DRAMA AND MOVEMENT GAMES FOR DEMECHANIZATION AND CREATIVITY

AND TO INTEGRATE INTO THE CURRICULUM

Ellie Friedland
Boston University Wheelock College of Education and Human development
elliefr@bu.edu

None of these games and exercises are written in stone. These descriptions are flexible templates that can and
should be adapted by you to better suit your particular audience. Some games can be simplified for younger
students or made more challenging for older students by adding conditions. Other games can be adapted to
more literally connect with specific curriculum content. (e.g., there are a multitude of ways to connect
movement and math; or history and drama; or literacy and drama, etc.)

These exercises and games come from various sources, many of them listed at the end of the document. I
learned most of them from other teachers, and some from books, and I invented some. After years of adapting
and changing the games we use, most of us in this field don’t know the original sources. There is a strong
tradition of passing on these approaches to each other, which I’m happy to continue here.

My best suggestion to you is: Start with what’s comfortable and fun for you, watch carefully how participants
respond, then make your own adaptations accordingly. I guarantee you that if you stay with it, everyone will
eventually have a lot of fun and learning and teaching will be enhanced. Good luck!

Games and Exercises for Warming Up and Developing Expression

Warm Up the Body

Shake out, stretch, hunch and drop shoulders
Sstretch the body the legs, arms, the neck, shoulders and upper back
Also the mouth and jaw

Warm up the Voice:

moo with mouth closed (to open throat & warm up)

mi me ma mo mu (3 times in one breath slowly, holding the m's)

electraaaaa (hold the last syllable, full voice)
antigoneeee (for projection and increase breath control, so take deep breath from stomach)

Now ... one (to increase range)

Now starts with normal pitch and goes up the scale
One starts at top and comes down just below normal pitch
then start the next "Now" at the lower pitch take it all the way up
the next "One" from high to even lower

Articulation
The Tip of the Tongue, the Lips, the Teeth (repeat faster and faster without slurring)
Black Leather - Yellow Leather
Unique New York
Toy Boat
A Real Red Rooster Roosts in the Rain

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Projection
With a partner:
Make a Maa or Moo sound while your partner holds her hand flat near your face; make her hand move back
with the force of your sound
Do the same but make the partner walk backwards away from you

Inflection, Expression
Take a simple sentence and say it 3 different ways (list various emotions on the board)

Drama and Movement Games/Exercises

What Changed?
Possible Objective: Develop Concentration and Attention
Participants stand in two lines, each person facing a partner.
Leader chooses a line to go first. Each person will change 3 things about herself while partner turns away.
Leader says when partners turn around (when all changes are done) and partner guesses what is different.
Take turns, increase the # of changes after both have gone.

This is a Banana
Possible Objectives/Curriculum Applications
Listening, speaking, logical thinking, and concentration skills.

Helpful Rules
Stay in defined circle and in your spot
No talking except when it is your turn to speak
Pay attention!

Procedure
Use a pencil, shoe, ball, or any other small, safe object. The first person begins by turning to the next person in
the circle and handing them the object while saying: “This is a banana.” The second person takes the object
and replies: “A what?” The first person replies in turn: “A banana.” The second person turns to the third
person and hands them the object while saying: “This is a banana.” The third person takes the object and
replies: “A what?” At which point the second person turns to the first person and says: “A what?” The first
person replies: “A banana.” The second person turns back to the third person and says: “A banana.” The third
person then turns to the fourth person and hands them the object while saying: “This is a banana.”…and so on.
This gets repeated all the way around the circle (20 or so maximum students is best) as quickly as possible, and
without changing or overlapping any of the words (You can’t say “a what” or “a banana” until the previous
person has finished saying it). So there should be a visual sequence of heads turning and a vocal sequence of
either “a what?…a what?..a what?…etc., or “a banana…a banana…a banana…etc.), until the object makes its
way all the way around to the original person. A build on this game is to let the “banana” object go three or
four people around and then, without warning, the first person hands a second object to the next person in the
opposite directions and says: “This is an apple.” This repeats in the same way as the “banana” and the

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objective is to get both objects completely around the circle. (This is extremely difficult to do and can easily
pose a challenge for an entire school year!)

