Disclaimer:Allthesegamesandexercisesareundertaken

entirelyatyourownriskandtheauthoracceptsnoresponsibility
foranyaccidentorinjurysustainedwhileusingthisbook.

DavidFarmer2007.Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthis
publicationmaybereproduced,storedinaretrievalsystem,or
transmittedinanyformorbyanymeans,electronic,mechanical,
recordingorotherwise,withoutthepriorwrittenpermissionof
DavidFarmer.

PaperbackcopiesavailablefromAmazonbookstores.
Fulldetailsatwww.dramaresource.com

PublishedbyLulu

ISBN9781847538413

 101DramaGamesandActivities

Contents

Advicetotheplayers 4 Improvisation
Yes,and 24
Icebreakers Alphabetconversation 25
Catchmyname 6 Spinoffs 25
Nameshow 7 Statuspictures 26
Nuttynames 7 Peckingorder 26
Threechanges 7 Makefriends/argue 27
Heelsandtoes 8 Shoeshuffle 27
Twotruths,onelie 8 Roundrobin 27
Greetings 9 Talktomeliketherain 28
Gettingintogroups 9 Handsthrough 28
Halfaminutehandshake 10 Breakfastserial 29
Blankcharacters 30
FuturePerfect 30
Warmups Martianandearthling 30
Spacewalk 12 Experts 31
Bombandshield 13 WhoamI? 31
Yes,lets! 13 Peoplepoems 32
Groupjuggle 14 PhysicalTheatre 32
Claptheball 15 Scenefromyourlife 33
Stickinthemud 15
Fruitsalad 16
Kittyinthecorner 16 Mimeandmovement
Keepyuppy 17 Followthehand 34
BillandBen 18 Followyournose 34
Swordandshield 18 Completetheimage 35
Soundandaction 19 Freeassociationmime 35
Givingpresents 20 Crossingtheline 36
Whatareyoudoing? 20 Mirrors 36
Tensecondobjects 21 Mirrormovers 37
Trafficlights 21 Mimewhispers 37
Zipzapboing 22 Groupshape 38

 101DramaGamesandActivities

Pointsofcontact 38 Passthebuck 56
Throwyourface 39 Slap,clap,click,click 57
Animalanimation 39 BettyBotter 58
Essencemachines 40 Blindwalk 59
Carboncopies 40 Mirrorspeech 60
Desertisland 60

Groupdynamics
Claptogether 42 Storytelling
Liftingamirror 42 Onewordstories 62
Crossthecircle 43 Randomimages 63
Deadlyhandshake 44 Randomsoundstory 63
Energyball 44 Storyorchestra 64
Gameofpower 45 Youretellingme 64
Humanknot 45
Hah! 46
Noses 46 Sound
Touchandtell 46 Beatit 66
Guesstheleader 47 Rainstorm 68
Countto20 47 Soundcircle 68
Thereisonlyoneliar 48 Soundpictures 69
Trustcircle 49 Walkingbreath 70
Walktogether 50
Sailboats 50
Winkmurder 51 Rehearsal
Gibberish 72
Mouldingacharacter 72
Concentration Scriptgame 73
Onetwothree 54 Threemoments 73
Claparoundthecircle 55
Grandmasfootsteps 55
Greetings,YourMajesty 55 Addendum
Keeperofthekeys 56 TongueTwisters 76

 Icebreakers

Icebreakers

Thesegamescanbeeffectiveinmanysituations,providinganovelway
to begin group activities and for people to begin to get to know each
other.

Catchmyname
Afunwayoflearningnames.Thegroupstandsinacircleand
beginsbythrowingabeanbagorbouncingamediumsizedball,
suchasachildrensfootball,acrossthecirclefromonepersonto
another. Make sure people are ready to throw and ready to
catch.Eyecontactisimportant.Now,introduceyourselfasyou
throw or bounce the ball across the circle Hi, Im David.
Onceeverybodyhashadagoatthat,continuethegamebutthis
time say the name of the person that you are throwing to
Jessica to Kelvin. The group should ensure that everybody
receivestheball.Onewayofdoingthisisforeverybodytohold
onehandupuntiltheyhavecaughttheball,oreachpersonfolds
theirarmswhentheyhavethrownit.

As a variation, the catcher can call out the name of the

thrower.
Askeverybodytocalloutthenameofthethrower.
More balls can be added in so that it develops into a
Groupjuggle.
Dontmakenamegamesintoanactualtestpeopleare
lesslikelytolearnnamesiftheyfeelpressurised.Keepit
lightandenjoyable.
A useful adaptation for language learners use word
categoriessothateachpersonthrowingtheballmustsay
awordinthenamedcategory.

 101DramaGamesandActivities

Nameshow
Afunwayoflearningnames.Standinacircle.Everyonemust
imaginethattheyarethehostofaGameShow.Onepersonata
timeintroducesthemselvesproudlytotherestofthegroupwith
asignaturebysaying(orevensinging)theirnameandmaking
anactiontogowithit.Everybodyelsethencopiesthenameand
movement.Whenyouhavegonerightroundthecircleyoucan
developthegameastepfurther.Onepersonstartsoffbymaking
someoneelsessignature.Thatpersonmustnowchooseanother
personinthegroupandmaketheirsignature,andsoon.

Nuttynames
Going round a circle, people introduce themselves by adding a
word beginning with the same letter as their first name, for
example, Peculiar Pete, Jumping Josephine or Sorted Sid.
Theycouldalsoaddanaction.

To help remember the names, you could pass a ball

aroundthecirclewitheachpersonsayingthenuttyname
ofthepersontheyarethrowingto.
Or,youcouldgoroundtwiceandthesecondtimethey
must say the name and do the action of the person on
theirleft.
Eventhesimplestnamegamesdohelpyoutoremember
namesithasbeenscientificallyproven.

