Design Thinking Activities for Students

Design thinking activities for students teach creative problem-solving through a five-stage process— Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test— developed by Stanford’s d.school. The best classroom activities include empathy interviews, the circle challenge, Crazy 8s sketching, marshmallow tower builds, and peer feedback rounds. A 2025 meta-analysis of 18 studies across 11 countries found that sustained design thinking engagement enhances creativity and other 21st-century skills in students from elementary through high school.

Key Takeaways:

• Design thinking follows five stages: Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test— each with specific classroom activities that build different skills
• Research confirms it works: A meta-analysis of 1,600+ students shows design thinking enhances creativity, collaboration, and empathy
• Age matters for activity selection: Elementary students need tactile, short-cycle activities; high schoolers can tackle multi-day real-world challenges
• You don’t need special training to start: Free toolkits from Stanford d.school and IDEO provide ready-to-use lesson plans

Table of Contents:

• What Is Design Thinking?
• Why Design Thinking Matters for Students
• Empathize Activities
• Define Activities
• Ideate Activities
• Prototype Activities
• Test Activities
• How to Get Started
• Design Thinking and Helping Students Find What Matters
• FAQ

What Is Design Thinking? (The Framework in 60 Seconds)

Design thinking is a five-stage problem-solving framework— Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test— originally developed by the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford (the d.school). It teaches students to solve problems by understanding people’s needs first, then generating and testing creative solutions.

Here’s the quick overview:

The process is non-linear and iterative— feedback during testing often pushes students back to empathy or ideation, which is exactly how real problem-solving works. That can feel messy in a classroom. It’s supposed to.

David Kelley founded both IDEO and Stanford’s d.school in 2004, bringing design thinking from professional practice into education. The stages aren’t rules. They’re a map— and maps are most useful when you wander off them.

But does this actually work? Here’s what the research says.

Why Design Thinking Matters for Students (What the Research Says)

Design thinking measurably improves student creativity, collaboration, and empathy— and we have the research to prove it. A 2025 meta-analysis of 18 peer-reviewed studies across 11 countries, covering more than 1,600 students, found that sustained design thinking engagement enhances creativity alongside other 21st-century skills.

That’s not a single study making big promises. That’s 18 studies, independently conducted, pointing in the same direction.

A separate multi-actor study of 910 novice university students found significant creativity improvement— and the gains held over time. Students didn’t just perform well on test day. They retained the skills.

Here’s what design thinking develops, according to a systematic review of the research:

And for younger students specifically, empathy-focused design thinking enhances emotional intelligence and creativity in primary education settings.

Here’s the thing: design thinking in K-12 is still early-stage. A review of 40 empirical studies found that DT is not yet broadly established with academic content learning. Research on design thinking education confirms the field is still developing its assessment methods.

But that’s actually good news. Teachers adopting design thinking now are pioneers, not followers. And the evidence that does exist is promising.

Now for the practical part— here are activities you can use this week.

Empathize Activities

Empathy activities teach students to understand other people’s needs before jumping to solutions— the foundation of the entire design thinking process. The empathize stage is where students learn that the best solutions start with listening, not guessing.

Empathy Interviews — All Grades

Students pair up and interview each other about a real problem. Elementary students might ask, “What’s hard about lunchtime?” Older students can tackle bigger questions like, “What frustrates you about how our school handles [specific issue]?”

• Time: 20-30 minutes
• Materials: None needed
• Group size: Pairs

A 4th grader might interview a classmate and discover that the real problem with recess isn’t the equipment— it’s that some kids don’t know how to join a game. That’s empathy in action.

Empathy Mapping — Middle (6-8) + High (9-12)

After an interview, students draw a quadrant on large paper— Says, Thinks, Does, Feels— and fill it in based on what they learned. This exercise from Voltage Control makes abstract observations concrete.

• Time: 15-20 minutes
• Materials: Large paper, markers
• Group size: Pairs or small teams (3-4)

Emotion Walk — Elementary (K-5)

Students walk through the school and observe other people’s emotions and body language. They jot down what they notice— who looks happy, frustrated, confused, bored. It’s harder than it sounds.

• Time: 20 minutes
• Materials: Clipboards, paper
• Group size: Small teams (3-4)

Shadowing Challenge — High (9-12)

With permission, a student follows someone (a teacher, a cafeteria worker, a younger student) for one class period and documents their experience.

• Time: 45 minutes
• Materials: Notebook
• Group size: Individual

Empathy isn’t a soft skill. It’s the skill that makes all the other skills work. (And if we’re honest, even adults struggle with listening before solving.)

Once students understand the problem, they need to name it clearly.

Define Activities

Define activities help students turn raw empathy data into a clear problem statement— a “How Might We” question that focuses their creative energy. A good problem statement is half the solution.

