🥄 Six Uses

What you need

Equipment: A few everyday objects and a timer. Collect five or six simple objects: a spoon, a sock, an eraser, a fork, a box, a hat. Play alone or in teams of three.

How to play Six Uses

1. The host holds up one object and names its normal use. That use is banned.
2. Start a 90-second timer.
3. Each player or team writes down or calls out six other uses for the object.
4. No repeating the normal use, and no repeating a use someone already said.
5. When time is up, everyone reads their list out loud.
6. If a use is unclear, the player acts it out for five seconds.
7. Move on to the next object.

Scoring and wrapping up

Scoring: Each sensible use: 1 point. A use nobody else thought of: 2 points. A use that makes the whole group laugh: 1 bonus point.

To finish: After four or five objects, add up the points. Whoever reached six uses for the most objects is the Creativity Champion.

By age

• Ages 7-8: Aim for four uses instead of six and allow two minutes.
• Ages 10+: Ban a whole category, such as "no hats," to push them further.

Variations

• Big group: Teams of three, one object per round, and teams read out uses in turn until one runs out.
• Capy twist: Combine two objects into one invention, like a sock plus a spoon.

Tips for the adult in charge

• Count down the last 10 seconds out loud to add some pressure.
• Accept wild ideas if the player can explain them. That is the whole point.

Safety

Use soft, safe objects with no sharp edges or small parts.

🖨️ Printable object cards

If you do not have the real object, draw a card and imagine it.

• Spoon
• Sock
• Eraser
• Fork
• Cardboard box
• Hat
• Paper cup
• Clothespin
• Towel
• Pencil
• Umbrella
• Shoelace
• Bucket
• Pillow
• Rubber band
• Wooden spoon
• Paper plate
• Scarf
• Toothbrush
• Ruler