Drama Kids classes help children explore their imagination through many different theater activities but did you know that there are games that students can bring home! Theater games are a fun way to connect as a family and bring creativity to life together! Here are a few to try out.
Yes, Lets…
One actor initiates an action by saying something like, “Let’s bake a cake.” The group replies with, “Yes, let’s!” and then pretends to bake a cake. Anyone can then shout out any idea they like. For example, someone might shout, “Let’s wash a lion!” The group will reply, “Yes, let’s!” And everyone will wash a lion. The game continues like this, with no idea being too silly.
How Did You Get Here?
Sit together in a circle and one by one each person makes up an elaborate story about how they got home. This could be by flying car, unicorn, or time travel. Anything goes in this game. You can even take it one step further by acting out how you got home!
Soundscape
Sit together in a circle and create the atmosphere of a place with sounds. Ideas may include the seaside, school, Mars, the jungle, the zoo, or fairy land. Ask someone to start: they must repeat their chosen noise, or the phrase, over and over again. Then the person next to them adds their noise; then the person next to them adds their own noise, and so on. Add movement to start creating the sights of your location as well as the sounds.
Pantomime to Music
Everyone lays down and a piece of music is played. Listen to it lying down for about 30 seconds or more, and when everyone is ready, stand up and move around the room in response to how the music makes you feel. The music may inspire characters like wizards who are skipping to wizard school, walking through a cave terrified, or sitting quietly reflecting on happier times. Whatever the music inspires, everyone must follow their intuition and go with that, not paying attention to anyone else in the group.
I’m sorry I…
One person stands up and approaches another person sitting in a circle and apologizes for something. They might be very sorry because they have lost their pet dog, or cast an irreversible spell on her brother. The person being apologized to reacts however they like then it is their turn to apologize to someone in the circle.
Broken down Elevator
Mark out a square or rectangle that is about the size of the floor space in an elevator. The name of this game is to choose characters and have them get into the elevator together, creating and improvising a scene. At some point in the improvisation the breaks down and all of the characters react! Who knows what will happen next.
The Magic Box
Using miming skills, pretend there is a magic box and inside there are many different kinds of objects. Open the lid and mime taking something out of the box. Put the thing back into the box and ask the audience to guess what it was. Then the magic box is passed to the next person to mime with.
Lead with your…
Everyone walks around the room. Call out a body part that everyone must lead with. Let’s start with the nose, for example. Figure out what type of character might lead with their nose. Lead with many different body parts.
You can find all of these theater games and so much more in a weekly Drama Kids class. Find your local Drama Kids today.