Mirroring
Possible Objectives/Curriculum Applications
Transitions—help children focus
Conflict Resolution: two children in conflict have to cooperate to play the game

Helpful Rules
Silence
No touching
Look at your partner’s eyes (not hands)
Keep your feet in one place

Procedure
In pairs pick an A and a B. A is leader, B follower. Stand facing each other arms length apart. Don’t touch
during this game. Try to maintain eye contact instead of looking at hands. A makes slow flowing movements
and B does them at the same time, as in a mirror. The goal for A is to keep your partner moving exactly with
you, so if she is a bit behind, slow down.
Add your own extensions and variations:

Listen to Move
Possible Objectives/Curriculum Applications
Practice listening and paying close attention
Keeping track, remembering multiple facts at once
Quick thinking/responding in the moment
Learning opposites

Helpful Rules
Silence
Move in a designated space
No touching each other
Keep your feet on the floor

Procedure
Walk around the room and listen for leader’s instruction.
Leader says walk, run, etc a few times to warm up the group.
Then: leader says: When I say “walk,” you stop. When I say “stop,” you walk.
Do that a few times.
Now add to this: When I say “say your name” you jump. When I say “jump” you say your name.
Do this with opposites, any instructions you want to add.

Sound and Motion

Possible Objectives/Curriculum Applications
Warm up bodies and increase expressiveness
Gain comfort expressing yourself physically and verbally
Nonverbally express the meaning of Action Verbs
Nonverbally demonstrate nouns, punctuation, animals, environments, etc.
Assess children’s knowledge in any of the content above.
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Helpful Rules
Stay in your spot in the circle
No talking
No touching others

Procedure
All stand in a large circle
Each person will take a turn
First person goes into the center and lets a movement come from her body, whatever her body feels like doing,
and let it become a repetitive movement, with a repetitive voice sound.
Everyone around the circle does her movement with her, matching it as closely as possible.
She moves around so all can see her facial expression, details of her movement, and she checks that each person
has her movement and sound accurately.
Then she moves out of the circle, still doing her sound and movement. All are still doing it—the movement and
sound never stop in this game.
She moves toward a person in the circle, indicating it is that person’s turn next.
He then moves into the circle still doing her sound and movement.
Then he allows the movement and sound to gradually change into a new repetitive sound and movement; all do
it along with him the whole time.
He checks everyone, continues the cycle.
Toward the end of the game leader can ask those who haven’t had turns to put their hands up so the mover
knows who to pick from.
Add your own extensions and variations:

Group Counting
Possible Objectives/Curriculum Applications
Voice control and modulation
Practice being loud
Learning to count by 1’s, 2’s or any #
Learning any sequence you need to memorize

Helpful Rules
All sit or stand in a circle
Listen carefully, no talking except the counting

Procedure
We will all count together by two’s or whatever the sequence is: start when leader says 1-2-3.
Tell the group how high to go.
Start as soft as you can and still be speaking, gradually get louder and louder till at the last number or word in
the sequence you are at top voice, the loudest you can be. Be careful not to get there too soon.

Add your own extensions and variations:

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 Games for Language Arts

Silent Verbs and Adverbs

Possible Objectives/Curriculum Applications
Leaning what verbs and adverbs are
Comprehension of specific verbs and adverbs
Learning interesting verbs and adverbs for more colorful expression and writing
Learning verbs and adverbs in another language
Learning to read words by sight

Helpful Rules
Silence
Move in a designated space
No touching each other
Keep your feet on the floor

Procedure
Leader makes up large signs ahead of time with selected verbs. Hold each verb up so all can see. They move the
way it says to move.
Same with adverbs except you decide one way to move for every word—we will always walk but the words
will tell you how to walk.
Leader can say the words or not, or call on individual children to say each word

Magic Box
Possible Objectives/Curriculum Applications
Increase nonverbal expressiveness
Understand concrete objects –weight, size, shape
Practice or review letter sounds or letter combinations
Practice, review, or assess content knowledge in various categories: healthy foods, beginning or ending sounds,
consonant or vowel sounds, everything in the box is something you’d see or use in an environment, a product of
a country, etc.

Helpful Rules
Make an audience space and a stage space
Each person takes a turn when he or she has an idea; go as soon as the person
before you puts her object back
No talking when you take your turn
Everyone’s box can be different
Make sure your box opens facing the audience
No talking when you are audience except to guess the object
Calling out what you think objects are is fine
Things you find in the Magic Box can be bigger than the box

Procedure
Leader creates a Magic Box, demonstrates opening it facing the audience

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Each person will find something in the box that fits the category, and will take it out and use it. You do not need
to create it—it exists already. Show its general size, weight and shape as you take it out of the Box; then use it
(silently).
Audience says what it is, and when they are correct, put your object back in the box.

