Improv Exercises
{example improv creative exercises}
Assemble a team of 3-6 people. Give them an unusual everyday object with unbelievable characteristics (a rubber knife, beer flavored toothpaste, pepper flavored Kleenex etc). In 5 minutes the team must develop a name, package design, slogan, spokesperson, jingle and marketing strategy. As this game assumes unlimited resources and possibilities, it helps the team think big and not constrain itself.
| imaginary ad game.
Buy a table bell. Have someone give a well rehearsed presentation, such as an elevator speech. Then whenever the bell is hit, the person must rephrase the words that they just said. "I develop creative strategies to reach goals" becomes "Our team builds innovative approaches to surpass expectations." This game forces individuals to abandon set phrases and only focus on the message itself that they are trying to convey.
| ding!
Assemble a bag of ordinary everyday items (hairbrush, paperclip, mug etc). In a circle have one member of your team pull out an item and name X amount of other uses for that item - creativity wins here. A fork, for example, might become a hairclip, a sailboat winch or an electrical socket tester. This game forces individuals to abandon conventional connections by making them run out of possible uses until they start thinking creatively.