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This is a fun introductory warm-up and concentration game. You can begin sitting down or standing up. In pairs, face each other. Start counting from one to three between yourselves, over and over. Once you get the hang of that part you are ready for the next stage. Instead of saying the number “one”, you should clap your hands – but you would still say “two” and “three” aloud.

Once everyone has mastered that, the next step is that instead of saying “three”, that person should bend their knees. You should still clap your hands for the number “one”. This is a bit like trying to pat your head and rub your stomach at the same time – in fact, you could try that afterwards!

A: “One” (Claps hands)
B: “Two”
A: “Three” (Bends knees)
B: “One” (Claps hands)
A: “Two”
B: “Three” (Bends knees)

Tip: Make sure you allow time to encourage pairs to show everybody else how they are doing after each step. It’s fun watching people trying to concentrate, especially if it goes a bit wrong!

If you have extra time, pairs can make up their own movement and/or sound for the number “two”.

T

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This is a fun introductory warm-up and concentration game. You can begin sitting down or standing up. In pairs, face each other. Start counting from one to three between yourselves, over and over. Once you get the hang of that part you are ready for the next stage. Instead of saying the number “one”, you should clap your hands – but you would still say “two” and “three” aloud.

Once everyone has mastered that, the next step is that instead of saying “three”, that person should bend their knees. You should still clap your hands for the number “one”. This is a bit like trying to pat your head and rub your stomach at the same time – in fact, you could try that afterwards!

A: “One” (Claps hands)
B: “Two”
A: “Three” (Bends knees)
B: “One” (Claps hands)
A: “Two”
B: “Three” (Bends knees)

Tip: Make sure you allow time to encourage pairs to show everybody else how they are doing after each step. It’s fun watching people trying to concentrate, especially if it goes a bit wrong!

If you have extra time, pairs can make up their own movement and/or sound for the number “two”.

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The group stands in a circle and begins by throwing a beanbag or bouncing a medium-sized ball, such as a children’s football, across the circle from one person to another. Make sure people are ready to throw and ready to catch. Eye contact is important.

Now, introduce yourself as you throw or bounce the ball across the circle – ‘Hi, I’m Robert’. Once everybody has had a go at that, continue the game but this time say the name of the person that you are throwing to – ‘Jessica to Kelvin’. The group should ensure that everybody receives the ball. One way of doing this is for everybody to hold one hand up until they have caught the ball, or each person folds their arms when they have thrown it.

Variation

·         The catcher can call out the name of the thrower

·         Ask everybody to call out the name of the thrower

·         More balls can be added in so that it develops into a group juggle..

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This is a very popular drama game and a useful technique which can be developed easily towards improvisation or physical theatre. It’s also highly accessible and great fun! Divide everyone into small groups (4-6). Call out the name of an object and all the groups have to make the shape of that object out of their own bodies, joining together in different ways while you count down slowly from ten to zero. Usually every group will find a different way of forming the object. Examples could be: a car, a fried breakfast, a clock, a washing machine, a fire.

Develop the Activity

Encourage groups to think about using different levels with their body shapes, eg high, medium and low.

You could choose objects from a play you are rehearsing or a theme you are exploring (see the drama lesson on Evacuees).

Groups can also be given a couple of minutes to devise an object of their own which the rest of the class try to guess.

You could make it a rule that after 10 seconds they must be completely frozen in position.

On the other hand it can be fun if they are able to make objects that use movement.

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This is one of the simplest, yet most challenging drama games.

Sit or stand in a circle. The idea is for the group to count to twenty, one person saying one number at a time.

Anybody can start the count. Then a different person says the next number – but if two or more people happen to speak at the same time, counting must start again from the beginning. It is possible to get to twenty if everybody really concentrates – but try and be relaxed as well.

Try doing it with and without eye contact

Other variations you can try include members of the group facing outwards and closing their eyes (difficult!) or counting back from twenty to one.

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A useful strategy for exploring any kind of dilemma faced by a character. The class forms two lines facing each other. One person (usually the teacher/leader) takes the role of the protagonist and walks between the lines as each member of the group speaks their advice. It can be organised so that those on one side give opposing advice to those on the other. When the protagonist reaches the end of the alley, she makes her decision.

Drama from a Story/Narrative Poem

Select a story or narrative poem, such as ‘The Pied Piper of Hamelin’ or ‘The Highwayman’.

