Think Outside the Box
Challenge creativity, critical thinking
and ingenuity with these 50 questions.
Think Outside the Box
© 2018 Your Therapy Source Inc
www.YourTherapySource.com
www.GrowingPlay.com
Your Therapy Source Inc
43 South Main Street
Schaghticoke, NY 12154
Publisher’s Note: The publisher and author has made every attempt to make sure that the
information in this book is correct and up to date. All physical activities require approval
from a child’s pediatrician. The author or the publisher will not be liable for any
impairment, damage, accident or loss that may occur from any of the suggested activities in
this book.
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license information and https://www.growingplay.com/growing-play-website-terms-use/ for
complete Terms of Use.
Ideas for THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX:
1. Open the full size pages of Think Outside the Box on your phone, tablet or computer.
Ask each question to the group.
2. Print the Think Outside the Box full size pages and hang around the room for anytime
you want to challenge the child.
3. Print the Think Outside the Box as small cards (Select File - Print - Multiple - 9 pages per
sheet) and cut apart. Bring along with you for anytime you need to entertain children while
you wait.
4. Write the Room - Hang up different Think Outside the Box questions. Print the child
recording sheets on pages 3 and 4 (lined or double lined) and a clip board. Walk around the
room and answer one question on each page. Be sure to record the question # in the box at
the top of the page.
5. Think Outside the Box Contest - Have a group of children write their responses to one
question. Hang up the question poster and all of the answers. Children can vote to
determine who had the most creative answers.
6. Early Finishers Folder - Print out the full size pages and several response sheets on pages
3 and 4. If students finish their work early, they can choose a question and respond to it.
Think Outside the Box
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Question #1
A common phrase is “love
birds”. How many things
can you think of that are
associated with the words
“love”, “birds” or both.
You must say the word
each time. For example
you could answer “I love
you” or “blue birds”.
©GrowingPlay
Question #2
Imagine that you are
trapped in the
witch’s house in the
story of Hansel and
Gretel. What would
you do or say to
escape?
©GrowingPlay
Question #3
Imagine you own
a factory. What
would you create
and who would
you sell it to?
©GrowingPlay
Question #4
It was the “best of times
and it was the worst of
times” is a quote by
Charles Dickens.
Describe a time that you
could or did have where
you had the best and
worst moments all in one
day.
©GrowingPlay
Question #5
Stonehenge is a
prehistoric ring of many
huge standing stones in
England. Pretend you
are an archaeologist
and explain how and
why Stonehenge was
created.
©GrowingPlay
Question #6
You have been hired to
create a name for a new
company. Describe what
the company sells and the
name that you created for
the company. For example,
the company sells cotton
balls and you name it The
Cloud Shop.
©GrowingPlay
Question #7
Everyone loves their pets
but at times they can be
difcult to care for. Name
as many things as you can
that you would change
about a pet to make it
easier to care for. For
example, I would train a
hamster to sweep so he
could clean his own cage.
©GrowingPlay
Question #8
Imagine you have the
choice to drink from a
fountain that will keep
you at any age
forever. At what age
would you drink from
the fountain and why?
©GrowingPlay
Question #9
You are a magician
at the President’s
birthday party.
Name some tricks
that you would
perform and why.
©GrowingPlay
Question #10
You are planning on
running for President
of the USA. How
many creative
campaign slogans
can you come up
with for yourself?
©GrowingPlay
Question #11
Imagine that the
world is ending.
What supplies
will you take with
you and why?
©GrowingPlay
Question #12
Dinosaurs have
been extinct for
years. What other
things would you
like to become
extinct and why?
©GrowingPlay
Question #13
You are creating a
new marketing
campaign to get
tourists to come to
New York City. What
slogans will you
suggest and why?
©GrowingPlay
Question #14
Every year we
celebrate holidays.
If you could start a
new holiday what
would it be and
when would you
celebrate it?
©GrowingPlay
Question #15
You have just
written your
autobiography.
What is the title of
your book? Think
of 3 chapter titles.
©GrowingPlay
Question #16
Imagine a day when
every question that
you ask your parents
they respond “Yes,
you can”. What will
you ask them and
why?
