Table Runner Runway

Written By Gina Williams

Deck: The Dreamer

Section: Spark to generate the idea

Time: 10 - 20 mins

Materials:

  • Doll, teddy, or toy as the model

  • Dress-up materials

  • Table runner, tablecloth, tea towel, or towel

  • Optional music.

Inspired by: ‘Wildest Idea’ (divergence-first ideation practice drawing on brainstorming and lateral thinking). The focus is on generating bold, unexpected ideas before judgement.

Builds:

  • Capabilities (what the activity builds internally): Creative confidence, imaginative thinking, experimentation, and comfort with ambiguity.

  • Future-of-work skills (what the activity develops externally): Creative thinking, adaptability, and innovation (aligned with the World Economic Forum Future of Jobs Report 2025, which identifies these as core skills for a rapidly changing world).

How to play:

  • Choose a doll, teddy, or toy to become your runway model

  • Hunt around the house for strange, dramatic, or unexpected materials

  • Create the wildest outfit for your model you can imagine (the more unusual, the better)

  • Build a runway on a table from a table runner, tablecloth, tea towel, or towel

  • Put on a fashion show and introduce your design to the audience

  • Then remix everything and create an even more outrageous look over and over again.

Variations:

  • Create themed runways inspired by Paris, the sea, or outer space

  • Set a timer and race to design a full outfit before time runs out

  • Add music, lighting, or a fashion editor narrator for extra drama.

Reflections:

  • Which design was your favourite?

  • Did your ideas become bigger or stranger as you went on?

  • Is there something you’re thinking of designing next time we play?

Gina Williams