How to Teach Creativity (Grades 3-5)

Digital download

A creativity lesson for grades 3-5

Upper elementary students learn that their wild ideas can solve real problems. In 180 minutes, students invent products from random pairs of objects, plan a restaurant on another planet and use their five senses to notice what others miss. The activities build the creative confidence every later entrepreneurship lesson depends on.

Grades: 3-5  |  Teaching time: 180 minutes  |  Format: digital download with lesson plans, slides and printables

What's included

• Preparation guide: Setup steps and an easy-to-source supply list.
• Step-by-step lesson plans: Clear instructions with timing and teaching tips.
• Presentation slides: Student-friendly visuals that guide each activity.
• Printable handouts: Challenge sheets and templates students fill in as they work.

What students do

• This Is A...: Students turn an ordinary object into something new.
• Wacky Inventions: Students pair two random items and invent a product.
• Planet Mooz Diner: Teams plan a dining experience for an alien planet.
• Video and I Spy: Students sharpen the observation skills that feed creative thinking.
• Lens and Perspective: Students look at a problem from someone else's point of view.
• Five Senses: Students use all five senses to work through a challenge.

What students practice

• Students push past their first, most obvious idea.
• Students invent solutions to silly and serious challenges.
• Students practice seeing familiar things in new ways.
• Students share unusual ideas with confidence.

Who it's for

Educators use this module in upper elementary classrooms, STEM and innovation blocks, gifted and talented programs, makerspaces, afterschool clubs, summer enrichment, homeschool co-ops and family nights.

Frequently asked questions

How long does this lesson take?
Plan for about 180 minutes of instruction. You can teach it in one block or split it across several class periods.

Do I need a business background to teach it?
No. The guide walks you through every activity with step-by-step instructions, timing and teaching tips, so classroom teachers, afterschool leaders and parents can all teach it.

What supplies do I need?
The preparation guide lists every material. Most activities use paper, markers and other everyday classroom supplies.

Is the curriculum evidence-based?
Yes. VentureLab documents the research behind this curriculum in our ESSA evidence packet.

How do I get the files?
This is a digital product. After checkout, check your email for the link to download your files.

Can I share the files with other teachers?
The VentureLab curriculum license explains how you can use and share the materials.

Your purchase supports VentureLab, a nonprofit that brings entrepreneurship education to young people in San Antonio, St. Louis and classrooms across the country.