Warm Up

Warm-ups are important to get students into the drama mindset, but sometimes you only have a few moments to spare. When time is at a premium, get your classes started in a jiffy with these 10 super-quick warm-up games. Many of them are classics, but they’re tried and true for a reason: they’re fast, effective, fun, and they work. They can all be completed in five minutes or less. As a bonus, all these warm-ups require no props or equipment. 1. Play one of these three traditional schoolyard games with a drama class twist for a few minutes: Director Says, Director May I?, and What Time Is It, Stage Manager? All of these are great warm-up activities for active listening, following directions, quick thinking, and physical movement exercises. 2. Word-at-a-time stories are an easy way to get students’ brains working, quickly and creatively. You can play as a full class or in small groups. You can also mix it up and have students make up stories 3, 5, and 7 words at a time. To get even more students involved, have additional students act out what is being described while narrator students tell the story. 3. Warm up your voice with breathwork, consonant and vowel exercises, and tongue twisters. Remember to have students stand up straight and tall, with strong chests and shoulders back, arms uncrossed, and hands out of pockets (those last two are usually the hardest habit to break!). 4. Use rounds as a warm-up for a musical theatre or vocal class. A round is a short musical piece in which multiple voices sing the same melody but start the song at different times. When each singer gets to the end of the song, they return to the beginning and start again. Rounds challenge students to focus on their own vocal line while blending beautifully with the rest of the group. 5. The mirror game is the go-to warm-up game for mime work. Everyone knows how to play it, and there is always another layer of challenge you can add: switching partners, standing groups of four in a diamond shape, moving across the floor, passing the leadership between the partners, adding music, and more. You could even have students create their own variations of the exercise. 6. Shadows (aka Shadow Walk, Follow the Leader, or Leader & Follower) is yet another quick and classic drama class warm-up game for mime work. It’s deceptively simple but packs a punch. It teaches students about making choices, following directions, leadership, volume management, focusing, spatial awareness, and paying attention to detail. An alternative warm-up game to Shadows is Elephant Walk, which can also be done Shadow-style. 7. My go-to easy warm-up game is always Mixer. You can play with any number of students, cooperatively or competitively, and it gets students up and moving quickly. It’s great for students of any age as well; as long as they can count, they can play. 8. A speedy classic for physical theatre: students count backwards from 10 while shaking out their right hands. Repeat with left hands, right feet, and left feet. Continue the pattern, reducing your counts by one each time, until you get to 1-1-1-1. If you’re extremely crunched for time, start each count at 5. 9. Sometimes your students might be fidgety and instead of doing a physical warm-up, you want them to practice stillness. Have students take a neutral position and hold it for five seconds (use a clock with a second hand, or count aloud; blinking and breathing is always allowed). Increase the amount of stillness by five seconds at a time. Build up to 30 seconds of stillness. 10. Mindfulness exercises are also great warm-up activities that don’t require a lot of time, and are good for students’ mental health. Try calming activities like box breathing or massage chains, have students share kind things about themselves or classmates, or lead them in a visualization story. Use mindfulness warm-ups on days when your students need to focus or when they need a pick-me-up.

This warm-up game is a variation of the game “Numbered Tableaux”. It’s similar to the camp game “Chicken in the Hen House,” but adjusted to be safer for the drama classroom, and focused on creating various tableau scenes. It’s a simple introduction to tableau for students of any grade or skill level, with the added benefits of practicing memorization, collaboration, and stillness. It’s a great game for large classes, as students will need at least five different partners throughout the game. You can use this game as a “getting to know you” game, an elimination game if you have competitive students, or a week-long challenge — details below! Instructions1. Choose a Caller (could be the teacher or one of the students) and have the rest of the students spread out around the room. 2. The Caller will announce a way of moving around the room (creeping, tiptoeing, dancing, leaping, shuffling, crawling, sliding, etc.). Have the students move around the room in the manner that the Caller specifies. 3. At some point, the Caller will announce “Partners, side to side!” Students will go to the nearest student and stand next to them, shoulder to shoulder, without moving. (Blinking and breathing is always allowed, even when frozen.) This is the students’ first partner, of at least five different partners for this game. The Caller will let students know that this partner is their “side to side” partner, and anytime the Caller calls “side to side,” the students must find this particular partner and stand in this side-to-side position, without moving. Have them hold this pose for at least five seconds. 4. When the Caller announces “unfreeze,” students will move around the room again as the Caller determines. The Caller will announce “Second partners, back to back!” Students will go to the nearest, different student to them (it can’t be the same partner they had for side to side) and stand next to them, back to back, without moving. Going forward, anytime the Caller calls “back to back,” the students must find this particular partner and stand in the back-to-back position, without moving. Have them hold this pose for at least five seconds. 5. Continue with the game, adding at least three more tableau scenes with different partners each time. Here are some ideas to choose from (you’ll need to describe the poses to your students): • Chicken in the Hen House – A nod to the original game! The shorter partner kneels with their arms bent like wings (the chicken), while the taller partner stands behind them with their arms making a triangular roof over their own head (the hen house). • Statue of Liberty – The taller partner stands straight with their right arm above their head like they are holding a torch and their left hand to their side as if they’re holding a tablet (take a look at a photo of the actual Statue of Liberty for details), while the shorter partner holds up an imaginary camera as if they’re taking a photo of the statue. • Rodeo – The taller partner goes down on all fours (like a horse), while the shorter partner stands above or beside them, holding their arm above their head as if they were swinging a lasso (the horse rider). • Supermodel – Both partners strike dramatic poses as if they are modeling for a photoshoot. • Gone Fishin’ – One partner squats and holds an imaginary fishing pole while the other partner lies on the floor as the fish. • Forgive Me – One partner kneels and holds their hands up as if they were begging the other partner to forgive them, while the other partner turns their body away dramatically and crosses their arms. Remember to have students hold the frozen pose for at least five seconds each time. 6. Continue on with the game, calling out different ways of moving around the room, followed by a different tableau cue: “Back to back!” “Tiptoe around the room.” “Chicken in the Hen House!” “Disco dance around the room.” “Gone Fishin’!” “Back to back!” and so on. Students must remember which partner they have for each tableau cue and go back to that partner for that particular cue. Important Notes• Remember: tableau poses are meant to be frozen, which means no talking! • Take the path of least resistance when finding your partner; avoid slamming into or pushing over other classmates, even inadvertently. • Take care of your body: avoid clunking heads (especially in back-to-back position) or slamming knees and hands into the ground (for Chicken in the Hen House or Rodeo). • Students don’t need to touch each other to do the various tableau poses. • Be sure to leave space between pairs, so it is clear who is partnered with who. Variations • Make it a “getting to know you” game. When students pair up, have them share their name with each other. When they go back to that partner during a repeated cue, have them greet each other by name. • Play elimination style. The last pair to partner up, or a pair that moves when they’re supposed to be frozen, gets eliminated. This will cause some issues when you call out other poses, as certain partners will be eliminated. The non-eliminated partners will then have to partner up — think of it as an additional improvisation challenge! • Have students suggest their own tableau poses to add to the classroom repertoire. • Make it a week-long challenge. At various points throughout the week, without prior knowledge, randomly call out different tableau cues, even in the middle of a lesson, a rehearsal time, or another game. See if students remember what to do and what partner they’re supposed to be with.

