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Theatre Games -

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Greetings and welcome to the theatre games link on the SVSU Youth Theatre Website. The following games were
used in a booklet produced by the Summer Theatre Institute for presentation at the 2002 AATE Conference in
Minneapolis Minnesota. Lead presenters were Saginaw Valley State University Fine Arts Day Camp & Summer
Theatre Institute Director Ric Roberts & TADA! Youth Theatre (NYC) Education Director, Peter Avery. The session
was one of the highest attended of the entire conference and are pleased to be able to share these with you today!
Please note that in no way do we claim to have invented any of the following games. In nearly all cases, we have
tried to list the author, if known. If you do like these games, please feel free to use them. All we ask is that you give
credit to the author, if known. Enjoy!

For more information about The American Alliance for Theatre & Education (AATE) visit the following web site:
www.aate.com

Fi r s t s e t o f G a m e s S u b m i t t e d b y Pe t e r Av e r y
The Ultimate Being
The set-up: Start by asking students to talk about where we came from in terms of the cosmos. You will
hear evolution, big bang, creationism, even some made-up ones (i.e. we are from bananas from the planet
Jyrex). Ask them to explain -- ever so briefly. Usually the focus is on evolution. Let them know that all are good
answers but you have found the truth. We did start at one central place. At first there was an egg. Have
students get on their hind legs and walk around the room as eggs. There should be no talking since we know
that eggs don't talk. Stop --back to neutral. Ask them what came next. Yes! The chicken did come after the egg
after all. Walk around like chickens, flapping wings, squaking, etc. Stop --back to neutral. What came next? Let
them guess and then tell them the Ultimate Being! Ultimate Beings walk around upright with their hands above
their heads saying, "I am the Ultimate Being. I AM the Ultimate Being!" let them walk around and do so (always
being polite to other creatures).
The game: Everyone starts as eggs. have them mill around and meet another egg. They should then
battle with ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS. Whomever wins becomes a chicken while the loser remains an egg
and looks for another egg to compete with. The chicken now searches out another chicken and they battle.
The winner becomes an upright Ultimate Being while the loser goes back to being a chicken. Once two
Ultimate Beings faceoff, the winner remains an Ultimate Being and the loser becomes a chicken.
The point: The game is a terrific first day game to have EVERYONE be a fool, EVERYONE take risks
and EVERYONE experience winning and losing. The game teaches that their is upwards and downwards
mobility and that even if you lose one battle, you might come back to win three in a row. One cannot get too
cocky as an Ultimate Being and one should not get too frustrated as an egg. Just like in theater, we try not to
focus on the big versus small roles--everyone has their time. It also teaches about how to lose and win
gracefully but with the added zaniness to allow people to win and lose big for drama sake.

Zip Zap Zop


The set up: The class stands in a circle.
The game: The first student claps his/her hands toward any other student in the circle while making eye
contact and says ""zip."" The student who was ""zipped"" then sends the clapping motion to any other student
in the circle saying ""zap."" The student who was ""zapped"" then sends the clapping motion to any other
student in the circle saying ""zop."" The cycle then begins again.
The point: The purpose of this game is to make eye contact and send a focused clapping motion and
sound to the next student. Once students have mastered the basics, the speed should pick up. Encourage
students to use their first impulse - take 3 or 4 seconds deciding who will be next.

W h a t A r e Yo u D o i n g ?
The set up: Students stand in two lines. The front students in each line face each other.
The game: The student in line one begins miming an activity (i.e., skiing). The student in line two asks,
""What are you doing?"". The other student continues miming their activity (skiing), but says he/she is doing
something else (i.e., taking a shower), then goes to the back of his/her line. The student in line two begins
miming the new activity (taking a shower) and the student who is now in the front of line one asks ""What are
you doing?"". The student in line two continues his/her activity (taking a shower), ), but says he/she is doing
something else (i.e., reading), then goes to the back of his/her line. The student in the front of line one begins
miming the new activity (reading) and the student who is now in the front of line two asks ""What are you
doing?"".

The teacher serves as the judge. Three important rules: q Students may not repeat an activity that has already
been mentioned. q Students have only a count of three to come up with the new activity. q Students must
continue the original activity while saying the new activity.

If desired, this can be a competitive game, where students missing any of the above three requirements are
""out"" and eventually there is a winning team.
Example: Student one is miming reading. Student two asks, ""What are you doing?"". Student one
continues miming reading, but says, ""Putting on a shirt."" Student two mimes putting on a shirt as student one
goes to the back of his/her line. The student now in the front of line one asks, the student in line two ""What are
you doing?"". That student continues miming putting on a shirt and says, ""Im combing my hair."" The student
in line one begins miming that activity as the student in line two goes to the back of the line. The student now in
the front of line two asks, ""What are you doing?"", etc.

W o r d Te n n i s
The set up: Two students face each other
The game: Students and are given a category (i.e., colors, rivers, states in the U.S., etc.). The students,
one after the other name as many things from that category as he/she can. If a student takes more than a
count of three to come up with something or repeats an item that has already been mentioned, he/she is out
and replaced with another student from the class.

Status
The set up: Students fill the room in random order. Props 1 deck of standard playing cards.
The game:
1. Pass out cards Reminding all NOT TO LOOK AT THEIR OWN CARDS!!!
2. Cards are then held up against your forehead so that everyone but you can see your card.
(Remember ""Indian Poker""?)
3. Everyone is given a situation 1st day of class Birthday Party and told to have a
conversation where the card you hold is your status. A king or ace would be treated well no matter how
they act A deuce or three would be ignored ore even treated badly.
4. After 60 seconds ask all to line up in the order thy think their cards represent, low to high.
The point: To determine relationships not only by how you behave but by how others behave to you.

W r i t e Yo u r O w n P l a y
The game: Each student writes two sentences on separate pieces of paper, based on a theme: (i.e. A
forest fire, A test tomorrow, No toilet paper in the lavatory). The papers are then tossed into a hat. Each student
chooses two. The leader randomly picks small groups to read the lines in sequence and assigns random
blocking. The group retires for 3-5 minutes to rehearse the scene so that it makes sense. Afterwards, everyone
else ""reviews"" the plays.

""AH""
The game: Students are given separate goals: A. You are to get B to go to the Doctor for a shot B. You
are to get A to go Shopping for toys You are to offer to Drive the car to one place only
The point: To teach that we can communicate without actual words.

N ex t S e t o f G a m e s S u b m i t t e d b y R i c Ro b e r t s *
*With many thanks to Saginaw Valley State University, Dr. Janet Rubin, Dr. Steven C. Erickson, Prof. Patricia
Zimmer, Prof. Jessica "Decky" Alexander, Dr. Mary Cooney , Sandra Nelson and fellow graduate students at
Eastern Michigan University & previous AATE Youth Theatre Network Game Exchanges.

