Brain Storming

Example:  In the classroom

Learners brainstorm the topic of smoking by writing all the words

they associate with it on the board. This is then followed by a

discursive essay-writing lesson on the topic.

Brainstorming can encourage learners to think more freely and

creatively than if they were doing a more controlled planning exercise.

It allows learners to remember what they know, and to teach each

other. It is a dynamic and stimulating way to lead learners

into a topic.

Reverse Brainstorming

A creative problem-solving technique in which the problem is turned

around and considered from a different point of view to spur new and

different solutions.

Stop-and-Go Brainstorming

A problem-solving technique in which a group alternately engages in

brainstorming solutions without evaluation for ten minutes then

engages in a short period of evaluation. The group continues

alternating between brainstorming and evaluation.

Phillips 66 Brainstorming

Brain-writing

A problem-solving technique in which participants individually

brainstorm ideas and document them, then share them with a

group to further push their thinking.

Brainstorming Activities for Ideas

How can you be more creative? You can practice how

with these 10 brainstorming activities.

Not only for teachers, but companies can use these

brainstorming activities to tickle your creative juices.

Like all our worksheets, they are 100% free to print off and use.

Let’s get you started with 10 of our best.

1 Multi-purpose Items

First, the teacher gives the class an object, any object. Next, give the students a couple of minutes to think of all of the different uses for that item. After about five or six minutes, the teacher asks students to share what they have come up with.

For example, you can use forks to eat food, comb your hair, open cans, mix ingredients and clean pans. Not so bad for a simple fork. The “Multi-purpose Items” encourages creativity and it’s fun to hear what they come up with.

2 Rhyme Time

First, put your students into groups. Next, hand out the Rhyme Time activity sheet. Now, bring our your stop watch and get your students to think of as many rhymes as possible for each group. Finally, the group with the most rhymes wins.

Your students are poets and they don’t even know it. Review the rhymes and have a classroom discussion on rhymes. For example, when do you hear rhymes? How about in songs poems?

3 Talking Time-bomb

One of the best parts about Talking Time Bomb is that you need practically no preparation time at all. Also, you can practice anything from rhyming to vocabulary to types of things.

First, the teacher comes up with a topic or idea. In the worksheet below, there are some ideas but it can be anything. Next, the teacher starts the music and students have to think of as many words as they can for that topic.

Someone starts with a ball. When they come up with a word, they pass the ball to another student. This process continues but they can’t repeat something that has already been said.

When the music stops, whoever is holding the ball loses. And the punishment can be anything. For example, they must speak for one minute about a topic the teacher gives them.

4 Compound Words Game Board

\This is an extremely fun way to teach compound words where they have to collect compound words through board game activity.

First, put students into pairs. Next, print off the compound word game board and provide a dice for each group. After students roll the dice, they will write down the word they land on. As they continue to work through the board game, they will have to create compound words that they write down.

For example, “BLUE” matches with “PRINT” and “BERRY” to form compound words. If they land on these three words, they can earn 2 points – one for each set of compound words. And if they land on “FOOT”, then they can match it with “PRINT” for another point.

7 No Subtitles

Have you ever watched a movie with no volume and pretended to be them? How about in another language? Let me tell you: It can be quite a challenge keeping up with the flapping lips.

First, turn any English movie on mute with no subtitles. In groups of two, have your students re-enact the voices like voice-over actors. The purpose of this speaking activity is to get people speaking.

8 Like or Dislike

Can someone identify you by what you completely love or despise? Each student writes down their likes and dislikes. Next, the teacher collects everyone’s answer. After reading everyone’s answer aloud, can you identify who it is?

It’s a fun interactive guessing game that gets personal. There’s an element of intrigue in it. Best of all, it gets the whole class involved, you can learn about each other and usually gets some laughs.