Do you need a simple warm-up to quickly get your middle school students into the drama class mindset? Try this classic game, with a drama class twist. Students will share what they’re bringing on vacation with them, and then act out what they’re bringing. Start with the basic instructions below, then try out the variations, or make up your own variations! No special equipment is needed for this warm-up. Instructions:1. Have students stand in a circle. 2. Select a student to start. This student, we’ll call them Student A, will say “I’m going on vacation and I’m bringing my [insert item here].” This item can be anything: a tractor, a crocodile, an Olympic gold medal in gymnastics, a bowl of tapioca pudding. The more unusual, the better. Student A then must act out the item: driving the tractor, using their arms to show the crocodile’s jaws, lowering their head as if someone is putting the medal around their neck and waving to the crowd, making or eating the pudding, etc. They can mime the item, or add a vocalization, sound effect, or short simple line (for example, “Mmm… I love tapioca pudding!”) if they wish. 3. The student next to them, Student B, then says, “I’m going on vacation and I’m bringing [insert Student A’s item]” and acts out Student A’s item, exactly as Student A did. Then Student B adds on: “and I’m bringing my [insert item here]” and they act out their own item. 4. The student next to Student B, Student C, says, “I’m going on vacation and I’m bringing [insert Student B’s item]” and acts out Student B’s item, exactly as Student B did. Then Student C adds on: “and I’m bringing my [insert item here]” and they act out their own item. The play continues around the circle with each student bringing their neighbour’s item and then their own item, until each student has had the opportunity to participate. Variations:• Make it a name game by having students use each other’s names: Student B says “(Student A) is going on vacation and they’re bringing [insert Student A’s item]” and acts out Student A’s item, exactly as Student A did. Then Student B adds on: “and I’m going on vacation and I’m bringing my [insert item here]” and acts out their item. • Make it a memory game by having students repeat everyone else’s item before adding on their own (a huge challenge for the students at the end of the circle!). • Make it a physical warm-up game by having everyone in the circle mimic the student’s action after they present their item. • Make it a brainteaser game by having students follow specific parameters for what they can bring, such as something that starts with the same letter as their name (for instance, Padma must bring peanuts, a pencil, or a pillar), or something that has the same number of letters as their first name (for example, Michael must bring something that has seven letters, such as a gorilla or a cabinet). Or, have them choose items in alphabetical order (Student A brings apples, Student B brings a bicycle, Student C brings a camera, and so on). • Make it a mime exercise and charades combo game by having students say “I’m going on vacation and I’m bringing my…” and act out the item without saying what it is. Have the rest of the group guess what the item is. • Create your own classroom variations. Have students describe and write out the instructions in their own words.

There are some days when your students are just not feeling their best. They’re tired, they’re dragging, they’re feeling “off.” So how do you combat these low energy times? Try these 10 warm-up exercises, tips, and ideas to get your students feeling refocused, rejuvenated, and re-energized. You know your students best, so follow their lead when introducing energy-raising activities. Some students might jump right in, while others may need time to ease into the exercise. This also might change from class to class. Without sounding too woo-woo, let the vibe of the classroom and your instincts lead you. 1. Dance parties are always a great way to raise energy. Have students suggest fun, up-tempo (and school appropriate) songs, and create a playlist from their choices. Then pump the music and get everyone on their feet. For a fun alternative, add puppets to your dance party. 2. Create a go-to warm-up sequence — a simple dance, a series of stretches, any kind of physical movement — to a favourite piece of music. Then whenever you play it, have students stop what they’re doing and do the sequence to the music. You can also do this in the middle of rehearsals if you like, to shake up the energy. 3. Simple physical exercises or calisthenics are always an easy go-to. Try jumping jacks, push-ups, burpees, running in place or around the classroom, step-hop-clap sequences, or anything your students are able to do. Fun fact: Taylor Swift prepared for her Eras tour by singing her entire concert setlist while running on the treadmill. If it’s good enough for Taylor… 4. Try the Thunderstorm Soundscape exercise, in which students use their bodies to imitate the sound and feeling of a thunderstorm. Have them sit in a circle and lead them in a series of movements: hands slowly rubbing together, fingers snapping, thigh slaps, hand claps, fists pounding the floor, stomping their feet, each with increasing intensity and volume. The stomping is the most intense part of the “thunderstorm.” Then, reverse the order of the movements, reducing intensity and volume, as the “storm” goes away. 5. If you have adequate space, play Giants, Elves, Wizards or any version of Tag that you like — Blob Tag, Freeze Tag, there are tons of variations. Have your students come up with different theatrical versions of Tag — what would Musical Theatre Tag or Tech Tag look like? 6. Play a speed round of “Director Says”. Don’t bother trying to get students “out;” just get them moving as quickly as possible. 7. Switch up the atmosphere. If you have a lighting board, turn it on and go wild with colours or patterns during warm-up. Go into the hallway (without disturbing other classes!) or outside for the warm-up. 8. If your school and/or budget allow it, you might want to keep a small basket of healthy snacks in your classroom. A little pick-me-up snack may help students to feel re-energized. Encourage them to bring a water bottle to class as well, and give cues to drink water throughout the class. Sometimes we forget that eating and drinking have a huge effect on our mood and energy! 9. Mental exhaustion is just as tough as physical exhaustion. Raise your students’ spirits by giving the class a compliment or commenting when you notice something they did well. Boost individual students by subtly pulling them aside and letting them know that you’re proud of them, happy to work with them, or that you notice how hard they’ve been working lately. Make sure it’s genuine, because students can smell shenanigans from miles away! But a well-placed comment at just the right time can really make somebody’s day. 10. If your students have a favourite or go-to warm-up activity, let them take the lead on running it. This not only switches up the energy (having a peer run an exercise has a different feeling than having the teacher in charge), it aslo gives students a chance to flex their leadership muscles. Additional Resources:Community-Building Warm-Ups Fun Rehearsal Warm-Ups to Get Everyone Ready Warm-Up Exercises for Trust Building

