Benefits:
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Collaboration that sparks inspiration: Brace yourself for an explosion of ideas! As your team brainstorms creative ways to present their scavenger hunt treasures, sparks of inspiration fly in every direction.
14. Write a story together
How to play: Set a time limit and challenge team members to write a short story, poem, or creative writing within that timeframe. Please encourage them to unleash their imagination and explore different genres or styles.
Materials needed: Your group, paper, pens, or laptops
Benefits:
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Strengthened bonds through storytelling: Gather ’round and share the written masterpieces. Through storytelling, your team members connect on a deeper level, their narratives intertwining and creating a tapestry of shared experiences.
15. Make music together
How to play: Gather musical instruments or use online platforms for virtual collaboration. Start with a simple melody or rhythm. Allow each team member to add their unique musical contribution to create a collaborative piece.
Materials needed: Your group, musical instruments or virtual collaboration platforms
Benefits:
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Celebration of diversity: Let the rhythms of diversity fill the air! Embrace the unique musical backgrounds and influences of your team members as they unite to create a harmonious and vibrant musical piece.
16. Have a cooking challenge
How to play: Set up a cooking challenge where teams must create a dish using specific ingredients. Please encourage them to think creatively and experiment with unique flavor combinations and presentation styles.
Materials needed: Your group, cooking ingredients, kitchen utensils
Benefits:
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Food for thought: Reflect on the creative process involved in cooking and how it can be applied to problem-solving in the workplace. This activity fosters a mindset of innovation and adaptability, as your team members navigate challenges with creativity and resourcefulness.
17. Create your dream workplace
How to play: Ask team members to envision and design their ideal workspace individually. Provide art supplies and encourage them to create visual representations of their dream work environment, including furniture and decoration.
Materials needed: Your group, art supplies (paper, markers, colored pencils, etc.)
Benefits:
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Visualization for inspiration: Let imagination take the lead as your team members sketch out their dream workspaces. This activity transforms ordinary offices into extraordinary spaces while inspiring a culture of creative thinking.
18. Journal, draw, or express ideas on paper
How to play: Provide each team member with a journal or notebook and encourage them to engage in creative journaling. They can write, draw, or use any form of artistic expression to capture their thoughts, ideas, and reflections.
Materials needed: Your group, journals or notebooks, art supplies (optional)
Benefits:
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Encouragement of self-expression: Open the floodgates of creativity and provide a haven for your team members to unleash their inner artists. This activity embraces the exploration of personal thoughts and emotions, transforming journals into captivating canvases.
19. Map your brain on the big board
How to play: Provide each team member with a large sheet of paper, whiteboard, and markers. Choose a central theme or problem and ask individuals or teams to create mind maps to explore creative solutions and connections.
Materials needed: Your group, large paper or whiteboards, markers
Benefits:
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Visual brainstorming: Use visual thinking and watch your team map out a landscape of ideas. This activity brings creativity to life, turning a board into endless possibilities.
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Idea generation powerhouse: Watch creativity as your team members pull their thoughts and insights into the maps. This collaborative activity becomes a foundation for innovative ideas, with each contributor fueling the creative fire.
20. Create a vision board
How to play: Provide necessary materials. Encourage team members to create vision boards by cutting out images, words, and phrases representing their aspirations and goals.
Materials needed: Your group, magazines, scissors, glue, boards or poster paper
Benefits :
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Encouragement and imagination: Encouraging your team members to create vision boards allows them to tap into their imagination and express their aspirations visually.
Creativity games and activities for outside
All activities do not have to be indoors. While the activities we provided are for your vicinity, consider taking a field trip to where some experts. If you need more ideas for experntial out of the class ideas, the USPTO hosts groups for teachers with K-12 on practicing invention education.
21. Make an outdoor art gallery
How to Play: Create an outdoor art gallery by encouraging participants to express their creativity on a designated canvas or open space. Use chalk, paint, or natural materials to bring their artistic visions to life.
Materials Needed: Your group, chalk or paint. canvases or open space, brushes and paint trays (if using paint)
Benefits:
- Inspires collaboration: Engaging in creating an outdoor art gallery fosters collaboration as participants contribute their unique artistic perspectives to a shared space.
22. Conduct a nature scavenger hunt
How to Play: Organize a nature scavenger hunt where participants explore the outdoor surroundings to find and collect various natural items. Create a list of items like leaves, rocks, or specific plants to add an element of discovery and creativity.
Materials Needed: Your group, nature scavenger hunt list, small bags or baskets for collecting items
Benefits:
- Enhances observation skills: The nature scavenger hunt enhances participants’ observation skills as they search for and identify different elements in the outdoor environment.
23. Create story stones with a group
How to Play: Invite participants to paint or decorate stones with various images or symbols. Once the stones are ready, please encourage them to use them as storytelling prompts, arranging them in different sequences to create unique outdoor stories.
Materials Needed: Your group, smooth stones, paints or markers. brushes
Benefits:
- Sparks Creativity: Story stones encourage creativity by allowing participants to use their imagination and storytelling skills to construct narratives with the stones they’ve decorated.
