Grow My Picture

For ages 4 – adult

This can be a hilarious game but the most interesting part of this educational game is that it reveals how people see the world so differently. Everyone has his/her own perspective and this game pays homage to that wonder.

Provide a large piece of drawing paper for each participant.

Each participant should be provided with crayons, colored pencil, chalk or any means of color appropriate for the age group.

Make one simple squiggle or drawing on each sheet of drawing paper. The "squiggle" must be exactly the same drawing located in the same place on each paper. Do this before the game begins and don’t let the participants see the drawing ahead of time. They must not be allowed to think or plan ahead.

For instance the squiggle may look like this:

Ask each participant to Complete the Picture. In other words, the squiggle should represent to them only a piece of the final drawing or scene. It’s up to them to incorporate your squiggle into a final work.

Here are two examples of how two adults completed the squiggle I provided (as shown above) given only one minute:

Can you see the original squiggle?

What’s so fascinating about this educational game activity is the different interpretations people have. I have always been flabbergasted at the results people provide that indicate how they viewed the fragment as part of a whole picture. Try this; you’ll be surprised.

In the corporate world, this is an excellent way to begin a retreat. People get to loosen up their minds to allow them to let go of constraints that have built up over time as they do their jobs. In addition, you’ll have great insight into personalities. I’ve always seen the "Ooh Ahh!" factor at work here.