Page 86 - UPthEM_Program_Final_December 2020

UPthEM – Upskilling Pathways for Employability
№ 2019-1-BG01-KA204-062299

Activity TWO: Creative thinking with objects

Note: This activity can be used as a sequence of the first one or as a separate activity.

Objects and materials can be very useful when practicing thinking, we can assign them new
meaning or they can inspire new ideas. For example a piece of paper could become any number
of things if we use our imagination. So, it could be a magic carpet, if folded it could be a house,
it could be a telescope if rolled into a tube etc.

In this activity we encourage you to take hold of a real object. Handling a real object can make
quite a difference; its material, texture, colour, size or shape might inspire new ideas.

Imagine you are from another planet.
Take an everyday object for example a cup or a mug.
Take hold of it; explore its shape, texture, etc.
Imagine you have never seen this object before.

Now instead of asking yourself the usual question what this is,
ask yourself what could this be?

When we change the word ‘is’ to ‘could’ we are opening up our language for more possibilities.
Give yourself 2 minutes to think of as many new uses for the cup as possible. Write down your
thoughts in your notebook or on a piece of paper.

TIP FOR TRAINERS
Use this ‘Thinking with Objects’ activity with your trainers, focusing their attention on
something they create, produce or sell. Don’t stop any ideas that materialise, no matter how
absurd they are!

Then, ask the participants to think about what else the objects, or even the materials or tools,
could be used for. Challenge them to expand their thinking!

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