Name games are a great start-of-term activity, especially when you’re working with new students. It’s a fun way to break the ice and for students and teachers alike to learn everyone’s name. Knowing, correctly pronouncing, and using students’ names demonstrates respect and care. For the following name game variations, all you’ll need is a few beanbags (or soft foam/rubber balls, whatever works best or is available). Repeat the games and try different variations as often as you like, until everyone in the class knows each other’s name. 1. Basic Version: Have students stand in a circle. The teacher will start by turning to the student on their left, making eye contact with that student, saying “[Student Name], this is for you!” and passing the beanbag to that person. That student will reply with “Thanks [Teacher Name]” and take the beanbag from them. Play will continue to go clockwise around the circle, with the student repeating the line and identifying the name of the student to their left, passing the beanbag to that student, and the receiver thanking the student by name. Continue around the circle until everyone has had a chance to ask and reply to the student beside them. For example: Amir, this is for you! Thanks Ms. Lopez. Bailey, this is for you! Thanks Amir. Camille, this is for you! Thanks Bailey. And so on around the circle until the final student returns the beanbag to Ms. Lopez. If a student can’t remember the name of the person beside them, they are allowed to ask that student once to remind them. Students should aim to use good volume and diction so everyone can hear each other’s names. 2. Basic Switch: Students will change places in the circle, then repeat the basic version again, so they have to remember new names. 3. Beanbag Toss: Instead of passing the beanbag to the student beside them, students will name a student across the circle from them and then (carefully) toss the beanbag to that student. Use the same “This is for you!” and “Thanks” lines. Be sure that students make eye contact with the student they’re throwing the beanbag to before they toss it, to avoid hitting anyone accidentally. Keep an eye open to ensure that every student in the circle has a chance to participate. 4. Memory Toss: Memorize the order of beanbag tosses and repeat the pattern, trying to go faster and faster, while still being audible and clear, and not dropping the beanbag. 5. Memory Toss Challenge: For an added challenge, if anyone drops the beanbag or forgets the order, everyone has to start over from the beginning of the circle.You can also time the memory toss each time it’s played, and see if students can beat the record time. 6. Copy My Voice: Using the basic version, the teacher will use an interesting vocal inflection when saying the lines: higher pitched, lower pitched, fast, slow, sharp and staccato, flowy, with an accent, etc. Each student must copy the teacher’s vocal inflection around the circle. 7. Copy and Add: Play the Copy My Voice variation. Once the beanbag is about a third of the way around the circle, introduce a second beanbag and continue the game using a different vocal inflection. For example, use a Scottish accent for the first beanbag and a breathy baby voice for the second beanbag. There will be two voice variations going around the circle at once. For an added challenge, send the beanbag counterclockwise and see what happens when the beanbags meet at some point in the circle! Add a third beanbag for even more chaos. 8. All the Voices: Using either the basic version or the toss version, each student must use a different funny voice or unique vocal inflection for the lines. No duplicates allowed! 9. All the Actions: Using either the basic version or the toss version, students will create an action, movement, or gesture while they’re passing the beanbag, such as under the leg, behind their back, over their head, with a dance, like they’re moving through jello, or like the beanbag is freezing cold. Again, no duplicates allowed! 10. All the Voices and Actions: Using either the basic version or the toss version, each student must use a different voice AND a unique action or gesture while saying the lines and passing the beanbag. Bonus points if the voice and action go together to make an interesting character. BONUS: After playing as many rounds as you wish, challenge a student to go into the middle of the circle and recite every other student’s name from memory. Additional Resources:3 Tips to Learn Students’ Names Quickly Three “Getting to Know You Games”

This is a classic theatre game; you might know it as Shadow Walk, Follow the Leader, or Leader & Follower. It is deceptively simple at first glance: students walking around the room imitating each other. However, there are lots of opportunities for learning in this simple yet fun game: making choices, following directions, leadership, volume management, focusing, spatial awareness, and paying attention to detail. This warm-up game is appropriate for middle or high school students. Read on for instructions and a variation for gameplay. Instructions1. Have students pair up. All the pairs will participate at the same time. Determine which partner will go first. They will be the leader. 2. The leader will walk around the room in their usual gait but at a slightly slower pace. 3. The second partner, the shadow, will follow them, about two feet behind, trying to imitate them exactly — just like a shadow. This will likely seem like a ridiculously easy task, but to succeed, students need to focus and pay attention to detail. Have them look at the characteristics of their partner’s walk, such as their posture, length of steps, what they do with their hands, and the “weight” of their steps (such as tiptoeing versus stomping). This is why the first partner should walk a bit slower than they usually do, so their partner can try to copy them exactly. 4. Then, the leader will add one element to their walk to make it different, such as a skip, hop, arm movement, or knee bend. The shadow will continue to imitate the leader as precisely as possible. 5. Finally, the leader will do a big, ridiculous walk of their choosing, using all the parts of their body while maintaining the slow walking pace. Students should choose movements that their partner is physically able to do (for example, not everyone can drop down into the splits) and that are safe (keep an eye out for flailing limbs). The shadow will continue to imitate the first partner as accurately as possible. 6. After enough time has passed, have partners switch roles, so the second partner has the opportunity to lead and the first partner has the opportunity to shadow. 7. As a reminder, the challenge is for the leader to move slowly and deliberately, while the shadow copies their partner exactly. Variation: Once each partner has been the leader, have students get into a big circle and close their eyes. Then secretly select one leader. Students will then open their eyes and walk slowly in a circle, shadowing the student in front of them. The leader will subtly start a movement, with everyone else following them. See if students can guess who the leader is.

Japanese artist Shigetaka Kurita invented modern-day emojis in 1999, and they’ve found their place in our world as a unique visual language. Emojis can be used as a way to express ourselves when tone isn’t evident in writing. And they’re a lot of fun too! There are many ways that you can use emojis for warm-up games in drama class. In this article, we’ll share ways for students to use emojis to express themselves non-verbally, using their bodies and faces. These warm-up exercises are great for any grade level and can also be done online in a virtual classroom setting, with cameras on. You can use these in the drama classroom or as a physical rehearsal warm-up. To start, you might wish to print out flashcards of different emojis or project them onto the wall. Students will then physicalize the emojis using their bodies and faces in different ways. Here are 11 prompts to get them started: • Hold up a flashcard or project an emoji onto the wall so everyone can see it. Using their bodies and faces, students must imitate the emojis as precisely as possible in a frozen pose. • Imitate emojis as precisely as possible using only their faces. This is easy for the face emojis, but harder for the full-body or inanimate object emojis. For example, how would students use only their faces to imitate a checkered flag or the scissors emoji? • Using only their bodies, students must imitate the emojis as precisely as possible, while their faces must remain in a neutral expression. This may be easier for the full-body emojis but harder for the face emojis. (If you have access to plain neutral masks, they might be a helpful tool for students to use so they don’t have to think about keeping their faces expressionless while focusing on their bodies. However, they aren’t a necessity.) • Have students imitate emojis from memory — no visual prompts. • Have students form groups of three to recreate the emojis. Each student must be included somehow. • Create a unique walk or movement for an emoji. • Have students form two lines. Give each student a different emoji. Starting at the front of each line, have two emojis meet in the middle of the room and improvise a conversation. • Have students form two lines. Give each student a different emoji. Starting at the front of each line, have two emojis meet in the middle of the room and mime a conversation — no voices allowed. • Have a student draw a flashcard of an emoji and act it out. The rest of the students have to guess what emoji they are portraying. • Ask students a series of questions. They can only respond silently, using their bodies and faces to imitate emojis. Guess which emojis they’re portraying. • Play Giants, Elves, and Wizards using emojis. How will students determine which emoji beats which? Repeat these exercises as many times as you wish! Related Articles: Scene & Song Analysis Using Emojis Exercise: Mimed Relationships Physical Warm-Up Game: Doodles

