Drama exercises for all
Here are some of my favourite drama exercises to use and participate in.
Whether you're a teacher, a drama coach, or a parent looking to add a little drama to your child's routine, these activities are sure to inspire creativity, build confidence and enhance listening skills.
They are truly for everyone who wants to play!
Here are six different activities, each one catered to developing a specific skill set.
1. Stop | Go
Great for building focus, enhancing listening and responding skills, and fostering ensemble building, the 'Stop | Go' game is one of the easiest and most fun ways to get started. The game revolves around the simple instructions of 'stop' and 'go', with participants having to react accordingly.
As the game progresses, more instructions can be added like 'jump', 'clap', 'skip', or 'duck'. The game can be made more challenging by reversing the meanings of the instructions. For instance, 'stop' could mean 'go' and 'jump' could mean 'clap'. This game not only builds an understanding of instructions but also improves spatial awareness.
2. Pirate Ship Stage Directions
This activity is a fun and engaging way to teach students about stage directions. Participants pretend to be pirates and follow various stage directions that are associated with pirate activities, such as climbing the rigging, pretending to be a seagull, or digging for treasure.
To make it more challenging, you can blindfold one or two participants and give them stage directions to find a hidden piece of treasure. This activity is great for understanding stage directions and is especially beneficial for those who aspire to be theater actors.
3. “Spaghetti”
This activity is a great way to build confidence, promote ensemble building, and stimulate imagination. Participants stand in a circle and are given a single word – spaghetti. They then have to express that word in different emotions or ways as instructed.
This could include 'excited spaghetti', 'sad spaghetti', 'cool spaghetti', and so on. The activity helps participants explore different emotions and expressions, and can be made more challenging by adding more words or phrases.
4. Voice
Voice is a powerful tool in drama and performance, and this activity is designed to help participants explore the range and potential of their voices. The activity starts with relaxing facial muscles and warming up the voice.
Participants can do tongue twisters, make different sounds, and experiment with various vocal ranges. This activity is great for building vocal awareness, improving listening and responding skills, and discovering their unique vocal range.
5. Soundscape
Soundscape is a creative activity that encourages participants to create the sounds of different places or settings, such as a jungle, beach, airport, or supermarket. Participants close their eyes and make a sound they associate with the given setting. As everyone repeats their sound, a unique soundscape is created.
This activity enhances listening skills, promotes creativity, and sparks imagination. It can be made more challenging by asking participants to make sounds with their backs facing the circle or by providing visuals of the setting.
6. Character Walk
In the Character Walk activity, participants walk around the room embodying different characters. They could be a king, queen, astronaut, giraffe, lion, knight, wizard, witch, and so on.
Participants can add sound or dialogue to their character's movements, introducing another layer of creativity to their performance. This activity is great for improving spatial awareness, enhancing listening and responding skills, and promoting imagination.
These drama activities are designed to be fun, engaging, and educational. They can be adapted to suit different age groups and can be made more challenging or simpler depending on the participants. So why wait? Let the drama begin!