During the activity, children use their imagination and creativity to transform an everyday object (e.g., a pencil) into something completely new and different. After saying the magic words (“Abracadabra, this pencil is no longer a pencil, but a…”), they present it as a new object and demonstrate how it can be used and how it works. In doing so, they try to convince the other pupils to see the object in the same new way.

This process focuses especially on situations in which another pupil does not yet grasp the new idea. The aim is to help that pupil shift their perspective, showing that they can flexibly adjust their thinking and adopt a new way of seeing the object.

Skill focus

Primary Skill Focus

• Flexibility

Complementary/Secondary Skill Focus

• Creativity
• Curiosity, sense of wonder and openness

Age group	Student number	Duration
6 + years old	whole class	15 minutes

Proposed step by step implementation of the learning activity

1. Circle setup: The children sit in a circle, and the teacher joins the circle as well.
2. Introduction of the object: The teacher presents a simple object (for example, a pencil) and says: “Abracadabra, this pencil is no longer a pencil, but a…”
3. Transforming the object: A randomly chosen student finishes the sentence and presents the object as something completely new (e.g., “a sword”) and acts out how it could be used.
4. Passing the object: The student then passes the object to another randomly chosen child, who again says the magic words, names a new transformation, and acts out its function.
5. Flexible thinking phase: If a child does not yet see a new idea or cannot think of one, they may pass their turn.

• The teacher gently invites them to stay open and flexible, encouraging them to join later when a new idea starts to form.
• The goal of this moment is to help pupils shift their perspective: by watching other children’s ideas, they gradually learn to adapt their thinking and become more flexible in imagining new possibilities.
• Often, another child’s creative transformation sparks the imagination of those who initially struggled.

6. Supportive guidance: The teacher encourages participation without pressure, making sure pupils feel safe to explore, experiment, and return to the activity when ready.
7. Ending the activity: The activity continues until the teacher decides to end it (ideally within 10 minutes). To close, the teacher “transforms” the object back by saying: “Abracadabra, this pencil is a pencil again.”

It is worth using more than one object at the same time to encourage those children who have no ideas for the first object to engage in creative thinking.