“How Might We” Statements — All Grades

Students transform their interview insights into actionable questions. Elementary students use a simple fill-in template. Middle and high schoolers refine until the question is specific enough to generate real solutions.

• Time: 15-20 minutes
• Materials: Sticky notes
• Group size: Small teams (3-5)

Here’s how the transformation works: a student interviews a classmate and learns she hates group projects because she always ends up doing all the work. The raw data becomes the problem statement: “How might we make group projects feel fair for everyone?”

Affinity Grouping — Middle (6-8) + High (9-12)

Students write observations on sticky notes, then cluster them on a wall to find patterns. What themes emerge? Where do different interviews point to the same problem?

• Time: 20-30 minutes
• Materials: Sticky notes, wall space
• Group size: Small teams (3-5)

Point of View Mad Libs — Elementary (K-5) + Middle (6-8)

Fill in the blank: “[User] needs [need] because [insight].” It’s structured enough for younger students and surprisingly effective for older ones too.

• Time: 10-15 minutes
• Materials: Worksheets or paper
• Group size: Pairs or small teams

Skipping the Define stage is the number one mistake in design thinking. Students want to jump straight to solutions— resist that impulse. How you frame a problem determines what solutions you’ll find.

Now that students have a clear problem, it’s time to generate as many solutions as possible.

Ideate Activities

Ideation activities push students to generate as many ideas as possible without judging them— quantity over quality, at least at first. The goal isn’t to find the right answer. It’s to generate enough wrong answers that a few great ones emerge.

Crazy 8s — Middle (6-8) + High (9-12)

Fold a piece of paper into 8 sections. Sketch one idea per section in 8 minutes. Fast, visual, low-stakes. The time pressure forces students past their inner critic.

• Time: 10 minutes
• Materials: Paper, markers
• Group size: Individual, then share with team

Circle Challenge — All Grades

Hand out a sheet of blank circles. Students have 3 minutes to transform as many circles as possible into recognizable things. Pizza. Basketball. Planet. Self-portrait. It’s the best design thinking warm-up that exists.

• Time: 5 minutes
• Materials: Circle worksheet
• Group size: Individual

“Yes, And…” Brainstorm — All Grades

Borrowed from improv theater. Every response to an idea must start with “Yes, and…”— no “but,” no “actually,” no “I don’t think so.” This builds ideas instead of killing them.

• Time: 15-20 minutes
• Materials: Verbal or sticky notes
• Group size: Small teams (3-5)

SCAMPER — Middle (6-8) + High (9-12)

A structured approach: Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to other use, Eliminate, Reverse. Students apply each lens to an existing product or solution. What if you eliminated one feature? What if you combined two ideas?

• Time: 20-30 minutes
• Materials: SCAMPER cards or worksheet
• Group size: Small teams (3-5)

If your ideation session feels orderly, you’re doing it wrong. Yes, it’ll get loud. That’s fine. Students afraid of “wrong” answers need permission to be wild— and the time constraint helps because nobody can overthink at 60 seconds per idea.

Once students have ideas, they need to make them real— even if “real” means cardboard and tape.

Prototype Activities

Prototyping activities teach students to build quick, rough versions of their ideas— not to create something perfect, but to create something they can test and learn from. The best student prototypes look terrible. That means students spent their time thinking, not decorating.

Marshmallow Tower Challenge — All Grades

Build the tallest freestanding tower from spaghetti, tape, string, and a marshmallow— which must go on top. This classic design thinking exercise is famous for one reason: kindergarteners routinely beat engineering students. Why? Engineers plan too long and build too little. Kids just start building, testing, and rebuilding.

• Time: 18 minutes
• Materials: Spaghetti, tape, string, marshmallow (per team)
• Group size: Teams of 3-5

Cardboard Prototyping — All Grades

Build a physical model of any solution using cardboard, tape, and markers. The d.school’s philosophy is that prototypes should be fast and disposable— if it takes more than 30 minutes to build, you’re overinvesting.

• Time: 30-45 minutes
• Materials: Recycled cardboard, craft supplies
• Group size: Small teams (3-5)

Paper App Prototyping — Middle (6-8) + High (9-12)

Sketch app screens on paper. Simulate user flow by flipping between pages. Students discover usability problems before writing a single line of code.

• Time: 30 minutes
• Materials: Paper, markers
• Group size: Small teams (3-5)

Storyboard Prototype — Elementary (K-5) + Middle (6-8)

Draw 4-6 panels showing how a user would experience the solution from start to finish. Like a comic strip for problem-solving.

• Time: 20-30 minutes
• Materials: Paper, markers
• Group size: Individual or pairs

Here’s what people get wrong about prototyping: they think it needs to look good. Speed beats polish at this stage. Every time. Perfectionist students will struggle with this— and that’s exactly the point.

