An example Imagination game

You can do this if you have the time, one on one, or with a group of people in a room or around a table. If you are working with a group, ask them to quietly write down their answers and not call them out.

I want you to imagine something simple. There are no right or wrong answers. Just let your mind picture what I describe. Don’t overthink it — stick with the first thing that comes to mind. If you try to be clever about it, you will only cheat yourself out of a great learning opportunity.

Imagine you are standing next to a car. How many doors does the car have — two or four?

You get into the car and begin driving along a road. The road stretches out in front of you. Is it straight or winding?

As you travel, the road eventually leads you toward a house. You park the car and walk up to the house. Does the house have windows?

In front of you is a door. What is the door made of? Is it open or closed?

You step inside the house. Inside there is a chair and a table. What are they made of?

On the table there is a cup, a book, and a knife.

Does the cup have a handle? What type of cup is it?

Is the book thick or thin?

What type of knife is it?

As you look around, you also notice a box on the floor. What is the box made of?

You open it. Inside is a ball. What colour is the ball?

In one corner there is a toolbox. What colour is the toolbox?

Inside the toolbox are various tools. You pick one up in your hand. What tool did you pick up?

When you are ready, you leave the house by the back door and step outside. The air smells sweet and feels warm. You find yourself on a meandering path through trees. Is the path dirt or paved?

You look up at the trees. What colour are the leaves?

Take a moment to notice what stood out to you most along the way. Which objects felt important? Which ones did you remember clearly?

What’s interesting is that when different people imagine this same journey, they often picture remarkably similar things. Our imaginations may feel personal, but they are often far more predictable than we expect.

Below are the answers I quietly guessed ahead of time. How did I do?