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Games, Exercises, & Activities

Quick activities. Real results.

Find low-prep drama exercises that build skills, boost participation, and fit into any class.

Games & Exercises

Playwriting Exercise: Advertisement Prompt

Here’s a playwriting prompt exercise that takes advantage of something that’s frequently around us: advertisements! Ads are everywhere, and their main purpose is to sell us stuff. But we’re going...
Games & Exercises

Playwriting Exercise: Prompts from a Book

Are your students feeling overwhelmed with possibilities for writing a new monologue? Do they need help focusing on one idea? Or are you simply looking for a way to get your students writing? For...
Games & Exercises

Improv Game: Creative Defiance

The core tenet of improvisation is “Yes, and…” To keep the scene going, each participant must agree with any suggestion that is brought forward, and add something on. It’s a balance of giving and...
Games & Exercises

Warm-Up Game: Puppet Dance Party

Here’s a warm-up game that is a lot of fun and gets students’ energy up. It’s a plus if you and your students are studying puppetry, but it’s not necessary to have done so. This is a great warm-up...
Games & Exercises

Warm-Up Game: Muted Conversations

This warm-up game helps students work on a variety of skills: improvising, listening, observing, and working as a team. At the same time, it’s pretty silly and good for a laugh! This game requires...
Games & Exercises

Warm-Up Game: Virtual Mirrors

The mirror game is one of the most common exercises in the drama classroom. Students are grouped into pairs, facing each other. One student is the leader and moves their face and body in slow...
Games & Exercises

Warm-up Exercise: Brain Dump

This warm-up exercise is perfect for days when your students are feeling stressed, frustrated, or unfocused. You can use it at the start of class to help students clear their brains, or mid-class...
Games & Exercises

Warm-Up Game: Buyer & Seller

This improv warm-up game helps students think quickly and creatively, listen to their peers, and choose their words with care. It can be done in person in the drama classroom (with physical...
Games & Exercises

“Act It Out” Game: Virtual Classroom Edition

At the beginning of a new term of drama classes, you need to inform students about classroom rules and expectations to start on a positive note. However, when teaching drama via distance learning,...
Games & Exercises

Monologue Exercise – Share Your Heart

In this multi-part exercise, students will write monologues based on the concept of an “I want/I wish” song, which is used by a character to share their heart’s desire. It is primarily a written...
Games & Exercises

Analyzing a Movie Musical

The following exercise has a straightforward premise: watch a movie musical and analyze it! This written exercise helps students practice skills including analytical and critical thinking,...
Games & Exercises

Exercise: Rewrite the Ending

It’s fun and interesting to imagine alternate endings to our favourite musicals. What if Annie had ended up being adopted by Lily and Rooster in Annie? What if the Von Trapp family wasn’t able to...
Games & Exercises

Fun & Games: Drama Class Scavenger Hunt

Distance Learning Note: This blog post is written for an in-class scavenger hunt. But, this is an activity that can easily be adapted for distance learning. Students can work independently to get...
Games & Exercises

Exercise: The Tech Effect

The purpose of this group exercise is to see how technical effects can change the mood and atmosphere of a performed scene. Students will have the opportunity to perform and observe others, while...
Games & Exercises

Distance Learning: Larger Projects and ISPs

The exercises listed below can be adapted to distance and online learning opportunities. Students work individually (rather than with partners or in groups). Group work and discussions can be...