Sometimes you need a simple activity to get students warmed up, a time-filler for the last few minutes of class, or a classroom task that you can have a substitute teacher or student lead. No need to reinvent the wheel; the following games are classics for a reason. Here are three easy and fun games that most everyone knows, with a drama class twist. "Director Says" (Simon Says)Have students spread out across the floor where everyone can see the caller, or “Director.” The Director will give various instructions that students must follow: • “Director says hop on one foot.” • “Director says take a bow.” • “Director says move to stage left.” But if the Director doesn’t say “Director says,” students need to keep following the previous direction given. If students follow the wrong direction, they’re out! For example, if the Director says “Director says disco dance. Turn upstage!” any student who turns upstage would be out. For a bigger challenge, students who pause, hesitate, or flinch between directions will be out. Learning Opportunities: Active listening, following directions, quick thinking, physical movement “Director, May I?” (Mother May I?)Have the Director stand on one side of the room while students stand on the opposite side. The object of the game is to be the first player to move across the floor to the director. One at a time, students will call out “Director, may I take ___ steps forward?” and fill in the blank with the number of steps they’d like to take. For example, the student may say “Director, may I take five steps forward?” The Director may reply with “Yes, you may” and then the student would take five steps forward accordingly. But the Director may also give a different answer. They may allow a different number of steps, ask the student to move in a certain way, or even say no! Some replies might be: • “No, but you may take four steps.” • “No, but you may take three leaps across the floor.” • “Yes, but you must take Jennifer with you.” • “Yes, but you must hop like a bunny.” • “You may take five steps forward and three steps back.” • “No, you may not.” No matter how the Director answers, the student must follow the directions. The winner is whoever makes it to the opposite side of the room first. If you need to save time, you can have students move in teams and ask as a group, saying “Director, may we take ___ steps forward?” Learning Opportunities: Active listening, following directions, quick thinking, physical movement, taking turns, teamwork (if working in groups) "What Time Is It, Stage Manager?" (What Time Is It, Mr. Wolf?)This is another game where the goal is to be the first student to cross the room. Have the caller (Stage Manager) stand on the opposite side of the room from the students, with their back turned. As a group, students will call out “What time is it, Stage Manager?” The Stage Manager will choose a number (10 or smaller) and reply “____ minutes to curtain!” The group of students will call back, “Thank you, ___ (number of minutes)” and take that many steps forward. For example, if the Stage Manager says “Seven minutes to curtain!” then the students will reply “Thank you, seven!” and take seven steps forward. At any point, the Stage Manager can reply with “PLACES!” and turn and run towards the group of students, trying to tag as many of them as possible before they run back to their wall. Any students who are tagged become Assistant Stage Managers and join the Stage Manager in tagging more students. The winner is the first person to make it to the Stage Manager without being caught or the last student remaining without being tagged. Learning Opportunities: Active listening, following directions, quick thinking, physical movement, backstage etiquette (replying back to the stage manager) Additional Resources: 3 Games to Help Students Play to the Audience Two Prompts: An Easy Improv Game for When You Just Can’t Think Easy Distance Learning Activities for When You Just Can’t Think

The following is a quick, simple warm-up game that works for virtually any age range and skill level. All you’ll need is a stack of Post-it notes or a pile of scrap paper, some writing implements, and your students. There are many different ways you can tailor this warm-up, depending on whether you’re studying mime, tableau, creative movement, or if you just need your students to get their brains and bodies moving. It’s a handy exercise to keep in your back pocket when you need to shake things up in class. Pick one, two, or a few for your students to do. Instructions1. Give each student a piece of scrap paper or a Post-it note and a writing utensil. 2. Each student has exactly three seconds to make a doodle on the paper. No more, no less! 3. Collect the doodles. Make sure they’re all appropriate for your class. 4. Choose a doodle (or doodles) at random, post it where everyone can see it, and have students try the following exercises: • Create a frozen pose with your body that physicalizes the doodle. • Create a frozen pose with a partner that physicalizes the doodle. • Move very slowly from a neutral stance (feet flat on the floor, hands by sides, eyes forward) to the frozen pose from the doodle. • Physicalize the doodle. Move around the room (silently) as you think the doodle would. • Select three doodles and have students slowly flow from the first doodle to the second to the third. • Divide students into groups of three or four. Select three doodles and have each group create a movement piece that includes the three doodles in some fashion. • Have one student direct the rest of the students in re-creating a giant version of the doodle flat on the floor. • Have students come up with their own way of bringing the doodle to life.