Bobbity Bop Bop - All Grades


The students stand in a circle. The Leader stands in the center. There are 5 Levels of concentration skills.
The game is cumulative, and levels are continually added. When a student makes a mistake two things can
happen, you can either get them out OR you can just continue on with the game and let them know what they
did wrong. The levels are as follows........
Level 1: When the leader points to a person in the circle and says "Boppity Bop Bop," the student must
respond with one word "Bop" before the leader finishes the phrase. If the leader points to a student and says
simply "Bop," the student says nothing.
Level 2: HOUSE - If the leader points to a student and says "House," the student must kneel on one knee
and say "Come in, Come in" in a spooky voice. While this is happening, the students on either side must reach
their hands up at a 45 degree angle and create a peaked roof by touching finger tips.
Level 3: STONEHENGE - If the leader says "Stonehenge" ALL students stand with feet together, raise
hands above head and bring down into prayer form. While they are doing this, the must say "Ohm" and hold it.
Like mediation!
Level 4: COWBOY - If the leader points to a student and says "Cowboy," the student who was pointed at
must raise and twirl arm like a lasso, gallop like riding a horse, spank butt with free hand and yell "YE HA!" The
students on either side of the "Cowboy" must face forward and gallop on a horse saying "Clip Clop".
Level 5: HAWAII - If the leader points to a student and says "HAWAII," the student must do a hula dance
and sing the song "Aloha Eh, Aloha Oh" The students on each side must raise both arms and sway like palm
trees while making a wind sound.

Name Game - All grades


Simple Ice Breaker game that is good for the beginning of camp to help your students become familiar
with each other. Also great way to you for you to learn your students names. Have all students stand in a circle.
Starting with the leader, you say your name and what you like to do, for example "My Name is Ric and I like to
Act" When you say what you like to do, you also combine it with an appropriate action. Then you lead the
entire group in responding "That is Ric and he likes to Act" and so on. Go around the circle once or twice,
depending on time. If you go a second round, have the students pick a different thing they like to do.

What Is It? - All grades


Another simple Ice Breaker game that helps in calming the group down after lunch and bringing them to a
focus. This game also gives your students a chance to start thinking in transformative terms. Have five or six
generic items, can be anything, and pass it around circle. As you start, you simply say this is a .......and come
up with a name for the object that seems to fit it. For example, a paper towel tube may be a telescope,
bazooka, baseball bat and so on. Continue around circle. Each time object comes back to you, start a new
object.

K i t t y Wa n t s A C o r n e r - A l l A g e s
This is an excellent trust building game that is loved by everyone. I have played this with 3rd graders to
adults. Place all students in a large circle. Have them place some object, or you can use a small piece of tape
to mark their spot. This will make it easier for you and the students as once the game gets underway, spots
tend to disappear.
Here are the rules: The leader stands in the middle of the circle and walks up to some one and says
"Kitty wants a corner!", The student responds in one way "Go see my neighbor!" and points to someone else in
circle - The leader then goes to the pointed out neighbor. This process continues. As the leader is asking for a
corner and going to see different neighbors, the other students are switching their spots! If the leader can get
into an empty spot, the person who is left out become the new Kitty! The game then continues.

Shark Attack - All Ages


A great fun game that is exciting and great to use at the end of the day or as a middle of the session
break. This game is played with all your students as the swimmers and you as the 1st shark.
Here are the rules: What you need is some sections of old newspaper that are the big double sections.
Strategically place them around the room. These are your islands and the rest of the floor space is the water.
The object of the game is for the shark (you) to catch swimmers who are not COMPLETELY on the paper
island. Tell the swimmers to swim around the room, when you yell out "SHARK ATTACK" they must get onto an
island. Even if a half inch of their shoe is on the bare floor, they get eaten and are out! Sounds simple enough!
Except for the fact that after each round, the lead shark will rip a piece of the island off so the islands slowly
become smaller. This continues until all the swimmers have been eaten. You may or may not use the people
that you kill as extra sharks. The space will help you decide this. You may want to just use one or two extras at
a time. Watch out for this one, they will want to play it every day!

Pass The Snap - All Ages


This is a VERY simple yet effective game that gets kids focusing on the subject at hand using
transformation .
Here are the rules: Stand class in a circle. Each person "throws" a snap to the another in the circle. The
individual who catches the snap must catch it at the same level and intent it is thrown. For example if I toss a
heavy hard snap, it must be caught with weight or vice versa.

Tr a n s l a t i o n M u t i l a t i o n - A l l A g e s - m o r e a d v a n c e d
This game requires groups of three. Here are the rules: Player A is your English speaking character.
Player B speaks only in gibberish. Player C must translate the conversation from English to gibberish and from
gibberish to English. This game is best played once or twice altogether in groups of three and then one by one
giving each group a chance by themselves.

I m a g i n a r y To s s - A l l A g e s
Transformative games are useful in all classes. This is similar to Toss The Snap, except that the objects
are "REAL" and must be dealt with as such.
Here are the rules: Stand class in a circle. Each person "throws" an object to the another in the circle.
The individual who catches the object must catch it as is. It can then transform to something else to be thrown
to the next person. For example if I toss a human liver, it must be caught as a human liver, it can then
transform to a fish to be tossed to the next person. Let your students know there is no right or wrong
transformation. It is important that we see the object transform. You could start out with stones of different sizes
and weight then move on from there.

Conversations - All Ages


A transformative game that begins to let your students explore different characters.
Here are the rules: #1 There are no rules!
Pair the students up, have them have a conversation with each other using the following
Only using numbers for words
Only using Blah Blah Blah for words
Making up an imaginary language
You will notice that once you remove the language barrier, body language become that much more
prominent. This game can help in trying to give their creative drama characters physical properties.

Ta g - Y E S TA G ! - A l l A g e s
Tag is fundamentally the most dramatic of all games and is played in almost every culture of the world.
Pursuit & Escape > Basic Human Activities. (Cops & Robbers, Hide & Seek) When the structure of all drama is
boiled down, fundamentally, only the game of tag remains. Play Tag! Every kid knows how to play. One person
it, with one Free/Home Space.
Try these alternatives: Freeze Tag - If tagged, you stay frozen until someone else tags you. Monster Tag -
Like regular tag, except person who is it has to be a monster. Jazz Tag - Where all participants have to play
Tag while moving as Interpretive Jazz Dancers - VERY FUNNY!
Also, you can add to all of these by yelling out Slow (for slow motion), Reg, or Fast (for fast motion)! (or
maybe a different style you or your students may know)

N ex t G a m e S u b m i t t e d b y D r. M a rc G o rd o n
Rotation Improvisation - Older Students
Put your class into two circles, 1 inner circle and 1 outer circle. (Must be even number) Have the inner
circle face out to the outer circle facing in. The leader will yell out a situation i.e "The Dentist Office." Upon
hearing this the partners across from each other have 30 seconds to create a scene about the situation. After
the 30 seconds are finished, the inner circle rotates one person either left or right. A new situation is given,
repeat sequence until all students have had a chance to work with each other.

