Three Things

Used For 💡

• Boosting creativity

• Reducing overthinking

• Lowering (self-)judgment in teams

Group Size 👫

Groups of 3–6 participants

Total Time ⏳

3–5 minutes

Energy Level ⚡

Medium → High

Noise Level 🔊

Medium (can escalate quickly)

What This Is 🤔

Three Things is a classic improv energizer built around speed, simplicity, and spontaneity. Participants respond instantly to playful prompts by listing three things — without pausing to think, judge, or self-edit.

It’s deceptively simple, wildly effective, and works especially well for helping groups loosen up and access creative flow.

How It Works 🔩

1. Set the Tone
Have everyone stand in a circle.
To build rhythm and energy, the whole group chants “Three things!” together while lightly shaking their arms up and down.

2. Kick Things Off
One person turns to the person on their right and says:
“Three things that…”

They complete the sentence with a playful or unexpected prompt, for example:

• “Three things you bring into the shower.”

• “Three things you yell at a football game.”

• “Three things you’d name a pet unicorn.”

3. Respond Instantly
The person on the right must immediately answer with three things — no pauses, no filtering.
Example: “Soap, shampoo, razor.”

4. Group Response
After the answer, the whole group chants “Three things!” again while shaking their arms.

5. Pass It On
The responder turns to their right and throws a new “Three things…” prompt.
Continue around the circle.

What You’re Practicing 🎯

• Thinking without overthinking

• Letting go of self-consciousness

• Spontaneity and creative flow

• Supporting momentum rather than perfection

• Shared rhythm and group energy

Why It Works 🏗️

By removing time to evaluate or self-edit, this energizer short-circuits the inner critic. Speed replaces judgment, and play replaces performance. The shared chant and rhythm further reduce social threat, helping participants experience creativity as something collective and lightweight rather than individual and risky.

Laughter is common — but it’s a side effect, not the goal.

Pro Tips 🥠

• Encourage the group to speed up as they go. The faster it moves, the funnier and freer it becomes.

• Say explicitly: “There are no wrong answers. Nonsense is welcome.”

• Wild prompts work best once the group is warmed up.

Common Pitfalls ⚠️

• Allowing pauses between answers — keep momentum high.

• Letting people explain or justify their answers.

• Over-curating prompts instead of letting them be messy and playful.

Optional 1-min Debrief 💬

• “What changed when you stopped trying to be clever?”

• “What helped you respond without thinking?”

• “How did the speed affect your creativity?”

The Takeaway 🥡

Three Things is a simple, joyful reminder that creativity doesn’t require brilliance — just movement, permission, and a willingness to go first. When judgment drops, connection and imagination rush in.