Giants, Elves, Wizards is a classic game used in drama classes, sports, Scouts, and more. It’s basically a life-sized version of Rock, Paper, Scissors (or “Roshambo” in some areas) with a chasing element where players tag members of the opposite team to win them over to the other side. In the drama classroom, it’s a great physical and vocal warm-up, and encourages students to employ teamwork and strategy to win players over to their team. In this article, we’ll explain the basic gameplay for Giants, Elves, Wizards, and then give lots of options to vary it. You may want to ask your school principal or phys ed teacher if you can play Giants, Elves, Wizards outside, or if you can use the gym for kids to spread out. If not, push any tables, desks, chairs, and other furniture out of the way before you start. Basic RulesIn Rock, Paper, Scissors, we all know rock smashes scissors, scissors cut paper, and paper covers rock. In Giants, Elves, Wizards, giants step on elves, elves hide from wizards, and wizards use magic on giants. Giants beat elves, elves beat wizards, and wizards beat giants. Each character has an action. For giants, students will raise their arms above their heads to look tall and intimidating. For elves, students will crouch down close to the floor to show how small they are. For wizards, students will stand with their arms straight out in front of them and wiggle their fingers like they’re trying to cast a spell. Easy, right? Now comes the strategy and teamwork part. Divide students into two teams and send them to opposite sides of the room. This is their home base. Each team will huddle up and secretly decide what character they’ll be. Once they’ve decided their strategy, they’ll turn, meet in the middle of the room, and form two lines facing each other, dodgeball style. Leave about 6–10 feet between teams. On the count of three, all students will repeat “giants, elves, wizards” three times in their lines, doing the corresponding action. After the third repetition, each team will then yell out their character in unison and do that action. For example: “Giants, elves, wizards… (brief pause) ELVES!” If the other team calls out Giants, the Giants team will chase the Elves team back to the Elves’ home base wall and try to tag them. However, if the other team calls out Wizards, the Elves team will chase the Wizards team back to the Wizards’ home base wall to try and tag them. The chasing team’s goal is to tag as many of the opposing team’s members as they can before they reach their home base. Any tagged students will join the winning team’s side. Then gameplay will start again, with each team choosing another character to play. One team will now have more members. The goal is to bring all the players over to one side. Phew! Now that you know how to play, we’ll offer some variations to mix up your gameplay and give your students some creative challenges. Variations• Come up with themed variations for different events, holidays, or shows you’re studying. For example, you could do a Halloween-themed game with Witches, Vampires, and Mummies. If you’re studying The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical, perhaps you could use the “big three” gods of that show as characters: Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades. Students will need to explain how one character beats the next, and create new actions for each character. • In the television series The Big Bang Theory, the characters play an expanded version of the game called Rock, Paper, Scissors, Lizard, Spock. This makes it more complicated as each character now can beat an additional character. Have your students try adding two new characters to Giants, Elves, Wizards, and explain how the new characters fit in. • Try adding a new rule. What happens if both teams choose the same character? What happens if they do this multiple times in a row? • Initiate a “buy back” system, where students can complete tasks prior to the match to earn back a member of their team that they lost earlier. Perhaps students must recite part of a monologue, do a mime sequence, or make up a dance on the spot. This could be especially helpful if one team is running out of members quickly! • Use the results of the final match as a writing prompt for your students. For example, if in the last round the Elves were beaten by the Giants, you might use this scene to start writing: “The remaining elves swore vengeance against the giants who had squashed their brethren. They started sharpening their tiny spears…” Or if the Elves beat the Wizards: “The wizards didn’t see the elves coming until the last moment. But that wasn’t anything unusual. It was always a sneaky surprise attack when the wizards least expected it. And no matter how often the wizards boarded up the cracks in the walls and kept their doors tightly shut, the tiny elves managed to get themselves inside, night after night.” The writing can be serious, silly, heartful, cold, or any other feeling students find appropriate and inspiring. If you wish, have students share what they have written.

It’s easy for students to downplay their accomplishments, brush off compliments, and outright tear themselves down mentally or verbally. Negative self-talk can seriously affect students’ confidence and self-esteem. However, in drama class, we can work on this with our students. Below, you will find a variety of warm-up questions to give to your class to help them think and speak more positively about themselves. Have students choose one of the questions below and respond to it. If they are feeling bad about themselves for any reason, have them choose two or more and respond to them. • Choose three positive words or phrases to describe yourself. Why did you choose them? • What are three things that you like about yourself? • What's something you did recently that made you feel proud of yourself? • Describe something kind you did for someone recently. How did that person react? How did it make you feel? • Think about a compliment, kind word, or uplifting comment you gave to someone recently. Apply it to yourself. If you wish, you can follow up with: • Do you feel any resistance to thinking or saying kind words to/about yourself? If so, why? • Are any negative statements you’re telling yourself true or untrue? How can you determine this? If you think your students are up for a challenge, try this warm-up exercise. Have students write down three negative things they’ve said about themselves in the past, leaving a space in between each sentence. Then, have them cross out the negative thought and replace it with a positive one. It can be a full replacement of the sentence, for example, changing “I can’t do xyz” to “I’m great at abc and I’m proud of how hard I worked to achieve it.” Or, it could be as simple as changing “I can’t do xyz” to “Yes I can” or adding the word “yet,” i.e., “I can’t do xyz yet, but I will keep working at it.” If your students are really struggling with coming up with positive things to say about themselves, have them try the following roleplay mini-exercise. It can also be used as an additional standalone warm-up exercise. Have students pair up. One student will say something kind, positive, or uplifting about their partner, and their partner will say thank you and agree with them. For example, Partner A might say, “(Partner B), you work really hard in drama class and you’re a great actor.” Partner B would respond with, “Thank you, I do work really hard and I think I’m a great actor as well.” Partner B will then give Partner A a compliment and Partner A will respond in kind. Again, check in with your students to see if they’re feeling any resistance towards speaking positively to themselves. At the end of class, have students respond to the questions in the reflection below. You can revisit these warm-ups anytime your students need a pick-me-up, or sprinkle them throughout your usual activities during the term to improve their confidence. You may wish to track when you incorporate these warm-ups into your lessons to see how they affect students’ performances (hopefully they’re improved!).

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 setting. It can be completed live in class, or virtually (click the link at the bottom of the article to download virtual instructions). In-Person Exercise Instructions:1. Students will sit in a circle. Have one student stand in the middle of the circle. 2. The student in the middle will turn to face any student in the circle, make eye contact, and say that student’s name. 3. The student they name will answer yes or no. Those are the only two choices, and there is no elaboration, explanation, or paraphrasing. Only yes or no. 4. If the student in the circle says yes, they will take the spot of the student in the middle and the student in the middle will take the empty spot in the circle. The new student in the middle will then turn to another student and continue on with the exercise. 5. If the student in the circle says no, the student in the middle will turn to someone else, make eye contact, and say that student’s name. That student will then reply yes or no. If they say yes, they will take the place of the student in the middle (as above). If they say no, the student in the middle will continue to call names until someone says yes and takes their spot in the middle of the circle. Continue playing for as many rounds as you wish. Simple, right? But the reactions that often arise while working through this exercise are varied and interesting. If time allows, debrief with your students about what emotional and physical reactions surfaced for them, or give them the opportunity to journal about their reactions. Here are some prompts: • How did you feel saying no to someone (emotionally, physically, or both)? • How did you feel when someone said no to you? • Did you feel pressure to answer one way or the other? Why or why not? • How does this exercise help you in drama class? • How can this exercise be applied to the real world? Some of the emotional reactions that commonly arise include worrying if they’ll be stuck in the middle for ages, feeling frustrated by being continually told no, feeling guilty for saying no, feeling obligated or pressured to say yes, feeling like they should give the same response as their friends, or feeling like they need to explain or justify their choice to say no. It can be surprisingly difficult to tell someone no directly! (Teachers, this is a great opportunity to remind students that “no” is a complete sentence.) Physical reactions might include breathing faster, avoiding or wanting to avoid eye contact, feeling tightness or tension in the body (especially the stomach), feeling itchy or crawly, fidgeting, or clenching the jaw or teeth. It’s also normal to not have any of those physical or emotional reactions, or to have different ones than those listed above. Encourage students to consider why they’re feeling the way they are. Note: It might be helpful to do a quick stretch, shake-out, or dance party to transition students into a different activity after completing this warm-up exercise, particularly if they are feeling tension in their bodies or uncomfortable feelings.