1. Give out sections of the story/poem to small groups. Each group should devise a mime to show their part of the story

2. Tell the story

3. In groups, work on Role on the Wall for one of the main characters.

4. Hot seating – take it in turns to Interview different members of each group in role as characters

5. Forum Theatre (see below)

6. Writing activities – write captions for freeze frames, eye witness reports (different points of view), poetry, headlines, tweets, playwriting

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Freeze frames followed by Action Clap or Thought Tracking 

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Freeze frames followed by Action Clap or Thought Tracking 

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Freeze Frames
With freeze-frame, the action in a play or scene is frozen, as in a photograph or video frame. Still images, on the other hand, require individuals or groups to invent shapes or postures. Groups can be asked to tell a story through a series of prepared still-images. This can be an effective method for students who are less inclined to improvise dialogue. The still images can also be brought to life through improvisation. Freeze-frames and still images can be usefully combined with thought tracking, forum theatre or flashbacks and flash forwards

Action Clap

Explain that you would like the group to bring the scene alive for a few moments with speech and movement. Initiate this by saying “Action!” or clapping your hands to start the scene. Let the improvisation run for a short time – ideally before the performers run out of steam – and then end it with another signal such as “Cut!”, “Freeze!” or by clapping your hands a second time. The improvisation will usually last for just a few seconds and certainly no longer than one minute.

Thought Tracking

To develop the story behind the picture we can start with what the characters are thinking through thought tracking. All you do is tap each student on the shoulder or point at them. The student should speak as the character, voicing their thoughts or feelings. If the student is portraying an animal or object, they may choose to make a sound instead of words. I usually encourage them by saying something like ‘if the helicopter/seagull could talk, what would it say?’

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A story is acted out by all the participants as it is narrated. Begin telling the story and as soon as a key character, event or object is mentioned, signal to one of the participants to step into the circle to become the character or make a still image. If more than one character is mentioned then more players can step in together. An object can also be made by several people – for example a forest.

As more characters or objects are introduced, pick players from all around the circle so that everybody takes part at some point. This means that different members of the group may get to play the same character at various times and everyone gets a chance at trying different roles regardless of gender. The story continues to be told with more players stepping in as required so that a scene is quickly built up. Characters can interact with one another and speak improvised dialogue or lines from a play. This can be done with you reading the line and the character repeating it.

Any time that the activity inside the circle becomes too lively, congested or confused, simply wave your arms, say “Whoosh!” and everyone returns to their original places to become members of the audience again. It’s like wiping the slate clean. The story continues to be told with characters and objects stepping into the space as required. You can say “Whoosh!” as many times as necessary during the story – it’s a very useful secret weapon!

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A character is questioned by the group about his or her background, behaviour and motivation. The method may be used for developing a role in the drama lesson or rehearsals, or analysing a play post-performance. Even done without preparation, it is an excellent way of fleshing out a character. Characters may be hot-seated individually, in pairs or small groups. The technique is additionally useful for developing questioning skills with the rest of the group.

Hot-Spotting

This is a version of hot-seating to use with freeze-frames. After thought-tracking in a freeze-frame, ask the audience if they have questions for any of the characters. The performers should stay in position in the freeze frame, but answer the questions in character. The advantages of this method are:

•        Students are already in character

•        They feel supported by the other actors in the freeze frame

•        Questions are likely to be linked to a character’s actions and motivations rather than ‘in a void’

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An instant way of making up an entertaining story with a partner.

In pairs, one person (Tim) starts telling a story about something imaginary that happened to him, using the first-person narrative – for example ‘I was walking along the beach last week when I saw something strange lying on the sand...’

After a short time he touches his partner on the shoulder and says, “...and I can’t remember what happened next...” Tim’s partner Suzy now continues the story in as exciting a way as possible as though she and Tim are the same person – for example ‘As I got closer I saw it was something big and grey and it was alive... and I can’t remember what happened next.’ Suzy taps Tim on the shoulder and he continues the narrative.

This exercise works well for stories with an element of tension such as a ghost story or a tale of suspense. It is crucial that both players accept each other’s ideas. If they do this they will discover that they can soon make up stories that they would never have thought of on their own.

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Springwell Junior's Drama resource inspired by David Farmers Games and Strategies for Drama. The Padlet has a lot of useful games and strategies to teach and embed Drama and Oracy within your teaching. Drama promotes a good attitude to working within a team , helps students develop empathy and responsibility which are critical for their adult life. Through Oracy children will be able to communicate effectively whilst helping shy children develop confidence as it gives them a platform to express themselves.

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Sentence stems across all subjects and genres of talking to download and use.

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