N ex t S e t o f G a m e s S u b m i t t e d b y G o rd o n H e n s l e y
Web Game
Source: Gordon Hensley
Emphasis: Teamwork
Ages: All
Number of Participants: best with 8-10
Materials: Ball of yarn, and a large balloon
Directions: Form a circle, and pass the yarn from person to person across the circle, holding on the to the
yarn. This creates a large spider web effect. When everyone has a piece of yarn (or two if you have time and
lots of yarn!), toss a balloon into the center of the "web". Students must work together to keep the balloon
afloat on the web, bouncing it each time it hits the web. I like to see how many times we can bounce it, and
students like to compete with other classes. When the balloon falls through the web, I encourage them to pick
it up using the web, rather than their hands. This is a quick, visual, participatory game that wins will all ages. It
also provides a great metaphor for jumping into other drama and production work.

Clap Control
Source: Mark Warzecka
Emphasis: Eye contact
Ages: All
Number of Participants: Even numbers between 10 and 16
Directions: The participants must stand in a circle. One person is given "control" witch is passed by
turning to the person on the right or the left and clapping together with the person to the selected side. The
person on
the selected side now has control and can either pass control back to the person that offered control or can
turn to the person to the other side.

"Ahhhh"
Source: Mark Warzecka
Emphasis: Teamwork
Directions: The participants must stand in a circle and put their arms around each other. Each player puts
his or her head down. When the a three count is given by the director the plays must look up at another player
of which there are three options, the person to the right, left and straight across. If eye contact is made with
between any two players they must scream "Ahhh". The goal is to get to the point where every player looks up
and no one screams.

What's in the box?


Source: Keith Jonhstone, Impro
Emphasis: Stimulate Creativity
Ages: All
Number of Participants: 0-30
Directions: The director has an imaginary box. He goes around to the participants and asks what is in the
box. The participants give imaginary answers that should grow increasingly creative.

Word Association
Source: Del Close, Truth In Comedy
Emphasis: Stream of Consciousness
Ages: All
Number of Participants: 4-30
Directions: Players are given a topic. In turn players say a word or phrase associated with the topic. The
game is complete when the words come back to the beginning.

Stringing together a conversation.


Source: Stacy Moore, Garrison Mill Elementary School (Marietta, Georgia)
Emphasis: Getting Acquainted, Team Building
Recommended Ages/ Grades: Ages 7 and up/2nd Grade and up
Number of Participants: 6-20
Directions for Playing: Cut string or yarn into pieces of different lengths. (Each piece should have a
matching piece of the same length. There should be enough pieces so that each student will have one.) Then
give each student one piece of string, and challenge each student to find the other student who has a string of
the exact same length. After students
have found their matches, they can take turns introducing themselves to each other. You can provide a list of
questions to help students break the ice, or students can come up with their own. You might extend the activity
by having each student introduce his or her partner to the class.

TP Game
Recommended Ages/ Grades: Ages 9 and up/4thGrade and up
Number of Participants: 7-20
Source: Rita Mote, Cactus Pine Girl Scout Director (Scottsdale, AZ)
Emphasis: Getting Acquainted, Team Building
Directions for Playing: Instruct students to sit in a circle on the floor. Take out a roll of toilet paper. Say
that you are going to pass the toilet paper around the circle and each student should "take as much as they
need. " DO NOT TELL THEM WHAT THEY NEED IT FOR! When the entire group has taken their toilet paper
the leader then takes theirs and explains to the students that they need to tell one fact about themselves for
each sheet of toilet paper that they have taken. The leader goes first and the game continues around the circle
until everyone has had a turn.

H e y, H e y, W h o ' s I n To w n ?
Recommended Ages/ Grades: Ages 7 and up/2nd Grade and up
Number of Participants: 6-30
Source: Audrey Berger, Music Professor ASU (Tempe, AZ)
Emphasis: Name familiarity, getting acquainted
Directions for Playing:
Instruct the students to sit on the floor in a circle. Teach the students the following chant:
+Hey, hey, who's in town?
+Everybody take a look around.
+Say your name and when you do,
+We will say it back to you.
After they have learned the words, teach them to say them while rhythmically clapping. When
they have mastered both these skills, tell them that after chanting the rhyme, three people will chant their
name in the following manner:
I am Debi
The group will then echo:
You are Debi
The second and third students repeat the process and then the chant is said again. Continue the process
until everyone in the circle has had a turn.

Animal Groups
Recommended Ages/ Grades: Ages 6 and up/1stGrade and up
Number of Participants: 10-40
Source: Donna Morgan, Avery Middle School (Newland, North Carolina)
Emphasis: Team Building, Group Formation
Directions for Playing: On the first day of school, gather all the students from level in a large common
area. Give each student a slip of paper with the name of an animal on it. Then give students instructions for the
activity: They must locate the other members of their animal group by imitating that animal's sound only. No
talking is allowed. The students
might hesitate initially, but that hesitation soon gives way to a cacophony of sound as the kids moo, snort, and
giggle their way into groups. The end result is that students have found their way into their homerooms or
advisory groups for the school year, and the initial barriers to good teamwork have already been broken.

A Ta n g l e d W e b
Recommended Ages/ Grades: Ages 7 and up/2nd Grade and up
Number of Participants: 10-20
Source: Amy Henning, W. C. Petty School (Antioch, Illinois)
Emphasis: Getting Acquainted, Team Building,Group Cooperation
Directions for Playing: Gather students in a circle sitting around you on the floor. Hold a large ball of yarn.
Start by telling the students something about yourself. Then roll the ball of yarn to a student without letting go
of the end of the yarn. The student who gets the ball of yarn tells his or her name and something good about
himself or herself. Then the
student rolls the yarn to somebody else, holding on to the strand of yarn. Soon students have created a giant
web. After everyone has spoken, you and all the students stand up, continuing to hold the yarn. Start a
discussion of how this activity relates to the idea of teamwork (for example, the students need to work together
and not let others down). To drive home your point about teamwork, have one student drop his or her strand of
yarn; that will demonstrate to students how the web weakens if the class isn't working together.

