Being creative doesn’t have to take a lot of time or equipment. Here are 10 activities you can do with your child in less than 5 minutes.

1. One word stories – Set a stop watch for 5 minutes and begin telling a story. Have every person in turn add one word at a time to create a creative, collaborative story.
2. Memory recall – This game can be adapted to your environment. You can do this by having your child study items on a tray, or a picture or their surroundings for two minutes. Have them then close their eyes and try to remember as many details as they can. This is a fun exercise that creates a valuable awareness of your environment.
3. Hum that tune – Practice memory recall and music skills by taking turns humming a popular tune or song and have the others try to guess.
4. Ink Blot paintings – Create unique ink blot art by folding paper in half and reopening. Drop blobs of paint over half of the paper and refold and then open to create an ink blot pattern. Use your imagination to see what shapes or stories the picture holds. If you do not have paint you can also draw random squiggles and shapes on the paper and do the same.
5. Collaborative Artwork – Set a timer for 30 seconds and have the first person start drawing, painting, shaping, gluing etc. when the time is up pass on the picture until everyone has had a turn and you have created a great piece of artwork.
6. This could be used for…– Choose an object and list as many different uses for the item as you can think of in 5 minutes. For example: a brick could be used for – a paperweight, a doorstop, an exercise weight, a foot stool, a planter pot, a meat mallet, a sandwich press (if wrapped in aluminum foil) or a piece of artwork if decorated with chalk or paint. Be on the lookout for good ideas – many inventions are just finding a new and unique use for something that already exists!
7. People watching story – While you are out and about take note of interesting people and create stories about them. Who they are, what they are doing, where they are going, why they are going. You can make these as real or fanciful as you can imagine.
8. Taste-test – Head to the fridge or pantry and select 5 items. Blindfold your child and allow them to taste and have one minute to guess what each item is. If you are with more then one child have them race to guess the item first.
9. What’s different – Send your child out of the room and select 5 – 10 (depending on the age of your child) things in the room and rearrange them. Give your child 5 minutes to find and fix everything that is out of place – such as pictures hung upside down, or a bed made with pillows at the foot of the bed etc.
10. Improv music – Have a jam session. Set the timer for 5 minutes (for your sanity) using only items that are found in the room that you are in for instruments. See who can come up with the most creative instrument or make the most unique sound.

There are plenty of opportunities to get creative – all it takes is 5 minutes!

Do you have any quick creative games you play with your kids? Please share below.