How can we generate creative ideas? SCAMPER techniques are useful for developing or improving ideas. SCAMPER is an acronym for Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify/ Magnify/ Minify, Put to Other Uses, Eliminate and Reverse/Rearrange.

Substitute - Replace one thing with another/change the parts
Combine - Add/Put more things together
Adapt - Meet other needs
Modify - Change the look/quality
Magnify - Make a thing bigger, heavier, faster, more frequent
Minify - Make a thing smaller, lighter, slower, less frequent
Put to Other Uses - Use a thing in other ways
Eliminate - Take away a characteristic, part or whole
Reverse - Turn a thing around/change to the opposite
Rearrange - Change the order

Suggested answers

Original idea(s)

What is the name of the festival?
Chinese New Year
  • Substitute

New idea(s)

What is the name of the festival?
Green Chinese New Year

Original idea(s)

When is the festival?
In January or February
  • Magnify

New idea(s)

When is the festival?
From January to February

Original idea(s)

Why do people celebrate it?
To mark the start of spring
  • Combine & put to other uses

New idea(s)

Why do people celebrate it?
To mark the start of spring and show our love to the environment

Original idea(s)

Before the festival:
What do people do/eat?
  • Sweep the floor
  • Put up spring couplets on the walls
  • Buy flowers
  • Adapt
  • Combine

New idea(s)

Before the festival:
What do people do/eat?
  • Plant trees and flowers
  • Put up spring couplets on the walls and buy some flowers

Original idea(s)

During the festival:
What do people do/eat?
  • Have a reunion dinner
  • Visit relatives with gifts
  • Get red packets from adults
  • Serve sugared food in candy boxes
  • Modify
  • Eliminate
  • Modify & Reverse
  • Modify

New idea(s)

During the festival:
What do people do/eat?
  • Have a reunion dinner with vegetables
  • Visit relatives without gifts
  • Give adults pink packets with written good wishes placed inside
  • Serve sugared food placed in small red packets in candy boxes

Original idea(s)

A few days after the festival:
What do people do/eat?
  • Watch a night parade and a fireworks show
  • Visit a temple
  • Combine

New idea(s)

A few days after the festival:
What do people do/eat?
  • Watch a night parade and a fireworks show near a temple

Original idea(s)

What do people think about the values of the festival?
  • To appreciate Chinese traditions
  • Combine & put to other uses

New idea(s)

What do people think about the values of the festival?
  • To appreciate Chinese traditions, and show our love to the environment

Part C

Using Chinese New Year as an example, read how SCAMPER techniques can be used to make the ideas more creative.

Original idea(s)

What is the name of the festival?
Chinese New Year

New idea(s)

What is the name of the festival?
Green Chinese New Year

Original idea(s)

When is the festival?
In January or February

New idea(s)

When is the festival?
From January to February

Original idea(s)

Why do people celebrate it?
To mark the start of spring
  • Combine & put to other uses

New idea(s)

Why do people celebrate it?
To mark the start of spring and show our love to the environment

Original idea(s)

Before the festival:
What do people do/eat?
  • Sweep the floor
  • Put up spring couplets on the walls
  • Buy flowers
  • Adapt
  • Combine

New idea(s)

Before the festival:
What do people do/eat?
  • Plant trees and flowers
  • Put up spring couplets on the walls and buy some flowers

Original idea(s)

During the festival:
What do people do/eat?
  • Have a reunion dinner
  • Visit relatives with gifts
  • Get red packets from adults
  • Serve sugared food in candy boxes
  • Modify
  • Eliminate
  • Modify & Reverse
  • Modify

New idea(s)

During the festival:
What do people do/eat?
  • Have a reunion dinner with vegetables
  • Visit relatives without gifts
  • Give adults pink packets with written good wishes placed inside
  • Serve sugared food placed in small red packets in candy boxes

Original idea(s)

A few days after the festival:
What do people do/eat?
  • Watch a night parade and a fireworks show
  • Visit a temple

New idea(s)

A few days after the festival:
What do people do/eat?
  • Watch a night parade and a fireworks show near a temple

Original idea(s)

What do people think about the values of the festival?
  • To appreciate Chinese traditions
  • Combine & put to other uses

New idea(s)

What do people think about the values of the festival?
  • To appreciate Chinese traditions, and show our love to the environment