Threechanges
A getting to know you exercise. Two partners sit back to back
and change three details of their appearance, for example the
way they wear their hair, how their blouse is buttoned, which
wristtheyweartheirwatchon.Theyturnbackandeachhasto
tryandspotthechangesmade.

 Icebreakers

Heelsandtoes
A fun introductory warm up game, good for breaking the ice
with a new group. First, you need to practice the technique on
yourown:Standwithyourheelstogetherandyourtoesfacing
outwardsinaVshape.Placeyourhandsinfrontofyouwith
thepalmsfacingthefloor.Bringtheheelsofyourhandstogether
and the tips of your fingers away from each other so that you
makeanotherVshape.Nowjumpupintheairandreversethe
shapemadebyyourhandsandfeet.Whenyoulandbackonthe
floor,yourbigtoesshouldbetouching,withtheheelsapart,and
theindexfingertipsshouldbeconnectedtoeachother,withthe
wristsapart.Tryjumpingafewtimes,reversingtheshapeeach
time.

Thatwastheeasypart.Nowcomestheproperpartofthegame.
Start again with the V shape made by your feet (heels together,
toes apart), but maketheoppositeshapewithyourhands(index
finger tips together, wrists apart). Try jumping in the air and
reversing both shapes before you land. This seems nigh
impossible but comes with practice. You will find that your
brain keeps trying to get your hands and feet to make
correspondingshapes.When(if)yougetreallyquitegoodatit,
teach the whole manoeuvre to a group. They will be very
impressedandfindthewholethingahilariouschallenge.Great
forencouragingaseriousgrouptorelaxwitheachother.

Twotruths,onelie
Highly recommended for getting to know each other in a new
group. Tell your partner three things about yourself two of
which are true and one of which is a lie. Now introduce your
partnertotherestofthegroupandseeiftheycanguesswhich
wasthelie.

 101DramaGamesandActivities

Alternatively, tell your partner three true things about yourself

andthenswapover.Nowthewholegroupmakesacircle.Each
partnerintroducestheirfriendtothegrouptheytellthegroup
twoofthetruethingsandmakeuponelieabouttheirpartner.

Greetings
Playersmillaroundthespace.Onagivensignal,theygreetthe
next person they meet, then continue walking. The leader calls
outanewwayofgreetingeachtime.Examplescouldbe:

Greetalonglostfriend
Greetshyly
Greetafamousperson
Greetsomeoneyouknowasecretabout
Greetunderwater
Greetsomeoneontheledgeofahighmountain
GreetasanEskimo(rubnoses)
GreetasaMartian(makeitup)

Gettingintogroups
It can sometimes be hard to break the class into smaller groups
without somebody being left over, or the same people always
workingwitheachothersowhynotmakeitintoagame?Call
outanumber,andpeoplehavetogetintogroupsofthatnumber.
If they dont have enough in their group, they should make it
look like there are the right number of people by spreading
themselvesoutmakingthegrouplookbigger!Thenumbercan
beasbigorsmallasyoulike.Towardstheend,pickanumber
that is the size of the group you want for the next exercise.
Hopefullytheywillbefairlymixedupbythen!

 TongueTwisters

Addendum:TongueTwisters

Hereareafewtonguetwisterstogetyourlipsandteetharound.There
arethousandsoftonguetwistersouttherethesearejustsomeofmy
favourites.Youmayalsoknowslightvariationsoftheseitsamazing
whatChineseWhisperingcando!

Remember,itsnotjusthowfastyousaythem,buthowclearlytoo.

Theresachipshopinspacewhichsellsspaceshipshapedchips.

IlikeNewYork,uniqueNewYork,IlikeuniqueNewYork.

Twotoadstotallytired,triedtotrottoTewkesbury.

TheLeithPolicedismissethus.

Aschoolcoalscuttle,ascuttleofschoolcoal.

Rubberbabybuggybouncers.

Floppyfluffypuppies,floppyfluffypuppies.

Popacatepetl,copperplatedkettle.

PeggyBabcocklovesTubbyGigwhip.

She stood upon the balcony, inexplicably mimicking him

hiccuppingandamicablywelcominghimin.

Areyoucopperbottomingthemmyman?
No,Imaluminiumingthemmaam.

Thesixthsicksheikssixthsheepssick.

 101DramaGamesandActivities

AllIwantisapropercupofcoffee,
Madeinapropercoppercoffeepot
Imaybeoffmydot
ButIwantacupofcoffee
Fromapropercoffeepot.
Tincoffeepotsandironcoffeepots
Theyrenousetome
IfIcanthaveapropercupofcoffee
Inapropercoppercoffeepot
Illhaveacupoftea.

Theskunksatonthestump.Thestumpthunktheskunkstunk.
Theskunkthunkthestumpstunk.Whatstunktheskunkorthe
stump?

Whatatodotodietodayataminuteortwototwo,
Athingdistinctlyhardtosaybutharderstilltodo.
Fortheyllbeatatattooataquartertotwo:
Arattatattattatattattatoto.
Andthedragonwillcomewhenhehearsthedrum
Ataminuteortwototwotoday,ataminuteortwototwo.
(LewisCarroll)

Imagineanimaginarymenageriemanager
Imaginingmanaginganimaginarymenagerie.

How much wood could a woodchuck chuck, if a woodchuck

couldchuckwood?

Toyboats,toyboats,toyboats,toyboats,toyboats.

PeterPiperpickedapeckofpickledpeppers
IfPeterPiperpickedapeckofpickledpeppers
Wheres the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?

PaperbackcopiesavailablefromAmazonbookstores.
Fulldetailsatwww.dramaresource.com

PublishedbyLulu

ISBN9781847538413