24. Turn your group into human sculptures
How to Play: Divide participants into small groups and challenge them to create human sculptures using their bodies. They can collaboratively explore different poses, arrangements, and formations to express ideas or themes.
Materials Needed: Your group
Benefits:
- Promotes Teamwork: Creating human sculptures promotes teamwork as participants collaborate to form cohesive and expressive group sculptures.
25. Make an outdoor word cloud
How to Play: Encourage participants to find natural elements, objects, or features in the outdoor space that represent specific words or concepts. Create a word cloud by visually arranging these items to represent the chosen themes or ideas.
Materials Needed: Your group, paper or poster board, markers
Benefits:
- Connects nature and Language: The outdoor word cloud activity connects the natural environment with language, encouraging participants to think creatively about visually representing words using found objects.
Why are creative games and activities important?
Creativity games and activities are more than just fun; they can help us think differently, problem-solve, and innovate. Whether you’re a teacher, a parent, a student, or a professional, these games can help foster creativity and inject fun into your routine. So, why wait? Start playing and let your imagination run wild!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q1: What is the purpose of creative games and activities?
A1: Creativity games and activities serve multiple purposes. They are designed to inspire creative thinking, problem-solving, and innovation. These activities go beyond traditional notions of creativity and encompass various aspects such as teamwork, communication, and the ability to think outside the box.
Q2: Are creativity games only for artistic individuals?
A2: Not at all! Creativity games are designed for everyone, regardless of their artistic inclinations. These games focus on problem-solving, critical thinking, and collaboration, making them suitable for individuals of all ages and professions. STEM, inventing, and creativity are for everyone. Government agencies are making sure this is known to all students with events like YOU belong in STEM (source).
Q3: How do I choose a suitable creativity game for a specific group?
A3: Consider the interests, dynamics, and goals of the group. Some activities, like the Outdoor Art Gallery, maybe more visually oriented, while others, like the Rapid-Fire Debate, emphasize critical thinking. Tailor your choice based on the objectives you want to achieve and the participants’ preferences.
Q4: Can these games be adapted for virtual or remote settings?
A4: Many of these games can be adapted for virtual settings. Activities like Collaborative Music Jam or Writing Marathon can be conducted online. However, modifying the instructions and materials to suit the virtual environment is essential.
Q5: What are the benefits of incorporating creative games professionally?
A5: Creativity games in a professional setting can enhance teamwork, boost confidence, and stimulate innovative thinking. These activities promote a positive and collaborative work culture, fostering a creative mindset that can be applied to problem-solving and strategic planning.
Q6: How can I encourage participation in creativity games?
A6: Create a positive and inclusive environment. Communicate the purpose and benefits of the activity, ensuring that participants understand how it contributes to their personal or professional development. Encourage open-mindedness and emphasize that there are no right or wrong answers.
Q7: Can creativity games be used in educational settings?
A7: Absolutely! Creativity games are valuable in educational settings. They promote active learning, critical thinking, and collaboration among students. These activities can be integrated into various subjects to make learning more engaging and enjoyable.
Q8: Are there specific age groups these games are suitable for?
A8: The listed creativity games are designed to be versatile and adaptable for various age groups. While some may require slight modifications for younger participants, most are suitable for adults and students. Adjust the complexity and themes based on the age and preferences of the group.
Q9: How often should creativity games be incorporated into a routine?
A9: The frequency depends on the context and goals. Incorporating creativity games periodically, such as during workshops or team-building events, can be effective for professional team-building. Teachers may integrate them into lessons or dedicate specific sessions to enhance creativity in educational settings.
Q10: Where can I find more creative games and activities?
A10: Numerous resources are available online, including books, websites, and workshops dedicated to creative games. Additionally, experimenting with variations or creating custom activities tailored to specific goals can contribute to various engaging experiences.
Sources for more information:
- MindTools (mindtools.com): MindTools provides a variety of articles, resources, and tools related to team building, leadership, and personal development. They offer a range of team-building activities and games for different purposes.
- SessionLab (sessionlab.com): SessionLab is a platform that provides various facilitation tools and resources, including team-building activities, workshop templates, and icebreakers. It offers both free and premium content.
- Playmeo (playmeo.com): Playmeo is a platform specializing in interactive group games and activities. It offers various team-building exercises and games suitable for different group sizes and purposes.
- TeamBonding (teambonding.com): TeamBonding is a company specializing in team-building events and activities. While they offer professional services, their website includes a blog with articles and ideas for team building.
- The Spruce (thespruce.com): The Spruce is a lifestyle website with a section on team-building activities. It provides creative ideas for both indoor and outdoor team-building exercises.
- YouTube (youtube.com): YouTube is a valuable resource for visualizing team-building activities. Many facilitators and team-building experts share their ideas, explanations, and demonstrations on YouTube.
- LinkedIn Learning (linkedin.com/learning): LinkedIn Learning offers courses on various professional development topics, including team building. These courses often include practical activities and exercises.