Spider
Recommended Ages/Grades: Ages 9 and up, Grades 4 and up
Number of Participants: 30 ? 40
Source: Chicago Public Manual (After school)
Emphasis: Fun, Cooperation, and Team Building
Directions: Draw 2 circles on the start line. Divide the players into 2 teams 9 15 ? 20 players). Stand each
team in a circle. Rope the players of each team together. So, each team will follow the leader's command to
move toward the finish line. On the finish line there are 2 more circles. The spiders must get to them as fast as
possible.

Crooked Path
Recommended Ages/Grades: Ages 9 and up, Grades 4 and up
Number of Participants: 2 ? 30
Source: Chicago Public School (After school) Manual
Emphasis: Coordination, Quickness, and Movement
Directions for Playing: Draw a crooked line on the floor with the chalk. It's " a path". The object of the
players is to walk along this "path" looking at it through the binocular turned upside down. The player who
walks this "path" the fastest is the winner.

To y S h o p
Recommended Ages: 5 and up
Number of Participants 5-8
Source: Actors Connection for Children
Emphasis: Imagination, working together, creativity
Directions for Playing: One student is the shopkeeper and one is the customer, the rest are toys in a
store. They all pick a toy to become and get to come alive when the storekeeper leaves briefly. The students
(toys) then have to come up with a plan because a customer wants to buy one or all of the toys. Toys only
come alive when no humans are around.

Highs and Lows


Recommended Ages: all ages
Number of Participants: Not Important
Source: Actors Connection for Children
Emphasis: To get to know a group and learn about each other
Directions: (a Warm Up) Each student shares a high and a low experience from that day.

F r e e z e Ta g
Recommended Ages: 6 and up
Number of Participants: 3 and up
Source: Theater 100
Emphasis: improvisational, creativity, quick thinking
Directions: Two people start a scenario and someone else shouts freeze when they want to join in by
replacing on of the frozen students. The new student then starts a new scenario in which the other student has
to follow along with until some else calls freeze again.

Number Game
Recommended Ages: 6 and up
Number of Participants: 6-15
Source: Actors Connection for Children
Emphasis: Quick thinking, team building, good listening skills
Directions: Students stand shoulder to shoulder in a straight line. They are numbered off one to fifteen.
Then whoever starts has to say any number besides the one who just called them. Students are out if they
make a mistake and the game goes very fast.

Electric Current
Recommended Ages/Grades: Ages 10 and up, Grades 5 and up
Number of Participants: Any amount, preferably 6-20
Source: Drama 101, David Barker
Emphasis: Quick thinking, imagination, loosen up
Directions for Playing: Stand in a circle. Tell the students that you are holding a lightening bolt in your
hand. Swallow it, then act as if an electric current is running through your body. The current can go anywhere
in your body (you feet, your hands, your head, etc.) After it has "gone through you" pass it to the next person
but physically "show" the pass (Examples: You can throw the current, you can toss it out of your head?) The
person receiving the current must "catch" it in part of his/her body, let it run through them, and then pass it to
his/her neighbor. Do this all the way around and when it comes back to you, pass it again. When you pass it
again, speed up the current, then try things like telling the students to make noises showing that the current is
painful, feels gross, etc.

Question Game
Recommended Ages: 10 and up
Number of Participants: 5 to 20
Source: Unknown
Emphasis: Quick thinking, creativity, good listening
Directions: Students sit in a circle and ask questions. They can ask anyone but they have to answer the
question with a question and also have to say the persons name first. I.E. Sarah: why is the sky blue? (Sarah
responds) Joe: where are you from? And when someone answers the question, gets stumped, or stops they
are out.

Vo g u e
Recommended Ages/Grades: Ages 8 and up, Grades 3 and up
Number of Participants: 10-20
Source: Drama 101, David Barker
Emphasis: Paying attention, working quickly, quick thinking
Directions for Playing: This is similar to the game "Telephone" yet it requires movement, not speaking!
You need two large, wood boxes to stand on. Pick one volunteer to be the "Poser." Have the rest of the
students stand in a line with their backs facing the Poser. The Poser, picks a pose using the box (standing on it
or sitting on it, but get creative? make
it hard!) You say "go" after the pose is picked and then the first student in line with run to the other box and try
to do the exact same pose, while you are counting to five quickly! As soon, as five is up, you say go and the
original Poser hops down and the next student in line runs to the box to copy the pose the second student is
doing. Go through all the students and see if the last student is posed the same has the original Poser started!
(you don't HAVE to have boxes? it just makes it more fun!)

Morphing
Recommended Ages/Grades: Ages 12 and up, Grades 7 and up
Number of Participants: 10-18
Source: Drama 101, David Barker
Emphasis: Working off other students, watching, paying attention, imagination
Directions for Playing: Have all of the students standing in a circle. One volunteer will start in the center
and he/she will begin some sort of movement (ex: swaying hands back and forth.) All of the students copy
what the center person is doing. After a few seconds, another person steps in (while doing the motions still.)
When the new person steps in, the
original person moves back in the circle. The new center person will then "Morph" the motion into an entirely
new motion. The Morph must be very fluid and natural looking, though. Repeat the process until all of the
students have been the center person.

Hitch Hiker
Recommended Ages/Grades: Ages 13 and up, Grades 8 and up
Source: Drama 101, David Barker
Emphasis: Paying attention, imagination, watching
Directions for Playing: Have 4 chairs set up in the room like the seats in a car would be set up. There is
one driver and two people in the back seat. A volunteer gets up and pretends to be a hitch hiker. The students
in the car then "pick" him/her up. When the hitch hiker gets in, he/she has a specific quality (ex. nervous, talks
loud, cries.) As the group
keeps pretending to drive forward, the rest of the students pick up the hitch hiker's quality until they are all
doing it! Once everyone in the car is doing it, they stop and the students rotate so that the person right/back
gets out of the car, the person left/back scoots over, the driver goes in the back, and the hitch hiker becomes
the driver. Then a new volunteer becomes the hitch hiker that this new group picks up. The games keeps going
until everyone has had a turn to be the hitch hiker!

Join me!
Recommended Ages/Grades: Ages 14 and up, High School and up
Number of Participants: 6-18
Source: Drama 101, Christine O'Grady (TA)
Emphasis: Paying Attention, use of space, imagination
Directions for Playing: A volunteer thinks of a room in the house, or a place (that will be relatively easy to
mime!) Then the student goes up in front and mimes something that he/she would do in this room/place. (ex. In
the bathroom = taking a shower.) The other students watch for a few minutes and then as they realize what
room/place it is, they stand up and do something that they would do in that room/place. (ex. Brushing his/her
teeth.) Don't stop until all the students are standing up and miming. Once everyone is standing, stop and make
sure that everyone knows the room (ex. Bathroom!) Keep going until everyone has a chance to think of a
place/room OR until they run out of rooms/places!

