Stimulating Creative Thinking: Magic Paper (QAA 1)

Objective:

• To stimulate creative and lateral thinking
• To encourage creative thoughts and behaviour
• To develop problem conceptualisation, and problem solving capacity

Overview:

Could you cut a hole in a piece of A4 paper, large enough that you could climb all the way through, without breaking the paper?!

This is a simple activity suitable for groups of any size or ability.

Taking approximately 5 minutes to complete, it encourages learners find a solution to an unfamiliar problem. The problem can only be solved through novel and creative solutions.

The activity serves to stimulate students’ creative thinking and problem solving capabilities, and serves as a light-hearted ice breaker / introduction.

Activity:

1.Provide each student with a single piece of A4 Paper, and a pair of scissors.

2.Challenge students to ‘Cut a hole in the piece of, large enough to climb all the way through, without breaking the paper!’

3.Tell students they have 5 minutes to complete the challenge. You may invite students to work individually, in pairs, or in small groups to do this. (Many students will begin by cutting a circular hole in the rectangular sheet of paper, before realising this is far too small to be a plausible option. You may wish to provide students with extra paper so they can conduct a number of trails. Re-assure students that the challenge is entirely possible, and that it is not a trick question. If anyone completes the challenge quickly, ask them not to reveal their solution to the class until the time is up. If the group are looking for clues, suggest ‘snowflakes and decorations we used to make as children’).

4.When 5 minutes have passed, invite students to stop working, and invite them to attempt to climb through their paper! (Usually, you will find that at least one team have come up with a solution).

5.If no team have successfully completed the challenge, demonstrate a solution to the class (solution outlined below). Invite a small group of student to all climb through the hole simultaneously!

Solution

Figure 1. Challenge Solution

• To solve the challenge, fold the A4 paper in half along its length (as indicated by the blue perforated line on the diagram).
• Use the scissors to cut the paper with a comb effect, starting from the centre of the paper and working towards its edge.
• Make similar cuts, this time working from the edge towards the centre, in between the incisions previously made.
• Make cuts along with fold line of the paper, with the exception of the edges to the extreme of the incisions.
• (All cuts are indicated by red lines on the diagram).
• Carefully unfold the paper, and a continuous, large ribbon is produced, comfortably large enough to climb through.
• The closer together and deeper the cuts made are, the larger the hole will be when the paper is unfolded.
• A film demonstrating this can be viewed here >https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jBUwH-TfqQ

Skill Development:

After this activity, students should be more attuned to looking for creative solutions to problems, and warmed up for any following creative / problem solving activity.

Resources:

• A4 paper
• Scissors

References:

• Solution: Climb thru Hole in Paper - YouTube. 2015. [ONLINE] Available at:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jBUwH-TfqQ. [Accessed 20 August 2015].