General Icebreakers

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General Icebreakers

• Visual Riddles Thinking Creatively

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Visual Riddles Thinking Creatively

• Objectives To have team members to think
  creatively as they attempt to solve a series of
  visual riddles.
• Time Five to ten minutes.
• Materials I. A copy of the Riddles List for the
  leader.
• II. A newsprint flip chart and felt-tipped
  marker.
• Setting A room in which the participants can be
  seated comfortably.
• Procedure I. The leader explains that the team
  members will be asked to think creatively in
  order to solve a series of visual riddles.
• II. The leader then tells the team members that
  they will be shown a series of diagrams (see
  Riddles List) one at a time and that they will
  have three minutes in which to determine what
  each one means. The group members may ask any
  questions they wish, but the leader can only
  answer yes or no.
• III. The leader draws the first diagram on the
  newsprint. The group members may ask questions
  as they attempt to guess the meaning of the
  riddle.
• IV. If the correct answer has not been guessed
  after three minutes, the leader announces it.
  He or she then draws the second diagram, and the
  team members attempt to guess its meaning. This
  process continues until the members have viewed
  and then attempted to decipher all of the visual
  riddles.
• V. The leader may process the activity by means
  of a discussion fo the elements of creative
  thinking, primarily the ability to view a
  situation from a different or new perspective.

Adapted from S. Forbess-Greene, Entrance Exams
(1983). In The Encyclopedia of Icebreakers
Structured Activities that Warm-Up, Motivate,
Challenge, Acquaint and Energize. San Diego, CA
Pfeiffer Company.
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Riddles List