Games, Exercises, & Activities

The following exercise gives students the opportunity to practice active listening, teamwork, taking direction, and problem solving as a group. Acting as an ensemble with a student director, group...

The following exercise gives students the opportunity to explore different ways of approaching and performing a two-person scene, using two different levels of volume: only whispering and shouting....

Can you tell a great story in six minutes? How about in six seconds? You definitely can. Prior to TikTok, there was Vine — a short-form video hosting app where users created and shared...

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...

If you’re riding the struggle bus at rehearsals and scenes are looking stagnant, dull, or flat-out boring, you and your students may be suffering from a case of rehearsal rut. Rehearsal rut tends...

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...

Giving and receiving feedback are skills that take practice. Students may worry that they will offend their peers or hurt their feelings while giving feedback. It also takes practice for students...

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...

For the following exercise, students will start by individually creating and analyzing a new character (or analyzing an existing character). Then with a partner, they’ll come up with a scenario in...

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!...

The first week of a new term is a busy one. Teachers need to introduce themselves, go over rules and procedures, learn students’ names, and establish a sense of trust, community, and safety. But...

Get To Know You Bingo is a fun icebreaker game. It gets students up out of their seats, moving around and talking to each other. It’s also a good way for you to get to know more about your...

This is a fun project to do with your students at the end of the year. At first glance it looks like an art project (and it is!) but when you peel back the layers, you’ll see that it helps students...