This drama exercise stimulates the imagination and encourages thinking outside the box.

To do the exercise:

1. Participants sit in a circle. The leader shows a prop to

the participants, saying, “What could this prop be? We’re going to pass it around the circle, and each of you will show us something that it could become.”

2. The leader then demonstrates, turning the prop into something and stating what it is. For example, a plastic mixing bowl could be a hat, a basin for washing your hands, a drum, a flowerpot, etc. A scarf could be a lasso, a jump rope, a belt, a sling, a bandage, etc. Tip: Come up with a list of possibilities for each of your props prior to the activity.

3. The prop is passed from person to person, with each participant sharing an idea. If an idea is repeated, such as “a hat,” the leader asks the participant to be more specific (a turban, a bonnet), thereby making the participant come up with their own idea.

4. If the number of participants is small enough, the prop can travel around the circle twice.

5. Begin the next round with the last person of the previous round. (It is easier to think of something if you are the first person as opposed to the last person.)