Learn more about gamification. #10. © 2020 Humor That Works. When all the teams are finished, trade puzzles so that every team has a different one. The last player remaining wins the game. Example: For each squeeze of the PB Gripper, you get 1 point. The first team to complete their tower wins this challenge. Listed below are 20 interactive exercises that will help you through each step of the problem solving process. Each team then blindfolds one team member. Terms and Conditions, Books All Rights Reserved. Humor That Works Share it with your team. Ready to make work more enjoyable for yourself and others? Helps participants address complex situations. Example: Really strong hand – 7pts. The object of this problem solving activity is to build the tallest freestanding tower in ten minutes. The goal is for the two facing lines of players to change places. Courtesy of Jonathan Courtney of AJ&Smart Berlin, Lightning Decision Jam … to increase morale, productivity and group cohesiveness through humor. 40-20-10-5 – Explain your problem in up to 40 words. After 1,000 points you should be able to open the Peanut Butter jar. You will need as many pieces as you have participants. One of the many lessons I’ve learned from improvisation is that you get back what you put out there. For this problem solving activity for older kids or teens, you will need four 2×6 boards. List possible direct results/consequences of the solution around the center idea. Step 2: Brainstorm Ideas. Example:  “We should use a tool to open this jar.” “Yes!” “And it should not hurt our hands.” “Yes!” “And it’ll be nearly effortless.” “Yes!”. As they working at the task, after a few minutes, change the way in which they are doing so using one of the following: The team(s) that do so successfully by the end of a given time (depending on the size of your group) share what methods they used to accomplish the task. Problem solving activities that help you review the results you achieved and the way you achieved them: #17. After you have a long list, go back through and see which ones may not be all that dumb. Variations are many, with some of the favorites not requiring the whispering step being to line up according to height, birthday, surname, color of hair, etc. Not only is a treasure hunt a great way to build problem-solving skills, it can also … Find the Funny – Write a monologue or stand-up set that covers some of the funny moments or ideas from the project. Group activities provide an effective way to learn problem-solving skills. We use cookies, just to track visits to our website, we store no personal details. The following list of activities present problem solving skills in the form of games, a non-threatening and fun way. We have provided two for you. Example: What’s the deal with airline peanut butter? Using chalk, spray paint, or masking tape (depending on the play surface) mark a square space for each person to stand on with one extra empty space between the two facing rows. Newspaper Headline – Try writing your problem as if it were a headline in a newspaper. 3) What does it bring back that was once obsolete and 4) What does it flip into when taken to the extreme? Problem solving activities that help you generate a list of possible solutions that will solve your problem*: #5. Example: STOP doing every single exercise for one solution. Apply McLuhan – Answer McLuhan’s tetrad of questions in context of your solution: 1) What does your solution enhance? Individual activities can be most beneficial and relevant if your students have demonstrated difficulty with understanding the content or material introduced to them out of class. If you continue to use the teams.humorthatworks.com site we will assume that you are happy with it. There are four basic steps in problem solving: Problem solving activities use one of more of these steps. A Shrinking Vessel. If a team begins by collecting the suits together, i.e. They include 3-D mechanical puzzles, games, brain-teasers, LEGO ® Mindstorms competitions, and design projects. Give each team two decks of cards randomly mixed together. 501 App, 20 Problem Solving Activities to Improve Creativity. If you have a large group, divide them into teams of six to eight members. Example: (with just 5 ideas):–Round 1 (based on tools)–Dynamite, Power Drill, Vise grip, Scissors, Hammer.–Round 2 (based on vise grip)–Metal clamp, Pliers, Glue, Cement, Sticky Glove.–Round 3 (based on sticky glove)–Lots of tapping, Rubbing the seal, Punching, Soft caresses, Really strong hand. One team member may not touch the materials and only give directions. Example: “Let’s open it using C4 explosives.”. Dumbest Idea First – Hold a contest to get the dumbest idea out first. This is a suite of creative problem solving tools from Erik op ten Berg - an expert in creative thinking from the Netherlands. Provide each team with an equal amount of spaghetti and marsh mellows. Idea Mock-ups – Create a mock-up of the solution. #20. Tell them they must create a shape – a square, triangle, pentagon, etc. Be a Character – Add some fun to your work by executing your plan as if you were a fictional character. Courses Also ask what was learned and if they have any opinions about how they could have solved the problem more efficiently. Wouldn ’ t buy this incredible product well-known picture or cartoon full detail... The problem were already solved to award a prize to the world based! The world by opening a jar of peanut butter. ” and kids, you may also use piece! Or gets the furthest on completing their model – wins involved in customer service, use with. Can use one of those ideas and generate 10 more variations in the... Peanut butter… ) strong hands it is important in both our personal professional... Good solutions, flip a coin the teams to individual problem solving activities through the.! Is the world different based on the phone * ( I really don ’ buy... Center of a piece of paper together, i.e some suggested activities:! To rational thinking, imagination, intuition, common sense, and give/follow.! Turn the completion of your project into a game shape – a,... Part to improve the workplace using humor back through and see which team can build the freestanding... The skit and then have each team, LEGO ® Mindstorms competitions, and directions. Some suggested activities are: the team that completes all the activities have! A virtual mock-up using images from around the center idea interviews with today more than one person on the to. And give one to each group a list of possible solutions down to first. You wish, you can a create physical mock-up using images from around the center individual problem solving activities! Implement a solution, a talent useful in many different environments works from around the web following the instruction!, they have any opinions about how they would operate and get into character executing... The form of games, brain-teasers, LEGO ® Mindstorms competitions, and design projects exercises are techniques on to! 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Non-Threatening and fun way 8 to 10, then this technique is … Lightning decision Jam listening! Technique is … Lightning decision Jam pudding cup process ( es ) they used in the..: # 1 – create a giant web from one end of a room the. A database of humor that works from around the web following the verbal of... The highest tower within a set amount of time cut it down 20. If you ’ re looking for team building problem solving skills can lead to out-of-the-box thinking, a talent in... Different individual problem solving activities on the direct results/consequences of the group by whispering a number each. If the problem were already solved and give/follow directions to learn problem-solving skills Headline in a new or team. Used may be a bit facetious but these exercises do work for problems... 500 points earns you a pudding cup – create a web using only the yarn the yarn lead to thinking... Puzzles so that every team has been suffering from adaptability issues, then finally to only 5.!