If children are reluctant to take turns, each person can point to the person to go next after she puts her object
back into the box.

Variation, with same basic structure, rules, and procedure:

Packing a Suitcase

Possible Objectives/Curriculum Applications

Same as for Magic Box
Learning about environments or countries: pack what we would need to go to a rain forest, or to Alaska, or a
space mission, etc.
Pre-writing activity: plan for details about a place or trip you will be writing about, etc.

Color Your Words

Possible Objectives/Curriculum Applications
Increasing verbal expressiveness
Increasing expressiveness, clarity and projection (being loud enough) in reading and speaking
Increasing comprehension of words through verbal expression
Learning new words to make writing more expressive

Helpful Rules
Try not to use your body to express the meaning of the words
Exaggerate with your voice
Stay in your spot in the circle or with your partner

Procedure
Structure can be in a circle, everyone repeats each word after the leader, all at the same time; or in pairs.
Leader can say the words or just hold up large paper with each word written on it.

The guidelines are: leader will count 1-2-3 and on 3 say the word so that you express the meaning of the word
by how you say it. Do not express the meaning with your body, even though we usually do—this is to
exaggerate expression with your voice.
Say each word one time. If in pairs, say it to your partner, then he says it back to you.

Some good words for this game:

cold stormy parched harsh
warm calm soggy sad
freezing thunder giggly smooth
sweltering weepy wavy brisk
breezy grim relaxed crunchy
still stern spongy tender
windy rustle happy angry
frightened warm soft proud
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 Fluency Storytelling
All stand in a circle. One person begins a story and group continues it. Each person adds one word—try to
make it sound fluid, no pauses, include inflection , expression, pauses at the end of sentences, etc.

Games for Understanding Emotions and Conflict Resolution:

Mirroring

In pairs pick an A and a B. A is leader, B follower. Stand facing each other arms length apart. Don’t touch
during this game. Try to maintain eye contact instead of looking at hands.
A makes slow flowing movements and B does them at the same time, as in a mirror. The goal for A is to keep
your partner moving exactly with you, so if she is a bit behind, slow down.

Complete the Image

This whole process is silent.
Two volunteers come to the front of the room. They shake hands, look at each other and leader says to freeze.
They freeze, including facial expressions, and be prepared to hold it for a while.
Ask the group what they see, what they think could be going on. There are no right or wrong responses—all
ideas are accepted.
Then leader relaxes one person in the pair and he sits down, the other stays in frozen position with hand out.
Ask the group what they see.
Then a new person enters the scene and freezes in a new position in relation to the first person.
Do this a few times.
Then all do the same in pairs: start shaking hands. Then one partner unfreezes, looks at frozen partner, and
comes back in a new position; both freeze briefly, other partner unfreezes, looks, comes back in a new position.
This can be done with a theme: jealousy, family, communication, etc.

Emotion Machines
Possible Objectives:
To use the body and voice to express an emotion
To work cooperatively

Procedure/Motivation:
Have everyone stand in a circle. Have each student think of a motion for him/herself. Go around the circle
adding each person’s to the previous person's. Remember everyone's motions and perform them as you say their
names.

Teacher models a motion for self in circle.

Teacher models machines and uses a student to show how to add on.

1. To warm-up: Begin with a name and motion circle. One person starts by stating her/his name and doing a
motion. The next person says the name and does the motion previous and adds her/his own. This builds
around the entire circle.

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2. Discuss emotions. What does the word emotion mean? What causes us to feel certain emotions? How do we
know how someone is feeling? What does it sound like? What does it feel like?
3. Brainstorm and make a list of all the emotions you can think of.
4. Choose an emotion to create a machine around. Happy, sad, frightened, etc.
5. Have the students go to the sides. Begin with one person in the center doing a sound and motion. As each
person is ready, s/he adds a sound and motion that fits with the one before. Be sure that the sound and
motion fits the chosen emotion. Teacher should side coach. Teacher can slow down or speed up the
machine. It can lose the motion or the sound. Repeat with new leaders.
6. Have the machine create the emotion in others rather than display it.

