Slowest Maze

Challenge: Your TASK is to design a maze that makes a marble roll as slowly as possible through it.

Time: You will have 7 minutes to use your imagination to create a maze and practice using it, and up to 2 minutes to run a marble through the maze.

Set-up: On a table are materials your team can use to create a maze.

Procedure:

Part One, 7 minutes. Using the box and materials that are provided, create a maze that uses as much time as possible to roll a marble through it. Plan to have the box stand up on one of its sides. Put a hole for the marble in the upper left corner. You may practice with the marble and make changes as long as you do not destroy the box.

Part Two, 2 minutes. Stand the box up on one of its sides. Insert the marble in the upper left corner to begin its journey. The marble needs to roll to the lower right corner as slowly as possible. Once the marble has begun its run, no part of a team member’s body may touch either the box or the marble.

Materials:

• flat box without lid
• 25 craft sticks
• 10 pipe cleaners
• roll of masking tape
• scissors (may not be part of the solution)
• marble (may not be altered)

Scoring: You will receive
A. 10 points for rolling the marble successfully to the end of the maze
B. 5 points for every 10 seconds (rounded to the nearest 5 sec.) that the marble continues to roll (60 points max.)
C. Up to 15 points for the creativity of your maze
D. Up to 15 points for how well your team works together

Slowest Maze by Students for a Creative Iowa is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.

Three Stories in Search of a Prop

Challenge: Your challenge is to create and PRESENT three different stories that all use the same object as a prop in some way.

Time: You will have 5 minutes to use your imagination to create the three stories, and 3 minutes to PRESENT the three stories to the Appraisers.

The Scene: Your team is hired by an eccentric producer to create three different story plots. The producer feels the object you were given is a lucky charm and must be incorporated into each story. After you create the stories, you will present the three stories to the Appraisers.

Materials:

• one object
• paper and pencil for story planning

Scoring: You will receive
A. Up to 10 points (30 pts. max.) for the creativity of each story
B. Up to 10 points (30 pts. max.) for creative use of the object in each story
C. Up to 20 points for the creativity of your performance
D. Up to 20 points for how well your team works together

Three Stories in Search of a Prop by Students for a Creative Iowa is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.

Trash Tells a Story

Challenge: Your challenge is to use the objects you are given to create a PRESENTATION about a group of people.

Time: You will have 5 minutes to use your imagination to create the STORY, and 2 minutes to give your PRESENTATION to the Appraisers.

The Scene: Your team members are famous garbologists. A garbologist is someone who studies people and their culture by looking at what those people have thrown away. The objects you have been given represent what has been found as buried garbage. Prepare a presentation showing who these people were, where they lived, and what they were like. Give your presentation to the Appraisers.

Materials:

• plastic container and lid
• paper sack
• twist tie
• gum wrapper
• aluminum foil
• envelope
• paper tube

Scoring: You will receive
A. Up to 25 points for the creative description of the people and culture
B. Up to 25 points for how you incorporate the objects in your description
C. Up to 25 points for the creativity of your performance
D. Up to 25 points for how well your team works together

Trash Tells a Story by Students for a Creative Iowa is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.

Code Talkers

Challenge: Your TASK is to create a non-verbal communication code using the objects provided and demonstrate its use.

Time: You will have 5 minutes to use your imagination to create a code and practice using it, and 2 minutes to demonstrate the code by communicating a message from one team member to another.

Set-up: On a table are materials your team can use to create a code. There are also 2 sets of the same message cards that can be used to practice using the code. Each set of message cards is in a different sequence.

Procedure:

Part One, 5 minutes. Use the objects provided to create a non-verbal code that can be used to send messages from one team member to another. The message words you can use to practice your code are: cat, dog, ball, balloons, hot dogs.

Part Two, 2 minutes. Before you begin Part Two, divide your team into two parts, the Senders and the Receivers. The Senders will be given message cards that may NOT be shown to the Receivers. The Receivers will be given the same message cards, but in a different sequence. The Receivers may NOT show the message cards to the Senders. At least one Sender must select a message card and show it to the Appraisers. Then the Sender must use the OBJECTS to communicate the word without talking. At least one Receiver must look at the code and identify the word being communicated with the code. This member must say the word out loud, but may NOT show any message cards to the Senders. The Senders may NOT communicate whether the word was correctly identified or not.

Materials:

• 2 sets of the same message cards for Part One
• 2 sets of the same message cards for Part Two
• OBJECTS for creating a code: 10 buttons, 10 beads, 6 feathers, 18 inch length of string, ball, toothbrush, small toy

Scoring: You will receive
A. 10 points for each word you correctly identify using the code
B. Up to 25 points for how creatively or effectively you use the materials
C. Up to 25 points for how well your team works together

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

For the Appraisers only:

Set-up:

1. Ahead of time, locate random objects for creating a code. You do not need to use the items suggested, but can select whatever you have on hand.

2. For Part One, use index cards to create 2 sets of message cards. Each set will contain the same words, but each set of cards will be arranged in a different sequence and set face down on a table.

3. For Part Two, use index cards to create 2 sets of message cards. Each set will contain the same words (different words from those used in Part One), but each set of cards will be arranged in a different sequence and set face down on a table.

4. Part One: The practice message words are cat, dog, ball, balloons, hot dogs.

5. Part Two: The actual message words are hat, shoe, bed, closet, bedroom.

Code Talkers by Students for a Creative Iowa is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.

