Thinking "outside the box" to solve problems can be challenging for nursing students. To help students think creatively, I begin my class with a lateral thinking puzzle (which can be found online by searching the internet) as an appetizer to my lesson to engage them and encourage creative thinking. Lateral thinking as a concept was coined by Edward de Bono in the late 1960s and encourages students to look at a situation from unconventional angles and not in the typical and predicted manner that we usually do. Lateral thinking puzzles are mysteries that are solved through an exchange with the quizmaster (faculty) who identifies the puzzle and the students who have to figure out the answer. The puzzles often convey obscure situations with little information offered. The answer is not the most apparent one, so students are required to think from different perspectives. This is done by asking questions and students attempting to guess the right answer. These puzzles sharpen the mind, prevent students from making the usual assumptions, and encourage a flexible and open-minded approach to solving the puzzle. Students enjoy the puzzles, and they sometimes energize the classroom with humor as the students bring up some imaginative answers. There is usually one student who is able to solve the puzzle, with subtle clues provided with more challenging lateral puzzles. These puzzles are also a good way to establish rapport with a new group of students, and prizes can be offered.