Head Game
Ages: 3rd- any
Participants: 10- 30
Source: ASU education teacher
Emphasis: Team Building
Directions: Players are handed out a small piece of paper by the instructor. Players secretly think of their
favorite famous person. (actor, singer, anybody well known). Players write this on the small piece of paper and
crumble it up. The papers are passed around until the instructor says stop. Do not look at your piece of paper.
The player then must take that piece of paper and tape it to their forehead. The players walk around the room
and can only ask questions to figure out their character.

Improv Letter
Ages: 4th- any
Participants: 10-30
Source: Asu education teacher
Emphasis: Team Building
Directions: Players start out with a sheet of paper. Players all start and write the sentence "once upon a
time". Then players crumble up their sheets and throw them into the circle. Players run up to grab a new
crumbled sheet in the middle of the circle. Next the instructors tell players to add on and write about a subject
and describe the subject.
Then paper is thrown in the middle again. Players then start the story. Then players write where the subject
went. Next is what the subject did. Then last, players end the story. Then players pick up the crumbled paper in
the middle of the circle and read theirs aloud. These stories are so funny because they never make sense.

W e b W e We a v e
Ages: 1st- any
Participants: 20-40
Source: Internet site "Icebreakers"
Emphasis: Teambuilding
Direction: Players or students start with a circle. The teacher may start with the ball of yarn. The teacher
tells the group something funny or remarkable about themself. The teacher passes the yarn to someone else
either across or diagonal. Then they share. Then the yarn is passes again. At the end, a huge web is formed
and this can be portrayed to a class that when they all use their talents together they can all work together.
This web can be displayed as a bulletin board at the beginning of the school year.

To i l e t P a p e r To s s
Ages: 4th- any
Participants: 6-20
Source: Camp Counseling
Emphasis: Icebreaker
Directions: The instructor passes around a roll of TP. The players take as many pieces as they want. How
ever many pieces the students take is the number of traits they must share about themselves.

D o y o u L o v e Yo u r N e i g h b o r
Ages: 5th- any
Participants: 20-30
Source: Asu education teacher
Emphasis: Motivation and energy
Directions: The froups sits with chairs in a circle. One person standing in the circle says to anyone, "Do
you love your neighbor?". The individual pointed out can say, "Yes, I love my neighbor, but I really like people
who are wearing red, or are from Co, etc.". or "No, O do not love my neighbor." If the player says the first
phrase, all the members of the
group with that characteristic have to find a new place at least three spaces from where they are sitting. The
person with bo space becomes the caller. If you "do not love your neighbor" his/her two neighbors must switch
places with one another. The group members move in quickly to "lose their space". The last becomes the
caller.
Concentration
Recommended Ages/Grades: Ages 7 and up, Grades 3 and up
Source: Rocky Parra
Emphasis: Concentration, team work
Directions for Playing: Create groups of no more than 6 people. Each group will need at least 3 balls(any
type, no larger than a softball). The groups will stand in a circle and toss the balls to each other. Each person
receives the ball from one person(across from them) and tosses the ball to one person(across from them). The
goal is to get as many balls going at one time as possible. Each player must concentrate on their role in order
for it to be a success.

Quiet Ball
Recommended Ages/Grades: Ages 9 and up, Grades 4 and up
Source: My elementary school teachers
Emphasis: Team work, physical warm-up
Directions for Playing: Students stand in a circle. There is one ball. Students must toss the ball to each
other without talking. If a student talks, misses the ball or makes a bad throw he/she is out.

Te l e p h o n e
Recommended Ages/Grades: Ages 5 and up, Kindergarten and up
Source: School
Emphasis: Communication skills, working together
Directions for Playing: Students stand or sit in a circle. The teacher tells one student a phrase then that
student passes it to the next and so forth. The last student to receive the message then tells the class the
message. The teacher should then tell the class what the original message was. This can also be done in
teams. You can bet you will never have the
same message in the end.

Build it!!
Recommended Ages/Grades: Ages 9 and up, Grades 4 and up
Source: Communication workshop
Emphasis: Communication, team work
Directions for Playing: Create identical boxes containing exactly the same Lego pieces. Each box should
have no more than 10 pieces, and less than that for younger students. Create teams of three and designate
group members as: "lookers, messengers and builders". The teacher will have a model of an object made from
pieces in each team's box. The "looker" is the only one that can see the model, he/she must tell the messenger
where to place the pieces and the messenger must tell the builder. The messenger can look at what the builder
is doing but may not touch the pieces. This project should be timed accordingly for number of pieces and age.

The Name Game


Recommended Ages/Grades: Ages 5 and up, Grades 1 and up
Source: School
Emphasis: Building community, quick thinking
Directions for Playing: Have the class sit or stand in a circle. Go around the circle having each student
state their name and one thing they like. Then have one person start, this person only has to say their name
but the second person must tell the first persons name and their name. This pattern will continue around the
circle. The last person will have to list everyone's name and then add theirs to the end. Go around foreword
and backward and start at different places. Eventually the class should be able to go around and list what each
class member gave as one thing they liked.
Do not try to do all of this in one day, take time to work on it a little every day. For younger kids break up into
smaller groups.

Senses Story
Recommended Ages/Grades: 8-18
Number of Participants: 6-20
Source: Peterson, Lenka & O'Connor. Kids Take the Stage: Helping Young People Discover the Creative
Outlet of Theater
Emphasis: Warm-up, strengthen sensory awareness
Directions for Playing: Ask one of the children to relate a short story or incident, using all the senses,
trying to make it real to herself as she tells it. Then have another student act out the story as the first one
retells it. Repeat exercise with other pairs of children in the group.

Silent Conversations
Recommended Ages/Grades: 8-18
Number of Participants: 6-30
Source: Peterson, Lenka & O'Connor. Kids Take the Stage: Helping Young People Discover the Creative
Outlet of Theater
Emphasis: Warm-up, to develop characters by how they relate to each other
Directions for Playing: Have the group divide into pairs. Tell them to engage in a soundless conversation,
just reading each other's lips. Everyone can do this at the same time. They could be: Best friends, Secret
friends, Worried parents, Sister and brother, Enemies, Teacher and student, Winner and loser, Friends sharing
great news.

Finish the Story


Recommended Ages/Grades: 8-18
Number of Participants: 6-20
Source: Peterson, Lenka & O'Connor. Kids Take the Stage: Helping Young People Discover the Creative
Outlet of Theater
Emphasis: Warm-up, train the imagination
Directions for Playing: Send two or three children to the playing area and give them a situation to begin
acting out, such as:
You're sneaking into an old, dark, empty house which you heard was haunted.
You see a rattlesnake in your path and one person wants to run but one person says to hold
very still.
You are two aerialists in a circus waiting high up on the tightrope when a third one gets a panic
attack and can't go up.
Once they get started, ask the group watching the improves, "Now what happens?" Call on the one
waving his or her hand the most wildly to suggest what happens next. The ones in the playing area then follow
this idea until you ask the audience again and call on the next excited hand-waver.

