DRAMA GAMES
Bippity Bippity Bop
To be attentive and work on quick decision making
Learn how to react quickly to an action
To work on focus
To raise comfortability of a group
To get some energy out
The entire class stands in a circle and the teacher stands in the middle of the circle
The teacher points at someone in the circle and says “bippity bippity bop” as fast as she can. The person being pointed at must say “bop” before she gets to the end of her phrase. If the teacher points to a student and only says “bop”, then the student must stay quiet. The goal of the teacher is it get the students to not say “bop” fast enough in the first case scenario, and to say “bop” in the second
After this level is well understood by the whole group, it is time to add another dimension. If the teacher points to a student and says “haunted house”, the student must crouch down and in a ghoulish voice say “Come in! Come in!”. The two students to his left and right must use both their arms to make the roof of a house over the crouched student
If the teacher points to a student and says “Hawaii”, the student being pointed at would have to do the hula while the students on the left and right would put their arms up like palm trees
If the teacher points to a student and says “Godzilla” than the student must stomp in place and roar as if he was Godzilla while the student on the left and right must cower and scream
If you have time, you can add more in
7. Finally, once the class gets the hang of it, you can add an “elimination mode”: if a student messes up, he/she must sit down. Go until you have a winner.
Introductions & Applause
A great way for students to introduce themselves, get a non-frightening taste of being on stage
Establish a supportive environment
Either using a real door or an imaginary door (which you create for the students), tell the group each student will come up one by one, walk through the door to “enter” the stage, introduce themselves saying “Hi, my name is _____” and say one interesting thing about themselves (you can add on more to the speech but don’t make it too long or complicated – the point is to give an incredibly easy task)
After each introduction, the audience will enthusiastically applaud as the student stays up on stage and takes in the applause
Do no coaching here – the point again is to let each student perform their introduction, with no criticism whatsoever. The only thing you CAN coach them on is waiting for the applause – don’t let them run off the stage before they take it in
Name Game
Get to know names and something about each person.
Understand how to pantomime and communicate ideas.
Gather students in a circle. Have each student say their name and do a gesture for each syllable. The action should be simple and can demonstrate a hobby, interest they have or something that they do everyday. Example: I say “Pam-e-la” and gesture a paddle stroke on each side of my body- one stroke per syllable- to show I like to canoe
Each student says their name individually and demonstrates the gesture and everyone repeats the name and gesture. Repeat the process around the circle until all have shared their name and gesture
If time allows or at another time have those who wish to challenge their memory demonstrate all the names and gestures for everyone
Tongue Twister
Rehearsal warm up
Helping kids concentrate on working all their articulation muscles
Ask my students to crinkle their face as tiny as possible for 5 seconds
Make their face as big as possible for 5 seconds
Ask a few brave students to stand and attempt to say it 5 times in a row
A great variation is to have the group stand in a circle, then ask each student to say the tongue twister in a different emotion (angry, sad, happy, scared, frustrated, confused, etc.)
Or, begin to your right and challenge the students to begin happy but gradually get progressively more and more angry as students take turn around the circle
Unique New York
Three free throws
Red Leather, Yellow Leather
I thought a thought
But the thought I thought wasn’t the thought I thought I thought
One-One was a racehorse.
Two-Two was one, too.
When One-One won one race, Two-Two won one, too.
Say this sharply, say this sweetly,
Say this shortly, say this softly.
Say this sixteen times very quickly.
Rubber Baby Buggy Bumpers!
Silly Sally swiftly shooed seven silly sheep
The seven silly sheep Silly Sally shooed Shilly-shallied south
These sheep shouldn’t sleep in a shack; Sheep should sleep in a shed
Red Bulb Blue Bulb Red Bulb Blue Bulb Red Bulb Blue Bulb
Red Blood Blue Blood
I wish to wish the wish you wish to wish, but if you wish the wish the witch wishes, I won’t wish the wish you wish to wish
She sells seashells on the seashore
Mix a box of mixed biscuits with a boxed biscuit mixer
A proper copper coffee pot
Toy boat. Toy boat. Toy boat.
Betty bought butter but the butter was bitter, so Betty bought better butter to make the bitter butter better.
How much wood could a wood chuck; chuck if a wood chuck could chuck wood.
Comical economists.
Which wristwatches are Swiss wristwatches?
Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,
A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked.
If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,
Where’s the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?
Sascha sews slightly slashed sheets shut
She should shun the shinning sun
The big black back brake broke badly
The big beautiful blue balloon burst
A shapeless sash sags slowly
Smelly shoes and socks shock sisters
Stick strictly six sticks stumps
Cinnamon aluminum linoleum
New York is unanimously universally unique
Cooks cook cupcakes quickly
Flora’s freshly fried fish
Buy blue blueberry biscuits before bedtime
She sold six shabby sheared sheep on ship
These thousand tricky tongue twisters trip thrillingly off the tongue