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 question of the day to get their creative juices flowing. Here’s another prompt that you can use with your students: a “would you rather” question. The simplest way to use a “would you rather” prompt is to post the question somewhere and have students write an individual response in their journals. You could use a “would you rather” question as a discussion prompt, either as a full class or in small groups. You might choose to have the prompt posted on a board as a chart with some sticky notes available for students to post their vote under their choice, to see what the breakdown of answers is within the class. Maybe 13 of your students would prefer to act in a play and 7 of your students would prefer to act in a musical. You could also make it a physical exercise, where students move to one side of the room or the other, depending on their choice. (This is a great way to see if students are easily influenced by their friends/peers.) The “would you rather” prompt can be as simple or as complicated as you wish. You can start with ideas like, “Would you rather operate sound or lights?” “Would you rather be the director or the producer?” “Would you rather perform an improvised scene or a scripted scene?” The prompts don’t have to be related to drama class — you could throw in a funny one now and then, such as, “Would you rather have dessert for every meal or never have dessert again?” The prompts could be related to a play you’re studying in class. Think about choices that characters make or problems that arise in the play, and have students respond to those questions. “Would you rather be part of the Capulet family or the Montague family?” “Would you rather go down the rabbit hole to Wonderland or stay in the real world?” “Would you rather be a pizza box or a chocolate box?” You can also use a “would you rather” prompt as a problem-solving challenge, by adding an “if” scenario at the start of the prompt. For example, “If you were casting the lead role in your musical, would you rather cast your worst enemy who is a fantastic singer, or your best friend who is totally tone-deaf?” “If your actors weren’t off-book at dress rehearsal, would you make them do the show as best they could, or cancel it?” One of the great things about a “would you rather” question is that it allows students to practice making a choice. Some students haven’t had many opportunities to make decisions for themselves, or lack the confidence to do so. They might look towards their friends to see what they would do, or worry about making the “wrong” choice. Encourage your students to make their choices for themselves. Once students gain more confidence in their choice making, take it a step further and ask the follow-up question: “WHY?” What are their thoughts and feelings about the choice they made? Can they articulate why they would make that choice? Do they answer confidently, or do they feel like they need to defend their decision? One of the challenges of a “would you rather” prompt is that students may try to push back and refuse to make a choice, or try to negotiate a “but” or an “if.” “I’d cast my enemy IF they would sign a contract saying that they can’t be mean to me.” “I’d cast my best friend BUT I’d have them take singing lessons.” It’s up to you whether you want to allow students to do this. Either way, students will have the opportunity to think critically and creatively.

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 classroom is, using yes or no questions. Instructions: 1. As a group, brainstorm a list of famous pairs, partners, and duos. You’ll need to come up with at least as many pairs as you have students (i.e., if you have twenty students in your class, you need a minimum of ten pairs). The pairs can be characters from plays, movies, books, comics, or even certain food items that always go together. Here are some ideas to get you started: • Batman and Robin • Mario and Luigi • Peter Pan and Wendy Darling • Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson • Bert and Ernie • Romeo and Juliet • Calvin and Hobbes • Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia • Lilo and Stitch • Mickey and Minnie Mouse • Anna and Elsa • Superman and Lois Lane • Sugar and spice • Peanut butter and jelly • Macaroni and cheese Keep an ear out for potential debates about who a character’s famous partner is. Your students might think Batman and the Joker, Peter Pan and Tinkerbell, or Princess Leia and Han Solo are better pairs than the ones listed above. If you want to, allow students to explain their thoughts and vote on which pair is more iconic together. 2. Write each member of the pairs on different pieces of paper, Post-it Notes, or sticker sheets. (Note: if you’re short on time, you can prepare the list of famous pairs and papers in advance — just make sure the pairs you choose are ones that students will be familiar with.) 3. Attach the papers to your students’ backs. 4. Have students walk around the room and try to figure out who or what they are, by using yes or no questions. For example, if a student’s character is Batman, they might ask questions like, “Am I a human?” “Am I a superhero?” or “Am I in a movie?” 5. Once they’ve figured out who or what they are, they need to find their partner (i.e., the student playing Batman must figure out which student is Robin) and stand next to them. 6. If your students find this exercise too easy, you can make it more challenging in a few ways: • Limit the number of questions students can ask each other. For example, if your limit is ten questions, have students hold up their hands. When they ask a question, they have to fold down one of their fingers until they’ve figured out who they are. Once both hands are in fists, they can’t ask any more questions and they’ll have to wait for their partner to find them or figure it out by process of elimination. • Set a time limit for finding their partner. If you want to make it a competition, perhaps the students who pair up in time win a prize, or the students who can’t find their partners have to complete a task such as sweeping the classroom or performing a silly dance in front of the rest of the group. • Miming only. Students cannot use their voices; they have to mime their questions and responses. • Once students figure out their character, they have to act and speak like that character. This might be more difficult for students whose pairs are peanut butter and jelly or macaroni and cheese, but a fun acting challenge nonetheless! • Once students have found their partner, assign the pair a scene to prepare or an improv scenario to complete.

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! It’s a great way for students to practice individual mime and tableau skills in a low-pressure environment, since the whole group is moving at the same time. Elephant Walk is great for students at any skill level. You’ll find some adaptation ideas below for more advanced learners. It’s also useful for helping your students loosen up and be silly together, as well as helping you get to know your students better. You’ll be able to gauge their base effort and risk-taking abilities. How far are they willing to push themselves out of their comfort zone? Give it a try and find out. Instructions: • Have students spread out around the room, standing in a neutral position (feet flat on the floor, hands by sides). On your cue, students will walk around the room at a medium to slow pace. • Call out an animal for students to portray through their movements as they travel around the room. When they hear the animal, they are to immediately (and silently) move how they think that animal would. Choose an animal that has the potential for different levels and/or speeds of movement, such as an elephant, giraffe, snake, crab, lion, gazelle, peacock, parrot — whatever you think will challenge your students! Encourage students to use their entire bodies and facial expressions to portray the animal. • Call out “freeze!” Each student must freeze in place in a solo tableau until you call out the next animal. At that moment, students will start moving around the room as the new animal until you call “freeze” again. • Repeat as many times as you wish with different animals. • Discuss: What was the easiest part of this warm-up exercise? What was the most difficult? What animal did you enjoy portraying the most? Why? Alternative: Have students move around the room as if they’re engaged various sports activities, such as skiing, skating, rowing, swimming (there are many different varieties), dancing (again, there are many varieties to choose from), bobsledding, triple-jumping, or power-walking. Just ensure that all movement is “non contact,” in case you use football as a prompt! For advanced drama students: Have students walk around the room in an upright “human” style, but using the animal/sports prompt as a guide to inform their human character. They might plod like an elephant, or glide like they’re a snake. How can they make their movements more subtle and nuanced, but still different from how they normally walk? You can also use the article Why You Need to Rehearse in Your Character’s Shoes as inspiration for an alternative version of this exercise. Have students walk around the room in the footwear they’re currently wearing (or have them take their shoes off if they’re willing) but call out various shoe prompts such as sneakers, high heels, flip-flops, ballet slippers, scuba flippers, cowboy boots, or tap shoes. How can students portray a different style of shoe through their movements? How does the shoe prompt inform the rest of their body movements?