Saying Their Own Names


Recommended Ages/Grades: 8-18
Number of Participants: 6-30
Source: Peterson, Lenka & O'Connor. Kids Take the Stage: Helping Young People Discover the Creative
Outlet of Theater
Emphasis: To introduce vocal color, to put meaning into the way things are said
Directions for Playing: Everyone sits and relaxes for this "as if" exercise. Ask each, in turn to say his/ her
name as if ?
Correcting someone
Sick with a sore throat
Being arrested by the police
Afraid people will laugh
Meeting someone
Reading it in Braille
Volunteering for a dangerous job.
After you jump into a cool pool
While sneezing
After running a race
At a concert
With a mouthful of food
While in a library
While hiccupping
After eating a whole peanut butter sandwich without anything to drink
After winning a big game
After failing a test
Under water
After a sad movie
Meeting someone famous
If you lost your voice
While being tickled
Let the kids invent other "as ifs" to try.

Tr a n s f o r m i n g O b j e c t s
Recommended Ages/Grades: 8-18
Number of Participants: 6-30
Source: Peterson, Lenka & O'Connor. Kids Take the Stage: Helping Young People Discover the Creative
Outlet of Theater
Emphasis: To stimulate imagination and sensory response
Directions for Playing: Pass an object such as a pen or pencil around to each person. Heave each one
use the object as if it's something else. For instance, a pen could become a baton, a thermometer, a spyglass,
an umbrella, a microphone, and so on. Keep going until the ideas run out.

Yo u
Recommended Age/ Grade: Ages 10 and up, Grade 5 and up.
Number of Participants: Entire Class
Source: www.creativedrama.com
Emphasis: Group Cohesion, Communication Skills
Directions for Playing: Participants stand in a circle. One person gestures toward another and says,
"You". The next person gestures toward another doing the same thing. Each time the "you" is passed the
energy and volume increases. When the next person can not improve on the energy and volume, the "you"
begins to decrease until it is only mouthed. At this point, the "you" is passed only through the eyes.

Who's the Leader?


Recommended Age/ Grade: Any age group
Number of Participants: The entire class
Source: Classmate from Block 1
Emphasis: Deduction, inspection skills
Directions for Playing: One person in the class is chosen to be a detective and is sent out of the
classroom. The remaining students decide who will be the leader of the group. The leader starts doing a simple
motion and the rest of the students mimic the leader. The detective is told to enter the room to discover who
the leader is. While the detective
is looking at all of the suspects, the leader will make a change in the motion, and everyone will follow along.
Once the detective discovers who the leader is, a new round begins.

Murder Mystery
Players: Usually around four to five in one round
Grade Level: Middle School & up
Directions: One person is chosen as the starter, and all other players must exit the room. The group, as a
whole must come up with an occupation, weapon and a place where the crime happened. Once this is decided
the starter is left standing and the first player enters the room. Without using words the starter must try to tell
the player all three details
that the group decided on. Gibberish and noises can be incorporated to the action. The player pats his/her
noise and makes a sound when the starter can go on to the next clue. Once the player thinks they have figured
out all three, "takes the weapon" (miming it of course) and the starter falls to the ground. This process is
repeated with each succession. The result is to see if all three items stayed the same throughout the game. It's
like a twisted form of telephone.

O u r Tr i p
Players: A big group is needed
Grade Level: 4th & up
Directions: There are two people who get to be narrators and a group of people, (no less than five) who
get to be the postcard. Everyone decides on the title of the trip, for instance: going camping or shopping at the
mall. The lights are turned off and the big group gets into a giant posed position having to do with the storyline.
It is up to the two narrators to tell us the story of what happened on the trip by using by looking at how the
group is posed.
The Rhythm and Name Game
Players: A big group is needed
Grade Level: All
Directions: Everyone starts by standing in a big circle. One person establishes a basic rhythm with their
feet, and the whole group follows this until everyone has it down. Still keeping this sound going, everyone goes
around the circle saying their name using this same rhythm, and each time the group echoes the person. In the
second rotation everyone keeps this rhythm but says their name at different pitches and/or volumes. In the
third rotation, everyone adds a gesture or movement while saying their name and still keeping with the rhythm.
The group still mimics the person with each rotation.

Human Puzzle
Players: A big group is needed
Grade Level: 3rd & up
Directions: Starts off by clumping together in a small circle. Everyone puts both of their hands in the
middle of the circle and grab hands with two different people. Once this is done, the group's job is to carefully
untangle themselves without letting go of anyone's hand. This takes communication and patience to get the job
done.

Hitchhiker
Players: 5 in each round
Grade: 5th & up
Directions: Start off with five chairs; three in a row in back and two in front, this is now a car. Four people
begin seated in the chairs and the front left chair (passenger seat) is empty, and they pretend to be driving in a
car. As soon as the first hitchhiker is ready, he/she will wave their arms in the air, and those not currently
envolved in the activity shout "hitchhiker." The car stops and the hitchhiker sits in the empty chair. Each
hitchhiker must have a very distinct character trait, behavior or way or speaking. When he/she enters the car
and starts portraying this, everyone in the car suddenly has this same trait, until another hitchhiker enters. After
this happens, when the next hitchhiker is spotted the person in the far right seat exits, and everyone rotates a
chair, making room for the new player. There can be as many hitchhikers as desired.

Sound Ball
Recommended Ages: 8+ Grades 3+
Number of Participants: 5-20
Source: Sean Gaffney, playwright and director (MasterWorks Festival)
Emphasis: Vocalization, Physicality, Sending and Receiving, Eye Contact, Quick Thinking
Directions: Position students into a circle where each student can see everyone in the group. Begin by
having a student throw an imaginary ball of sound at another in the group. The student must physically toss the
ball with a sound effect of his or her choice. The receiving student then catches the ball with the same sound
effect and then continues by sending the ball to someone else with a different sound and a different toss.

Patterns
Recommended Ages: 12+ Grades 6+
Number of Participants: 6-15
Source: Sean Gaffney
Emphasis: Focus, Listening, Sending and Receiving, Eye Contact
Directions: Students begin in a circle. The instructor chooses a topic, like, favorite colors. One student
then points and makes eye contact with another in the circle and says a color. The student has to remember
the color and the person they
sent it to. Then once everyone has been given a color and a pattern has been established around the circle,
they choose a new topic and a new pattern. The key is to get it fast even with two or even three patterns going
on at the same time.

