The Flyswatter is an energetic and playful learning activity in which students work in teams to identify the correct card representing words, numbers, pictures, or concepts by “swatting” it first. While the original version is fast and competitive, this version is a creativity-focused learning activity, where students generate alternative solutions, invent strategies, and creatively connect clues to cards. Instead of only reacting quickly, students explore multiple possible answers, find unique links between concepts, and express original ideas while collaborating with teammates.
Proposed step by step implementation of the learning activity:
- Warm-up: The teacher briefly introduces the activity and shows the materials: cards, flyswatters, and the task types (e.g., clues, riddles, associations).
Students brainstorm creative ways to find links between concepts (e.g., word families, metaphors, funny associations). - Exploration phase: In small groups, students observe the cards on the table and think of: surprising associations; alternative groupings; creative ways to categorize cards; metaphors or stories that connect them. This builds a creative mindset before the game starts.
- Guided practice: The teacher gives a few open-ended clues (not only “right/wrong” ones), e.g.: “Swat something that could be part of a story about space.” “Swat something with a hidden connection to water.” “Swat a card that could be combined with another card to make something new.” Students explain their creative reasoning.
- Main activity – Creative Flyswatter Game: In two teams, students listen to creative prompts and swat the card they believe fits best. Examples: “Swat the card that matches this riddle…”; “Choose the card that could have more than one meaning…”; “Pick a card that you can connect to today’s topic in a unique way…” Teachers encourage multiple acceptable answers if reasoning is creative.
- Group challenge – Invent your own clues: Teams create their own creative clues, riddles, or tasks for the other team.
- Whole-class sharing: Students present their invented clues and explain their creative choices.