Back

Manage resources

You are here: Home / Free Games & Activities / Creative Thinking activities / Manage resources

Manage resources

Manage Resources – A Minimalist Challenge in Creativity

Category: Games & Activities
Estimated Time: 10–15 minutes
Group Size: Individual or small group
Best for: Innovation, resource management, creative problem-solving

Objective:

This hands-on exercise encourages participants to work creatively within strict limitations. Using just six toothpicks, participants must figure out how to form four triangles. The challenge highlights how assumptions and flat thinking can limit problem-solving—and how innovation often emerges from constraints.

Materials Needed:

  • 6 wooden toothpicks per participant
  • (Optional) A small piece of modeling clay or sticky tack to help stabilize connections

Setup Instructions:

  1. Distribute exactly six toothpicks to each participant.
  2. Announce the challenge: “Using only these six toothpicks, create four triangles.”
  3. Most participants will initially try 2D solutions and may ask for more toothpicks.
  4. Firmly state: “You have everything you need—be resourceful with what you have.”

Solution:

The answer is to build a 3D triangular pyramid (a tetrahedron):

  • Use three toothpicks to form a triangle on the table (the base).
  • Then connect the remaining three toothpicks from each corner of the base to a single point above.
  • You now have a 3D shape with four triangular faces—three sides and one base.

Trainer Tips:

  • Allow time for struggle—don’t offer hints too early.
  • If one person solves it early, ask them to observe quietly.
  • Use a flipchart or draw the tetrahedron during the debrief if needed.

Debrief & Discussion:

  • What assumptions did you make at the start of the task?
  • Did you feel frustrated or stuck with the resources given?
  • Why do we often seek “more” instead of rethinking how to use what we have?
  • How can this challenge be a metaphor for workplace limitations?
  • What lessons can we apply about resourcefulness and reframing?

Learning Outcomes:

  • Encourages lateral thinking and reinterpreting constraints
  • Develops creative problem-solving under resource limitations
  • Reveals how assumptions can block simple solutions
  • Promotes patience, persistence, and open-mindedness

Related Training Material Packages:

36 Full Courses & 6 Mini Courses.

39 Full Courses & 6 Mini Courses

Get all available programs
& save ...!!

Price: $4499.95 $2995.95

Great Value For Money

Read More
Train The Trainer + Presenting With Impact

The Presenter-Trainer Package®

Train The Trainer

Presenting With Impact

Price: $359.95 $299.95

SAVE $59.95

Read More
Retail Excellence Series

Retail Excellence Series®

3 Complete Courseware
Packages in 1

Frontline Retail Selling Skills

Retail Sales Planning & Forecasting

Passionate Retail Experts

Price: $539.855 $349.95

Pay for 2 Get 1 Free

Read More
Sales excellence series

Sales excellence series®

3 Complete Courseware
Packages in 1

Sales Management

Professional Selling Skills

Sales Territory Planning & Routing

Price: $539.855 $349.95

Pay for 2 Get 1 Free

Read More
Call Center Excellance Series

Call Center Excellence Series®

4 Complete Courseware
Packages in 1

Handling angry and difficult callers

Call control

Find a way to say YES!

Successful telephone debt collection

Price: $719.95 $449.95

Pay for 2 programs and Get 2 programs Free

Read More
Communication Excellence Series

Communication Excellence Series®

4 Complete Courseware
Packages in 1

Communicating with clarity and impact

Negotiating for results

Conflict resolution

Presenting With Impact

Price: $719.95 $449.95

Pay for 2 programs and Get 2 programs Free

Read More
Customer Service Excellence Series

Customer Service Excellence Series®

5 Complete Courseware
Packages in 1

Vision, Energy & Passion To Serve

Pathways to service excellence

Find a way to say YES!

Passionate Retail Experts

Setting others up for success

Price: $899.75 $599.95

Pay for 3 Get 2 Free

Read More

Find Out
Your Leadership
Style

Instant Download Training packages

All you need
to deliver a great training!

Our training material packages come with all you need to provide
a professional and accelerated learning solution with

training-materials-slides2

High Impact
Power Point Slide Deck

To support immersive learning, a high impact professionally designed power point slide deck to engage trainees at all levels.

training-materials-student-workbook2

Student
Workbook

A comprehensive reference workbook you can give out to your class participants as a quick future reference.

training-materials-trainer-guide2222

Trainer
Guide

With step-by-step clear directions with tips and suggestions on what to say and how to present each slide.

excercise-sheets2

Activity
/Exercise Sheets

Various training material and support documents to help you both explain and debrief the different exercises, activities and games Plus a fun final Jeopardy style review game as a fun ending for your training program.

additional-documents2

Additional
Support Documents

To ensure you have all you need to deliver a complete and professional training program, additional supporting documents are included with each full course material package. From training evaluation forms to 5 different certificate templates that you can edit and hand out to your participants at the end of your training.

job_aid_forms2

Job Aids
& Forms

Specific forms designed to extend and reinforce the training that participants can utilize back on the job to help them apply the new learned concepts (Select training material packages)

Get all our training Packages
and Save!

Save over $1500 and Get each full program for under $99.00 & 6 Mini Courses free