Big Bootie
Recommended Ages: 10+ Grades 5+
Number of Participants: 9-13
Source: Sean Gaffney
Emphasis: Listening, Quick Thinking, Rhythm, ENERGY!!
Directions: Big Bootie is a fun high energy warm up where the participants stand in a banana shape,
numbered Big Bootie to 8. The object is to be Big Bootie and stay Big Bootie. After Big Bootie the numbers
then start at 1.For purpose of rhythm, it's best if the game is only played with monosyllabic numbers. The game
starts with the theme Big Bootie, Big Bootie, Big Bootie, ooooooh yeah! then Big Bootie will kick things off by
saying Big Bootie number (whatever) and then, keeping rhythm, the number Big Bootie called will have to say
his or her number and then call on someone else. The student is out if they are out of rhythm or if they stumble
on a word... OR if they have low energy and refuse to dance and shout... (which shouldn't be a problem.) The
participants work their way to Big Bootie by getting the people out in front of their number, if they are so
inclined. A line is formed behind the last number in the banana. The people who are in line still participate by
keeping energy up, by being judges, and by keeping rhythm.

Press Conference
Recommended Ages: 13+ Junior High+
Number of Participants: 6-10
Source: Sean Gaffney
Emphasis: Quick Thinking, Listening, Working Together
Directions: One student goes out of the room, the others decide what celebrity or character the one on
the outside is... They then fetch the student and begin asking questions at a press conference that might help
reveal who the character is. When the student realizes his or her character, they finish by somehow
acknowledging who they are... if they are
Big Bird, they might say, "Thats all the time I have for now, I have to meet Snuffy for lunch."

English Gibberish
Recommended Ages: High School
Number of Participants: 2
Source: Sean Gaffney
Emphasis: Quick Thinking, Listening, Vocalization, Sending and Receiving, Teamwork, Accepting What is
Given and Adding on
Directions: This is an advanced game. One student can only speak in gibberish, the other can only use
English, however, they both completely understand each other. Someone watching will yell switch or will have
some sort of a whistle or bell, and then the participants will switch languages. The trick is to keep the scene
alive even with limited communication.

Puppets
Recommended Ages/Grades: Ages 10 and up; Grade 5 and up
Number of Participants: 2-20 (need an even number)
Source: The Drama Guide (http://expage.com)
Emphasis: Imagination, Team work, and Movement
Directions: Put the students in pairs. One person is the puppet and the other person is the Puppeteer.
The puppeteer manipulates the invisible string on the puppet to walk, move, and talk (puppeteer does the
voice) while the person being the puppet tries to follow what his partner is making him do. After a few minutes
the partners should switch roles.

Ta b l e a u x Tr a n s i t i o n s
Recommended Ages/Grades: Ages 10 and up; Grade 5 and up
Number of Participants: 6-20
Source: Augusto Boal (www.staircase.org)
Emphasis: Imagination and Creativity
Directions: Players need to be put in pairs (but this can also be done in teams of 2-4). They need to
create an initial frozen picture (tableaux) that depicts a relationship. For example one person is the
quarterback, they could be about ready to throw the football, while the other person is receiving the ball. Then
the receiver leaves the tableaux while the other partner remains frozen and he/she need to examine the frozen
quarterback and come up with a new tableaux based on the image by entering the picture in a different way.
The former receiver now could place himself in front of the quarterback and crouch as if afraid he/she is about
to get hit. The frozen quarterback then leaves his role and creates another relationship to go with the crouching
and fearful person. Maybe he/she can pretend to grab the person's hair. And this goes on for some time until
the instructor ends the game. To keep things moving, the instructor count to 5 in between poses.

Digits
Recommended Ages/Grades: Ages 12 and up; Grade 6 and up
Number of Participants: 6-20
Source: Improvisational Comedy Theatre Structures (www.staircase.org/structures)
Emphasis: Team work, Concentration, and Patience
Directions: Get the class in a circle and have them close their eyes. Someone will count off the number
one and then someone else will count the number two. No one knows who will be speaking next. If two or
more people speak at the same time then the group must start over again. The class should try to count to 20
in this fashion.

Who am I?
Recommends Ages/Grades: Ages 12 and up; Grades 6 and up
Number of Participants: 6-20
Source: Karen Jochimsen (www.eslcafe.com/ideas)
Emphasis: Communication
Directions: Instructor needs to create enough index cards, one for each student, with a name of a
celebrity on one side. The instructor can chose a specific category (ex. music celebrities, actors and actresses,
fruit, vegetables, etc.). Each person will have the index card taped to their back and they need to ask their
classmates yes or no questions to try and figure out what is on the back of their card. They can only ask a
maximum of 5 questions per person. This can be played in a group or by the full class.

I Spy
Recommended Ages/Grades: Ages 10 and up; Grades 4 and up
Number of Participants: 6-20
Source: Rachel Newcombe (I did not make up the game, but I remembered playing it as a child in class)
Emphasis: Communication and Working Together
Directions: One person needs to leave the room while the rest of the class chooses an object in the
room. Then they call the person that left, back into the room. The person needs to ask yes/no questions to the
class to try and figure out what object the class chose. Once that person guesses (they should get no more
than 5 tries) then the instructor can chose another person to go outside.

Whose Behind the Curtain


Age: 5+
Number of Participants: 8+
Source: Puppertry for Children class at ASU
Emphasis: Quick thinking and memory
Materials: A pole and a curtain or some sort of big fabric to throw over the pole.
How to play: Split the class into two groups and review everyone's name. Then the teacher or whoever is
in charge needs to stand on a chair or table with the pole and the curtain thrown over it. The two teams must
all stand
behind the curtain. Then one person from each team stands directly behind the curtain. The teacher lowers the
curtain and the person who guesses the name of the other person first wins a point. You can play as many
times as you want, or set a certain number of points a team must get to before they win.

Anything Fabric
Age: 5+
Number of Participants: 5-20
Source: http://www.creativedrama.com/theatre.htm
Emphasis: Stimulates creativity and multiple answers for the same question
Materials: A piece of fabric, about a yard square, solid color or pattern
How to play: Participants stand in a circle. The leader shows the fabric to the participants saying "What
could this fabric be? We are going to pass it around the circle and each of you are going to show us something
it could become." The leader demonstrates, turning the fabric into something and stating what it is. Then the
fabric is passed from person to person. If an idea is repeated then the teacher asks the student to be more
specific.

Blob
Age: 7+
Number of Participants: 5-40
Source: www.creativedrama.com/theatre.htm
Emphasis: team work and togetherness
How to play: Participants spread out in an enclosed area and Blob is chosen. At the leader's signal, the
Blob begins trying to tag another participant. When the Blob succeeds in tagging a participant, that person
latches to on to the Blob, becoming the Blob. Blob continues to try to tag others, and as they get tagged, they
also join the Blob. Eventually, everyone becomes the Blob, and there is no one left to be tagged. Encourage
both groups of participants as they try to avoid or assimilate, and remember that the last person tagged is not
the winner and the first person tagged is not the loser. Play two times, so the second time the participants can
work together to tag people or to stay away from people.

