Thinkabara

🎉 Creative games

Google Classroom

Sometimes the original, surprising answer is worth far more than the right one, and that is the spirit of every game here. These suit art and literacy teachers, drama club leaders and parents.

Creative games work best once a group is warmed up and comfortable, because they ask kids to invent, not just answer. Excuses, Excuses! is a good example: there is no right answer, and the most ridiculous excuse gets the biggest laugh. To make sure every child has something to give, offer a clear starting point: a situation, a word or the first line of a drawing. 'Make something up' is stressful. 'Make up why the dog ate your homework' gets ideas from the whole class.

Practical tip: don't rank ideas by quality. Praise courage and originality instead, and kids who usually stay quiet will start joining in.

Our top picks

  • 🥄 Six Uses: A spoon that can't be a spoon: 90 seconds to find six other uses. A classic creative-thinking exercise.
  • 🎊 Invent a New Holiday: Invent a whole holiday with traditions, food and even a song. Ideal for working in small groups.
  • 🧹 This Is Not a Broom: A broom that turns into a guitar and then a sword: imagination through movement alone, no words needed.
  • 📺 Sell Me This!: A boring object, two minutes to prepare and a 30-second commercial. Creativity with a deadline.

All 23 games

Describe and DrawAges 6+ · 2-20 players · 10-15 minSilly Inventions PitchAges 8+ · 3-20 players · 10-20 minOne-Sentence StoryAges 7+ · 3-20 players · 10-20 minGroup SculptureAges 6+ · 5-20 players · 5-10 minOne-Star ReviewsAges 10+ · 3-20 players · 10-15 minExcuses, Excuses!Ages 7+ · 3-30 players · 10-20 minName, Place, Animal, ThingAges 6+ · 2-30 players · 10-20 minIf I Were an AnimalAges 5+ · 4-25 players · 5-10 minSix UsesAges 7+ · 3-20 players · 5-10 minInvent an Imaginary PetAges 5+ · 3-20 players · 10-15 minInvent a SuperheroAges 6+ · 3-20 players · 10-15 minThis Is Not a BroomAges 6+ · 4-20 players · 5-10 minDrawing ChainAges 6+ · 4-20 players · 10-15 minBlind DrawingAges 6+ · 4-20 players · 10-15 minThe Human MachineAges 7+ · 5-20 players · 10 minFreeze FrameAges 7+ · 5-20 players · 10-15 minThe No-Instrument OrchestraAges 5+ · 5-25 players · 5-10 minPaper Airplane ContestAges 6+ · 4-30 players · 15 minCharadesAges 6+ · 4-20 players · 10-20 minWord LinksAges 8+ · 2-20 players · 5-15 minInvent a New HolidayAges 7+ · 3-20 players · 10-15 minFold-and-Draw MonstersAges 5+ · 4-20 players · 10-15 minSell Me This!Ages 8+ · 3-20 players · 10-20 min

Questions and answers

What do I do with a child who says 'I have no idea'?

Let them choose between two ready-made options or build on a friend's idea. Usually after one round like that they bring their own.

Which creative game works for a large group?

Excuses, Excuses! and Charades work well even with 20 players, because one person performs at a time while everyone else watches, guesses and reacts.

From what age can kids play creative games?

From age 5. Invent an Imaginary Pet and Fold-and-Draw Monsters suit preschoolers. From age 8 you can move to team tasks like Silly Inventions Pitch and Sell Me This!, where kids also present.