Think Outside the Block: How Five Things Can Boost Your Brainpower
Get ready to unleash your creativity and have some fun with your toy wooden blocks! Here's an improv game called "Five Things" that children and adults can enjoy playing together.
During this improvisational game, you challenge yourself (and others) to say five things about random objects. And what better object to use than your beloved wooden blocks or chips?
Here's how to play: Randomly select one block or chip. Then, say five things associated with the image you see on your toy.
Share your ideas out loud as fast as you can! For example, if you pick a chip with a moon on it, you might say:
1. Werewolves
2. Lunar Eclipse
3. Crescent
4. Green Cheese
5. Astronauts
Somebody else, of course, would say something completely different.
1. Craters
2. Neil Armstrong
3. Rocket
4. Bella Luna
5. Dean Martin
You might even have questions about why people said what they said! Players reveal oodles about the way they think and respond under a bit of time pressure. It's also a sneaky way to work on pronunciation, vocabulary, and spontaneity!
Now, you might think this silly game sounds like it's just for little kids. But adults can enjoy playing Five Things, too. It's a great way to exercise your imagination and eliminate creative ruts.
There's even a version of Five Things played by professional improvisers. Instead of saying five things out loud, they might find five different ways to use an object. For example, if they picked up a chip, they might say:
- A skateboard for a block person.
- A ramp for a toy car.
- A trap door inside a block castle.
- A table for a block picnic.
- A TV screen in a block living room during Shark Week.
Play is excellent for adult brains. It helps us exercise our creativity and problem-solving skills. And when we play with others, it helps build our social relationships.
You can even play Five Things solitaire when you feel stuck or in a rut. So grab your toys and prepare to reveal your inner architect, engineer, and comedian in one quick game. And if you have any particularly hilarious or impressive uses for your wooden toys, share them with us.
Now, if you'll excuse us, we've got more toys to design. Happy building, everyone!