On the Move

Challenge: Your TASK is to create a method for moving 2 items from Start Line A across Finish Line B.

Time: You will have 2 minutes to use your imagination and discuss your strategy, 4 minutes to create a way to move the objects and practice, and 2 minutes to perform the task.

Set-up: On the floor are a taped Start Line A and a Finish Line B. The objects to be moved will be behind the Start Line. On a table are materials that are available to create the method for moving the objects.

Procedure:

Part One, 2 minutes. Look at the materials and discuss possible solutions with your team members. During this time, you may NOT touch the materials.

Part Two, 4 minutes. Use the materials provided to create a method to move 2 objects the distance between the taped lines. Your team-created method must work without any part of a team member’s body touching the object as it begins its motion.

Part Three, 2 minutes. Using your team-created method, move two of the provided items from Start Line A across Finish Line B. No part of a team member’s body may be between the two marked lines. No part of a team member’s body may touch the object when it begins its motion across the Start Line.

Materials:

• 1 paper tube
• 4 index cards
• 6 adhesive labels
• 1 balloon
• 2 rubber bands
• 1 cup
• scissors (may not be part of the solution)
• Objects to be moved (may not be altered): washer & golf ball

Scoring: You will receive
A. 30 points for successfully moving each item (60 points max.)
B. Up to 20 points for how creatively or effectively you use the materials
C. Up to 20 points for how well your team works together

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For the Appraisers only:

Set-up:

1. Using masking tape, mark two parallel lines on the floor. Difficulty may be increased by placing the two lines further apart.

2. During Parts Two and Three (4 minutes and 2 minutes, respectively), difficulty may be increased by requiring that the objects not touch the floor while moving between the two taped lines.

3. Ahead of time, Appraisers need to select 2 items to be moved. These items may not be altered. The instructions suggest a washer and a golf ball, but you may select any 2 items on the following list:

• gumdrop
• washer
• golf ball
• empty soup can
• cotton ball
• small toy

On the Move by Students for a Creative Iowa is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.

That Sinking Feeling

Challenge: Your challenge is to create a skit using musical skills to save people on a sinking ship.

Time: You will have 5 minutes to use your imagination to create a PERFORMANCE, and 2 minutes to PRESENT your performance.

The Scene: You are musicians on a ship. The ship is in trouble and the captain comes to you for help. Use your imagination and musical skills to save the people.

Materials:

• 1 cup
• 1 balloon
• 4 marbles
• paper tube
• paper bag
• 2 rubber bands

Scoring: You will receive
A. Up to 40 points for the creativity of your solution
B. Up to 20 points for the creativity of your performance
C. Up to 20 points for how creatively you use the materials
C. Up to 20 points for how well your team works together

That Sinking Feeling by Students for a Creative Iowa is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.

Out of My Way!

Challenge: Your TASK is to move various Objects into a Container from a marked area without touching the objects or putting any part of your body into the marked area.

Time: You will have 4 minutes to use your imagination to plan how to use the materials provided, and 4 minutes to move the objects.

Set-up: On the floor is a larger marked square with a smaller marked square inside it, in which a Container sits. The Objects sit on marked locations inside the larger marked square. On a table are the materials that can be used to move the Objects.

Procedure:

Part One, 4 minutes. Using the materials provided, come up with ways to move the Objects out of the larger marked area into the Container without touching the Objects or reaching into the marked areas with any part of your body. You may not damage the Container, nor may you modify the Objects. You may practice during Part One, but then all the Objects must be returned to their original locations.

Part Two, 4 minutes. Move the Objects from the larger marked area one at a time. You may not touch the Objects with any part of your body. No part of your body may cross over into any marked area. Put the Objects into the Container in the center of the smaller marked area.

Materials:

• 1 envelope
• 2 straws
• 5 toothpicks
• 1 golf ball
• 2 pipe cleaners
• 2 rubber bands
• 6 pieces of spaghetti
• 1 sheet of paper
• 2 paper clips
• 1 paper cup
• 2 adhesive labels
• 2 balloons

Scoring: You will receive
A. 5 points for each object removed from the larger marked area to the smaller marked area
B. 2 points for each object in the Container when Part Two is over
C. Up to 20 points for how creatively or effectively you use the materials
D. Up to 20 points for how well your team works together

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

For the Appraisers only:

Set-up:

1. Using masking tape, mark an area on the floor that is 4 feet square. Mark places around this space where the Objects can be placed, such as with labeled pieces of masking tape or dot stickers. The Objects should be of different sizes, shapes and weights. They should be placed exactly the same way each time the challenge is set up. Select 5-10 objects from the following list, or generate your own list:

• 1 metal spoon
• 1 cotton ball
• 1 twist tie
• 1 balloon
• 1 index card
• 1 pencil eraser
• 1 pair of scissors
• 1 plastic bottle lid (such as from a milk or soft drink bottle)
• 1 toilet tissue roll, empty
• 1 penny

2. Inside the large marked square, mark a smaller square that is 1 foot square. Place the Container in the center of the smaller square, which should be marked.

Special considerations:

1. The Container may be moved during any part of the Challenge (but not damaged). However, it must sit or lie in the center of the smaller square by the end of Part Two in order “for each Object in the Container ” to be scored.

2. The Objects must fit completely within the 1-foot square in order to be scored for “being removed from the larger marked square.” The outer edge of the masking tape marks the outer edge of the smaller square.

3. The outer edge of the masking tape marks the outer edge of the larger square.

Out of My Way! by Students for a Creative Iowa is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.