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 we’re here to help. The following are activities and warm-ups you can use to ease your students into drama class and start your first week of classes on the right foot: Ten First Week Activities for Drama Class It’s right there in the title — ten (free!) activities to break the ice, establish trust, and build community. Get Your First Day of Drama Class Started Out Right Learn your students’ names, find out a bit about them, and find out why they’re taking your drama class. Learning The Rules: Act It Out Game Sitting and listening to rules is boring. Get your students up on their feet and act out how they should and shouldn’t behave in drama class. Three Things in Common Game This game goes beyond “we both take drama” or “we both have brown hair” and helps students get to know each other more deeply. Warm-Up Activities that Encourage Communication Here are a bunch of activities that get your students engaged in communication that goes beyond simply talking. They focus on vocal technique and clarity, active listening, and nonverbal communication — the basics to build a foundation on. Active Listening in the Drama Classroom Active listening is another important foundational skill that students need to succeed in drama class. This article contains a whole host of activities that help students practice active listening. Warm-Up Activities for Trust Building Ease your students into drama class with these full group activities that are low pressure but high on fun. These activities can be adapted for in-person or online learning. Nonverbal Communication Exercises for the Drama Class The idea of public speaking or reading aloud in class, especially at the beginning of the term, can be intimidating for some students, especially if they’re new to drama. Try these nonverbal exercises that focus on communication, movement, and intention, all without words. Question of the Day Get your students into the drama class mindset with this start-of-class activity. As a bonus, here are a few of our tried and true classroom management tip articles: Top 10 Classroom Management Tips for Drama Teachers This article comes with a free download of emergency activities to have on hand for those “just in case” situations. 5 Ways to Quiet Down a Noisy Drama Class (Without Yelling) If your students are on the boisterous side, this article will come in handy! 3 Tips to Learn Students’ Names Quickly So. Many. Names. This article offers tips as well as three name games to help you out. Creating Connection With Your Students When there is a genuine connection between teacher and students, there are so many positive outcomes in the classroom, including a feeling of positive energy, more risk-taking, deeper absorption of lessons, and visible enjoyment of the subject.

The following warm-up game uses found objects and allows students to work on their improvisation, storytelling, and character building skills. Take the well-known elementary school activity — show and tell — and give it a twist! DescriptionStudents will present a found object as multiple different characters. You may have played a version of this game before where the student sells a found item as if they’re in a commercial or on a shopping channel. In this version, students don’t need to sell the item, just talk about it for an extended period of time, while staying in character. This warm-up game can be done online or in person. Materials Needed• Found objects – whatever students have in their possession or find in the classroom • Timer (optional) • Remote control, bell, or buzzer (optional) Directions1. Have students grab a nearby object to use as their show and tell piece. It can be anything from a pencil to a stuffed animal to a piece of clothing. 2. Students may volunteer to participate, or the teacher can select the running order. The game is played in multiple rounds. 3. One by one, students will present their object. For the first round, students will introduce themselves, present their object, and describe it in detail, as themselves. They can describe what the item is, what it looks like, how they obtained it, how long they’ve had it for, whether it is meaningful to them, and so on. Students must speak using full sentences (not just a list of adjectives). For example, if the object is a pencil, the student might say something like, “My name is Indra, and my item for show and tell is a pencil. It is about six inches long, red, and has a half-chewed eraser on the end. It used to be my sister’s pencil, but I stole it from her room and never gave it back. If you look closely, you can see that she chewed on it. I try not to touch that part of the pencil.” If you wish, you can give a time limit. If you give a time limit, it’s the responsibility of the student to keep talking for the full time. Once they reach the time limit, cut them off. If you don’t want a time limit, have students figure out a conclusion to the story. If you think your students will go overboard, give them a limit — for example, ten sentences or descriptors. 4. For the second round, students will present the same item they picked, only as a different character. This time, they will pretend that they are five years old and are sharing their item with their kindergarten class (or whatever the equivalent is where you live). If students aren’t sure of what to do, brainstorm as a class how a five-year-old might present their item. Have them think back to what they were like when they were in elementary school, or if they have a younger sibling or babysit, what those young people might do. Five-year-olds might be enthusiastic or shy, silly or charming, excited to share their thoughts, or eager to get their turn over with. They might wiggle in their chairs, stumble over their words at times (their brains sometimes go faster than their mouths), or go off on tangents. Going with the example above, a five-year-old might say that they got the pencil from their sister’s room, but then start talking about the sister or the sister’s room, and forget that they were talking about the pencil. Have students present their item in character as five-year-old children. If you want to get silly, have the rest of the class react in character to each person’s presentation. 5. If time permits (or if you want to do this warm-up multiple times throughout the week), have students present their items as different characters or with different prompts. Some ideas for characters may include: • An elderly person, sharing an item they’ve had for a long time • A sports commentator, giving a play-by-play description of the item • An ASMRtist (autonomous sensory meridian response — soothing whispers) • A celebrity “sharing” the item with their fans, while trying not to let slip that they’re actually endorsing the product 6. Here are two twists you can use as well, to keep students on their toes: • Channel Change #1: Create a cue to “change the channel” by using a sound effect such as a bell or buzzer, or by “clicking” a remote control, and have the student present their item using a different character (for example, start as a five-year-old child and then switch to a sports commentator). You can also simply clap your hands or say “pause” or “switch” if you don’t want to use any props yourself. • Channel Change #2: Use your channel change cue plus a student’s name to switch from student to student (for example, start with Indra and then switch to Jonas). For this twist, don’t give your students a running order; they are responsible for paying attention and being ready to go when they’re called.

