Games, Exercises, & Activities

What better way to welcome students into the drama department than allowing them to make a grand entrance through a decorated door? Many teachers enjoy door decorating for holiday contests, spirit...

One of the (many!) wonderful things about theatre is that magic becomes real on the stage. Fantastical stories are brought to life in the most inventive and interesting ways to keep audiences...

I have yet to meet a student who didn’t cringe (inwardly or outwardly!) at the start of a new semester or the first rehearsal when they hear their teacher say, “Ok, let’s go around the circle and...

In improvisation, one of the first rules that drama students are commonly taught is to always say, “Yes, and…” to continue the story. Basically, agree with presented concepts to keep the scene...

The following warm-up exercise is simple, but can evoke some powerful feelings and reactions. It’s a great exercise to help students develop their self-awareness and practice consent and boundary...

The following is a choice board exercise about making tough decisions, within a theatrical context. Students will select one of the six activities below to complete. Some of the options are written...

A choice board is a visual tool that teachers can use in their classrooms to allow students to… make choices! Choice boards consist of two or more options of activities for students to complete....

Starting your class with bell work or a journal prompt is a great way to get students into the drama class mindset. Some teachers like to have students brainstorm a list of ideas or respond to a...

Clear relationships onstage make characters’ interactions that much more interesting and engaging for the audience. The audience needs to know immediately how one character relates to another. No...

Theatre is all about communication and collaboration. Students come together to tell a story and create a collective experience for an audience. When students are working together, it’s important...

This exercise is a great icebreaker game and a fun way for students to get to know each other. Students are challenged to figure out what famous character they are and who their partner in the...

This warm-up exercise is simple, but sometimes that’s just what you need — a simple yet fun warm-up that gets your students up and moving around. This exercise is also quiet — no speaking allowed!...

“What did you do on your summer/winter holidays?” is over. “What are your plans for the weekend?” is boring. You need some new and fresh icebreaker questions to get your students conversing. Not...

We are all about reflecting here at Theatrefolk. You’ll notice that the vast majority of exercises and lessons here and in the Drama Teacher Academy include an exit slip or reflection questions....

Have you ever had a conversation with someone and felt like something was off? It might have been because the person you were speaking to was using body language that didn’t match what they were...

One of the five categories of social and emotional learning is self-awareness. For students, part of being self-aware includes being able to identify their own levels of effort in exercises, games,...

Negative self-talk is so common and can be very difficult to overcome, not only for students but also for teachers. It’s easy to fall into the trap of berating ourselves over mistakes and telling...

The following exercise helps students identify their personal strengths and make connections with characters in a play that they are currently studying in drama class. It could also be used for...