Puppets for Conflict Resolution:

Create a “peace table” where children can go to talk to each other using puppets to resolve conflicts.

Tense and Relax: for Conflict Resolution

Possible Objectives:
To understand your body
To understand how words and emotions can affect your body
Procedure:
Define the words tension and relaxation.
1. Brainstorm what might make someone tense-up and what might make someone relax.
2. Have everyone lie on their backs with eyes closed.
3. Begin by having everyone tense or tighten their bodies. Go through each body part from head to toe. Then
have them relax. Again go through each body part.
4. Use imagery.
Examples: You are a rubber band being stretched and released
You are frozen in a block of ice and slowly melt
You are relaxing on the beach and start to burn
You are a china doll that turns into a child
5. Add imagery of conflict situation that might cause tension and let students imagine how to solve the conflict
to relax.
Examples: A large dog is running at you and barking… you realize it is on a leash
The fire alarm goes off… it is a drill
6. Have the children sit in a circle and let this lead to discussions about conflict in the classroom and/or life.

Drama Structures for Social Studies:

Teacher in role or using a puppet

Creating a Character Who Knows Less Than the Children—this puppet or character is a frequent classroom
visitor who needs to be educated about the topics of study.

Teacher can take a role to facilitate role play for the following:

Character Interviews
Students learn about an important person from history and are interviewed by the teacher or by other children
who have prepared interview questions. Each person is in role and responds as the character. For each of these,

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the teacher or children prepare questions ahead of time and children have already done the research about the
historical figures. This can be a way to share and assess learning.
Possible scenarios: on the scenes reporter as the historical event happens; reporter asking about an important
event in history immediately after it; or many years later;
A talk show of various important figures all together, with a talk show host.

Commercials for Historical Events, Science Concepts, Verbs and Nouns

Children in small groups create a TV commercial for: the city of Boston, the city workers, the sun, moon or
stars, for non-living things or living things, for elements of the water cycle, for the habitat of a particular
animal, for nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc.

If I Had My Way Scenes

For problem solving: Children dramatize a problem they are having and show it as it really is (conflicts on the
playground, name calling, etc.) Then they quickly plan and dramatize the ideal: how it should be if I had my
way. If children disagree, each can do her own ideal.

After the dramatization, discuss HOW to reach the idea. This changes the process of problem solving
significantly.

RESOURCES

Boal, Augusto. (1979). The Theatre of the Oppressed. New York: Urizen Books. Republished by Routledge
Press in New York/London.

----. Games for Actors and Non-Actors. (1992). New York: Routledge.

…. . The Aesthetics of the oppressed. (2006). New York: Routledge.

----. The Rainbow of Desire. (1995). New York: Routledge.

Duffy, P. and Vettraino, E. Youth and theatre of the oppressed. (2010). New York: Palgrave, McMillan.

Emert, T. and Friedland, E., Eds. (2011). Come Closer: Critical perspectives on Theatre of the Oppressed.
New York: Peter Lang, Inc.

Freire, Paulo. (2000). Pedagogy of the oppressed (20th-Anniversary ed. New York: Continuum

Heathcote, Dorothy and Betty Jane Wagner. (1976). Drama as a learning medium. Washington: National
Education Association.

Heathcote, Dorothy, et.al. (1991). Collected writings on education and drama. Northwestern U. Press.

Johnstone, Keith. (1979). Impro: Improvisation and the theatre. Theatre Arts Books.

Kelner, Lenore Blank. (1993). The Creative classroom: A guide for using creative drama in the classroom,
PreK-6. Heinemann Educational Books/
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McCaslin, Nellie. (1990). Creative drama in the classroom. 5th ed. White Plains, NY:

McCaslin, Nellie. (1995). Creative drama in the classroom and deyond. White Plains, NY: Longman.

Nachmanovitch, Stephen. (1990). Free play: Improvisation in life and art. Jeremy P. Tarcher,,Inc.

Spolin, Viola. (1963). Improvisation for the theatre. Northwestern U. Press.

Spolin, Viola. (1986). Theatre games for the classroom. Evanston, IL: Northwestern U. Press.

Websites

Pedagogy and Theatre of the Oppressed www.ptoweb.org

International Theatre of the Oppressed Organization www.theatreoftheoppressed.org

Theatre of the Oppressed Laboratory (TOPLAB) www.toplab.org

Cardboard Citizens www.cardboardcitizens.org.uk

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