©GrowingPlay
Question #17
You have traveled
up Jack’s Beanstalk
and recovered the
Giant’s golden egg.
What do you do
with it?
©GrowingPlay
Question #18
Name as many
things as you
can that are
hollow.
©GrowingPlay
Question #19
Name as many
things as you can
that are
available in
regular and
miniature sizes.
©GrowingPlay
Question #20
Name as many
things as you can
that can be hot or
cold. For example,
coffee is served hot
or cold.
©GrowingPlay
Question #21
Name as many
compound words as
you can associated
with sports. For
example, baseball is
a compound word.
©GrowingPlay
Question #22
You have special
powers to make
time stop during the
day. At what time
would you stop the
clock and why?
©GrowingPlay
Question #23
Sometimes we nd
ourselves in sticky
situations. Name
phrases or comments
that you should not say.
For example, asking an
overweight woman if
she is pregnant.
©GrowingPlay
Question #24
You have been hired
to be a personal
shopper for famous
people. What do
you buy and who do
you give it to?
©GrowingPlay
Question #25
List experiences
that you would
only want to do
once in a
lifetime.
©GrowingPlay
Question #26
List as many
things that you
can that you
would never
want to touch.
©GrowingPlay
Question #27
There are many
objects that come in
sets of two. Name as
many sets of two that
you can. For example,
you could respond
“salt and pepper”.
©GrowingPlay
Question #28
Name as many
phrases that include
contrasts. For
example, you could
respond “day and
night” or “ins and
outs”.
©GrowingPlay
Question #29
Describe a sound
effect that you
can make with
your body and
tell what it
signies.
©GrowingPlay
Question #30
Create new names
for popular cities.
For example, you
could say “I would
change New York
City to Lightsville.
©GrowingPlay
Question #31
List things that
are the same
size as your
house.
©GrowingPlay
Question #32
Transportation has
changed over the
past 100 years. How
do you think
transportation will
change over the next
100 years?
©GrowingPlay
Question #33
There are vending
machines for candy,
soda and even movies.
What type of a vending
machine would you
invent and where
would you put it?
©GrowingPlay
Question #34
Extra is a common
prex. List as many
words as you can
that start with
“extra-”. For
example you could
say extraordinary.
©GrowingPlay
Question #35
What latest
inventions do
you think are
the best and
why?
©GrowingPlay
Question #36
List as many
things as you can
that come in
small, medium
and large sizes.
©GrowingPlay
Question #37
There are so many
colors in a crayon box.
If you named crayon
colors what would you
call them? For
example, Sunny Yellow
may be a bright yellow
crayon.
©GrowingPlay
Question #38
You nd a time
machine and can
travel to any time
period. Where do
you go and who do
you meet?
©GrowingPlay
Question #39
List as many things
as you can that
come in sets of 12.
For example, you
could respond a
dozen eggs.
©GrowingPlay
Question #40
List as many things
as you can that have
duplicate meanings.
For example - a foot
is a body part and
12 inches.
©GrowingPlay
Question #41
List as many
things as you
can that twist.
©GrowingPlay
Question #42
List as many
things as you
can that smell
really bad.
©GrowingPlay
Question #43
List as many
things as you
can that fold.
For example umbrella.
©GrowingPlay
Question #44
Create some other
reasons why Jack
and Jill ran up the
hill besides “to
fetch a pail of
water”.
©GrowingPlay
Question #45
You can become
any new super
hero you wish.
What is your name
and what is your
super power?
©GrowingPlay
Question #46
You are writing a
new song.
Create a few
lines of lyrics
with at least one
rhyme in it.
©GrowingPlay
Question #47
If you could grow
anything you
wished, what
would you grow
and why?
©GrowingPlay
Question #48
An alien has
come to Earth.
What are the
most important
things you need
to tell the alien?
©GrowingPlay
Question #49
List as many things as
you can that are inside
something inside of
something else. For
example - dollar bills
are in a wallet in a
pocketbook.
©GrowingPlay
Question #50
List as many things
as you can that start
out big and then get
smaller. For
example - a balloon
that is deating.
©GrowingPlay
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