Divergent Thinking Prompts

At a Glance

• Time: 3-5 minutes
• Prep: None
• Group: Individual or pairs
• Setting: Any classroom
• Subjects: Universal (works across all subjects)
• Energy: Medium

Purpose

Build creative confidence and cognitive flexibility by training students to generate multiple solutions to open-ended problems. Use this activity to warm up creative thinking, break mental rigidity, or introduce lessons that require innovative problem-solving.

How It Works

Step-by-step instructions:

1. Pose the prompt (30 seconds) - Present an open-ended divergent thinking challenge: "List as many uses for a paperclip as possible," "What would happen if humans could photosynthesize?", or "Turn 30 circles into 30 different recognizable objects in three minutes"

2. Generate ideas (2-3 minutes) - Students work individually or in pairs to brainstorm as many responses as possible, focusing on quantity over quality, encouraging wild and unusual ideas

3. Share highlights (1-2 minutes) - Students share their most creative or unusual ideas with a partner or the class, celebrating originality and diversity of thought

What to Say

Opening: "I'm going to give you a challenge that has no single right answer. Your job is to think of as many possibilities as you can—the more creative and unusual, the better. Ready? List as many uses for a brick as possible. Don't censor yourself—just let the ideas flow. Go!"

During: "Push past your obvious ideas... What's the most unusual use you can think of?... Can you combine two ideas into something completely new?... Keep going—your brain is just warming up!"

Closing: "Who came up with something completely unexpected? Share your most creative idea... Notice how many different possibilities emerged from a single prompt? That's the power of divergent thinking—it opens up possibilities we didn't know existed."

Why It Works

Divergent thinking prompts activate different brain regions than convergent problem-solving, building cognitive flexibility and creative confidence. By removing the pressure of finding the "right" answer, students learn to explore multiple pathways rather than settling on the first obvious solution. This trains the brain to see possibilities instead of limitations, a crucial skill for innovation and complex problem-solving.

Research Connection: Divergent thinking exercises have been shown to improve creative problem-solving abilities and increase fluency, flexibility, and originality in thinking (Guilford, 1967; Torrance, 1974).

Teacher Tip

The first responses are usually conventional—that's normal. The creative gold comes after students push past their obvious ideas. Encourage them to "keep going" when they think they've run out of ideas. That's when the brain starts making unexpected connections and generating truly original solutions.

Variations

For Different Subjects

• Math/Science: "List as many ways to divide 100 into groups... How many ways can you create right angles using only your body?... What would change if Pi equaled exactly 3?"
• Humanities: "How many different endings could this story have?... Generate 10 alternative titles for this chapter... What if this historical event happened 50 years earlier?"
• Universal: "Alternative Uses" (paperclip, brick, rubber band), "30 Circles Challenge," "What If?" scenarios

For Different Settings

• Large Class (30+): Use think-pair-share format: individual brainstorming, then pairs compare and add to each other's lists
• Small Group (5-15): Create a collective list on the board, with each student adding one unique idea in round-robin fashion

For Different Ages

• Elementary (K-5): Use concrete, visual prompts: "How many animals start with the letter B?... What could you build with 10 LEGOs?... Draw something that's both red and round"
• Middle/High School (6-12): Standard format with more abstract prompts related to current content
• College/Adult: Add constraints for deeper challenge: "Uses for a paperclip that would work in zero gravity" or "Ideas that combine biology and architecture"

Online Adaptation

Tools Needed: Jam board, Miro, Padlet, or Google Slides

Setup: Create a shared digital canvas with the prompt clearly visible at the top

Instructions:

1. Display the divergent thinking prompt in chat and on screen
2. Students type ideas rapidly into shared digital space (Padlet sticky notes, Jamboard notes, or shared Google Slides)
3. Use breakout rooms for pair brainstorming, then return to share highlights
4. Vote on "most creative" or "most unusual" ideas using digital reactions or emoji

Pro Tip: The visual accumulation of ideas on screen creates positive momentum—students see the collective creativity building in real-time

Troubleshooting

Challenge: Students freeze or say "I can't think of anything" Solution: Prime the pump with one silly example to lower the bar: "I'll start: you could use a paperclip as an emergency toothpick—gross but possible! Now you go..." Emphasize quantity over quality: "Even bad ideas count!"

Challenge: Students stop after 3-4 obvious ideas Solution: Set a specific quantity goal: "I want at least 10 ideas from everyone" or use timed intervals: "You have 30 seconds to add 3 more ideas—go!"

Extension Ideas

• Deepen: Move from divergent to convergent thinking: after generating many ideas, evaluate which are most feasible, most creative, or most aligned with specific criteria
• Connect: Link to real-world innovation: "Many inventions came from asking 'What if?' questions—like Velcro from observing burrs stuck to fabric"
• Follow-up: Create a "Divergent Thinking Question of the Week" routine, tracking which student generates the most creative responses over time

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Related Activities: SCAMPER, Reverse Brainstorming, Mashup Ideation