Movie Star Name


Recommended Ages: 7 and up
Number of Participants: up to 30
Source: Kid Zone
Emphasis: Memory stimulation, ice breaker
Directions: Get in a circle, go around the room having each person say their "movie star name" which
consists of the name of their first pet for their first name and the first street they lived on for their last name.
Emotion Party
Age: 10+
Number of Participants: 5-15
Source: www.creativedrama.com/theatre.htm
Emphasis: Improvisation
How to play: One person begins, as the host, with a neutral emotion. The first guest knocks or rings the
bell (saying knock-knock or ding-dong), and enters in highly charged emotional state. Emotions that work well
with the exercise include excitement, fear, anger, jealousy, joy, sadness, etc.. As soon as the host picks up on
the emotion, she "catches" it and interacts with the guest. The next guest comes in with a different emotion.
Things get more chaotic as more guest come in. Once the first guest has entered, the participants can interact
with different people until they notice a change in the emotion, and then they must adapt tht emotion. The
participants should not watch the new guest for the emotional state, rather, they should let the emotion "travel"
to them as it will. To make things really tricky, two guests could enter at the same time with different emotions.
The participants will be really wired after this game, so plan accordingly to use that energy.

Mime Down The Alley


Age: 10+
Number of Participants: 8-10/line (two groups of 8-10)
Source: www.creativedrama.com/theatre.htm
Emphasis: Skills Development
Material: Items the children can mime
How to play: Participants are divided into groups of eight or ten people. Each group sits in a straight line,
facing backward except for the first person. Participants are not allowed to talk at any point in the game. The
first person in each line is given an object to mime. The only requirement is that it can be shown in pantomime
in the seated position. The first person taps the second person in line on the shoulder so that they turn to face
each other. The first person mimes the object and when the second person knows what it is they nod their
head. Than the object is mimed to the next person, traveling down the line to the last person. The objective is
for the pantomime of the object is clear enough each time that it stays the same object all the way down the
line. Usually, the object changes into something entirely different-the interesting thing is to see how it changed
along the line. Each person should tell the others what they thought the object was, and discuss what they saw
the others demonstrating.

Flock Dance
Recommended Ages/Grades: 7 and up
Number of Participants: At least 6
Source: About.com (theatre games)
Emphasis: Physical warm up and ice breaker
Directions: First person starts to move and then the two people behind him/her mimic the movements
and the last 3 people mimic those two. The movements get distorted as they move further toward the back of
the "pyramid". The leader changes the movements and starts again.

Slow Motion Samurai


Recommended Ages: 8th grade and up (the violence was a factor)
Number of Participants: infinite
Source: About.com (warm up games)
Emphasis: Warm up, community
Directions: Everyone mills randomly around the room, then they are directed to start moving in slow
motion. They are then told to pretend they are samurai warriors with poisonous blades built into their forearms.
If you get touched, you have to die a poisoned death in slow motion.

Fo l l o w i n g G a m e S u b m i t t e d b y Wi l l We i g l e r
**Check out Will's new book - STRATEGIES FOR PLAY BUILDING - The 2002 AATE Distinguished Book Award
Winner! - at www.willweigler.com/index.html

Group Juggle
Emphasis: This exercise requires three or more beanbags, although socks filled with a cup of dried peas
or beans and then knotted will do just fine.
What to do: Standing in a circle, one actor in the group tosses a beanbag (nice and easy, underhand) to
the person who is standing just to the right of whomever is directly across from him. In order to get the
receiver's attention, he calls her name and makes sure she hears him before he tosses her the beanbag. If he
doesn't know her name, he first needs to ask her what it is. After she catches it, she tosses the beanbag to the
person standing across the circle, just to the right of the person who threw it to her. She likewise calls his name
and makes sure he's heard her and knows it's coming. He catches it and tosses it to the right of the person
who threw it to him, and so forth. Once the beanbag has gone around the circle, another beanbag is added,
and then another. Each actor will have beanbags coming from every direction, always preceded by a tosser
calling the receiver's name. Once the group becomes adept, the challenge can be increased by adding more
bags or selectively alternating directions. That is, the yellow beanbags must be tossed to the right of the
person who tossed it, but the red beanbag is tossed to the left, and so forth. If someone drops a beanbag, no
harm done, he just picks it up and tosses it back into the mix.
There is no naturally obvious ending to this exercise. It will often just fizzle out when the majority of the
beanbags accidentally land on the ground. To make it end on a more triumphant note, the director can call out:
""On the count of three, toss the beanbags into the center of the circle, reach up and take each other's hands.
One...two...THREE!"
The point: The task itself, tossing and catching a beanbag across a circle, is fairly easy. So is the one
(initial) rule, throwing it to the right of the person who threw it to you. Starting with one beanbag gives the
participants a chance to get the hang of it slowly. But before long, the relentlessness of the arriving beanbags
makes it impossible for a mind to wander. The air is full of flying objects. Everyone's peripheral vision is wide
open. Where did that one come from? Where is this one going? When no one is dropping the beanbags,
especially if they're brightly colored, the exercise can be pretty spectacular and exhilarating. In addition, a
Group Juggle is a good way to learn names.
To design exercises along the lines of a Group Juggle, come up with two or more repeatable physical or
verbal tasks which are easy to perform by themselves but which are different enough as to make it challenging
to perform together. Start with one, and then gradually introduce the other(s).

Fo l l o w i n g G a m e s S u b m i t t e d b y Ad r i e n n e E ff ro n
Tw i z z l e
Emphasis: movement & concentration game.
Set up: Students walk even distance apart in a circle.
Directions: Twizzle master calls out 3-4 basic commands in alternating order: Jump (180 degree jump
and freeze), turn
(reverse direction and continue moving) and twizzle (360 jump and freeze). Students who don't freeze, or
moving in wrong direction are out. I ask those students who are out to help me spot those still left in the circle.

Huggy Bear 1-2-3 (Survivor)


Emphasis: movement game, good to get to know you and break down group dynamics.
Set up: There is a caller and students are spread out in a room.
Directions: The object is to make the groupings as instructed. Students must quickly get into groups of 5-
or 4 or 2 as called out; anyone who is left out of a grouping can come with me to help decide what is the next
grouping called out. The students enjoy huddling together and being one of the last "survivors".
For my 8th graders, then I often call this game "survivor" because in order for some of them to stay in it
they make and break their quick allegiances with the other players.

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