The final stage turns prototypes into learning tools.

Test Activities

Testing activities let students gather real feedback on their prototypes— and the best part is when the feedback sends them back to an earlier stage to improve their solution. Testing isn’t the end of design thinking. It’s where the next round of learning begins.

Gallery Walk + Feedback — All Grades

Display prototypes around the room. Students circulate with sticky notes and leave specific feedback on each one. What works? What’s confusing? What would they change?

• Time: 20-30 minutes
• Materials: Sticky notes
• Group size: Whole class

User Testing Rounds — Middle (6-8) + High (9-12)

Present the prototype to “users”— classmates who weren’t on the team. Observe their reactions. Don’t explain how it works. If you have to explain it, the prototype needs to be clearer.

• Time: 30 minutes
• Materials: Feedback forms
• Group size: Teams present to other teams

Iteration Sprint — All Grades

After feedback, students have exactly 15 minutes to make ONE improvement. Then they test again. This is where the iterative nature of design thinking comes alive— students experience firsthand that “failing” a test is just the beginning of a better solution.

• Time: 15-20 minutes
• Materials: Same as original prototype
• Group size: Original teams

If nobody’s prototype fails testing, your feedback criteria aren’t honest enough. Students hate hearing their idea needs work— but the redesign is almost always better than the original. That’s the lesson.

Ready to bring design thinking into your classroom? Here’s how to start.

How to Get Started (Implementation Tips + Free Resources)

You don’t need certification, special training, or a big budget to start using design thinking activities for students— just a willingness to let the classroom get a little messy. Start with a single 30-minute activity. You don’t need to redesign your entire curriculum to bring design thinking into your classroom.

Here’s a quick-start guide:

1. Run the Circle Challenge tomorrow. It takes 5 minutes, needs zero prep, and shows students what design thinking feels like.
2. Try one full-stage activity next week. Pick empathy interviews or “Yes, And…” brainstorming— both need no materials.
3. Build to a full cycle. Once students are comfortable, run all five stages over 2-3 class periods.

Time guidance: Warm-ups take 15 minutes. Single-stage activities run about 30 minutes. A full design thinking cycle spans 2-3 class periods. Groups of 3-5 students work best.

Here are the best free resources:

Here’s my honest take on training: research suggests sustained implementation benefits from teacher training. But basic activities are completely accessible without it. Don’t wait until you feel ready. Run the Circle Challenge tomorrow. See what happens.

Design thinking aligns with constructivist, student-centered learning principles— students learn by doing, not by listening to someone talk about doing.

One more thing worth mentioning.

Design Thinking and Helping Students Find What Matters to Them

Design thinking doesn’t just teach problem-solving— it helps students discover what problems they care about solving. And that’s the beginning of finding your purpose.

When a student lights up during an empathy interview, they’re not just learning a skill. They’re discovering what moves them. The empathy stage naturally surfaces what students care about. Ideation reveals creative strengths. Prototyping builds confidence through action.

Purpose isn’t found by thinking harder. It’s found by doing— and design thinking is doing. It gives students a structured way to explore their values, interests, and strengths without the pressure of figuring out their “whole life plan.”

If you’re interested in helping students (or yourself) go deeper into questions of purpose and meaning, explore our guide to living with purpose.

The activities in this article are a starting point. The real magic happens when a student discovers they care deeply about a problem they didn’t even know existed before they started listening.

That’s design thinking at its best. Not a framework. A way of paying attention.

FAQ

What is design thinking for students?

Design thinking is a five-stage problem-solving framework— Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, Test— that teaches students to solve problems by understanding people’s needs first. Developed by Stanford’s d.school and popularized by IDEO, it builds creativity, empathy, and collaboration skills.

What grade levels can use design thinking?

Design thinking works from elementary through high school. Younger students (K-3) do best with tactile, short-cycle activities like the Circle Challenge and marshmallow towers. Older students (grades 6-12) can handle multi-day projects with structured empathy research and iteration. Research reviews confirm DT has expanded from higher education into secondary and is growing in primary settings.

Does design thinking actually work in classrooms?

Yes. A 2025 meta-analysis of 18 studies across 11 countries found design thinking enhances creativity in 1,600+ students. A separate study of 910 university students showed significant creativity improvement with lasting retention. Assessment methods are still developing, but the evidence base is growing.

How long does a design thinking activity take?

Activities range from 5-minute warm-ups (Circle Challenge) to multi-day projects. A single-stage activity takes 15-30 minutes. A complete five-stage cycle can be completed in 2-3 class periods. Research shows sustained engagement over weeks produces stronger learning effects than one-off activities.

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