It’s not unusual to feel slightly disconnected from students while teaching virtually (and we don’t mean when the internet stops working!). Drama classes are all about human connection and trust, and that can be hard to develop when you’re not physically together with your students. It’s not impossible though — it just takes some time. Try these warm-up exercises in your distance learning drama classes to help build trust, both between you and your students, and between your students. Boring FactsAt the beginning of a new term of drama classes, it’s common for teachers to try to get to know their students by asking them to introduce themselves and share an interesting fact about themselves. However, students often stress about having to figure out an interesting fact, and put pressure on themselves to choose something impressive. Next time, try asking students to share a boring fact about themselves. Anything from “I like cheese” to “I’m also taking math this term” to “I have one sister” works just fine! A boring fact is easy to think of quickly, will give students a chuckle, and can lead to students being more willing to answer follow-up questions (“What kind of cheese is your favourite?” “What’s your opinion of melted cheese on vegetables?” “Ever try one of those fancy bleu cheeses?”). Read My LipsStudents are more likely to loosen up and take risks when they see that their teacher is willing to take risks and look silly as well. When doing exercises, be willing to demonstrate the task so students can see what to expect. As well, try the following simple warm-up: Mute your camera and say a sentence out loud in front of the camera. Speak slowly and exaggerate your enunciation. Students must guess what you are saying by reading your lips. They can respond orally or in the chat box. Encourage students to try the exercise as well! This is a great way for students to practice enunciation and diction, so they can be heard clearly while performing. Full Class Warm-upsDoing full class warm-up exercises takes the pressure off of students. Everyone is working together, which means they’re all on equal footing, and nobody has to worry about looking silly, because you’re all looking silly together! Here are some fast and easy full class warm-ups: • As a group, have students shake their right hand vigorously while counting out loud, backwards from 10. Then shake the left hand and count back, the right foot and count back, and the left foot and count back. Start again with the right hand and count back from 9, and keep repeating the exercise until you get down to 1-1-1-1 (right hand, left hand, right foot, left foot). If you’re short on time, count back from 5 to 1. (This is from our post Community-Building Warm-ups for the Drama Classroom.) • Have a Puppet Dance Party with found objects. Have students suggest songs to dance to. • Rapid Fire Thumbs: As quickly as you can, ask students a number of yes/no questions on a topic, such as favourite foods, music genres, actors, or hobbies. For example: “I’m going to quickly list some fruits and you’ll respond as fast as you can with thumbs up if you like it and thumbs down if you don’t… three, two, one: Apples! Oranges! Bananas! Strawberries! Grapefruit!” and so on. You can add an extra layer of two thumbs up for something they really like, and two thumbs down for something they really dislike. To make it more active, you could have students stand up for things they like and sit down for things they don’t like, or change up the gestures (nodding/shaking head, applause/booing, smiling/frowning). You can also try throwing in something that doesn’t fit into the topic and see how students respond. For example: “Apples! Oranges! Bananas! Popcorn!” Did they notice? Did they try to call you out? How did they feel when you tried to trick them?

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 game to do in a virtual classroom because students can use the frames of their webcams as an additional tool to have fun with their puppets. If you wish, you can talk with your students ahead of time about puppets and how they move. They might think that puppets have to be “real” puppets like marionettes or the fancy puppets from Avenue Q, The Muppets, or Sesame Street. But any object can be a puppet if you can pick it up and make it move somehow. 1. Select an up-tempo piece of music that you can dance to. Ask your students for song suggestions in advance so you can select some of their favourites. 2. Give students 10 seconds to find an object nearby. It can be anything that’s easy to manipulate – a pencil, a stuffed animal, a piece of clothing, a water bottle, a book. If you can pick it up and move it somehow, it can be a puppet. Even drawing a face on the pad of your finger counts as a puppet. However, it’s best for students not to select something that’s too heavy or potentially breakable. 3. Give students one minute to examine their puppet object and experiment with how they might animate it. Here are some things to think about: • How does the puppet “walk”? Does it float, jerk about, jump, shimmy, glide? • Is the puppet heavy or light? This doesn’t mean the object’s actual weight – the puppet can be a different weight. • How can the puppet be manipulated? Does the object open, slide, or have a function? What happens if you turn it upside down or sideways? • How can students move the puppet in and out of the frame of their webcam in an interesting way? • How can students interact with the puppet? • If the puppet had a name, what would it be? How does that affect how the puppet might move? 4. After the one-minute examination, turn on the music and let students make their puppets dance to the music. At first, students might just dance and wave the objects around, and that’s ok! Dancing and being silly in front of others isn’t the easiest thing – a lot of students are worried about looking cool in front of their peers. Getting students to move in any way is the first step towards letting loose. 5. Once students are more comfortable moving to the music, they can start to focus on manipulating the puppet and making it move and dance. Encourage them to dance “with” the puppet, and react to what they make the puppet do. Remind students not to focus on “doing it right” – it’s more important to let loose and have fun. 6. Before moving on to your lesson for the day, check in with students and ask them how they’re feeling after dancing it out with their puppets. 7. Have your students try this warm-up game every day for a week , choosing different music and a different object to animate each day. Then at the end of the week, have them complete and submit a reflection about their week of puppet dance party warm-ups.

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 no props (although students can use found objects if they wish), and can be done virtually on an online platform such as Zoom or Skype, or in person. 1. Select four students to participate. Two students will be silent actors and two students will be their voices. Assign one silent actor and one voice actor to be Character A, and the other silent actor and voice actor to be Character B. 2. The two voice actors will cover their cameras or turn them off, but keep their microphones on. (Make sure they can still see everyone else.) The two silent actors will turn their microphones off, but keep their cameras on. 3. The two voice actors will start a conversation, Character A speaking to Character B. It might help to give them a starting line, a character trait, or a topic to get them started. See below for a link to twenty conversation starters! 4. The two silent actors will lip sync (as best they can) along with their matching voice actor, while adding facial expressions and gestures. They can use found objects as props if they wish. 5. The silent actors will need to listen carefully to what the voice actors are saying to interpret their words. It will help the silent actors if the voice actors speak slowly and clearly. The silent actors can help make the scene more active by exaggerating their facial expressions and gestures. 6. Give students the opportunity to try both the silent and voice roles. 7. After the scene, discuss with your students: • What was more challenging: playing the silent role or the voice role? • What role did you prefer to play? • How can this exercise help you become a better actor? • What can you do to make the scene funny? • What can you do to be a good team player in this exercise? Alternate 1: Act/React • Have the two silent actors create a mimed scene, while the two voice actors create lines based on the actions of the silent pair. Adaptation 2: Murmel Murmel Murmel • Have the two voice actors speak in gibberish, animal sounds, or vocal effects, while the silent actors mouth a “conversation” and react to the sounds. Adaptation 3: Flip the Roles • For this adaptation, have all the participants keep their mics and cameras on. Assign the pairs as instructed above. Midway through the scene, say “FLIP” and have the silent pair become the voice pair and vice versa. Students must keep the conversation going as if nothing has changed.