Players:
Host
guest
3-4 contestants
Objective: guest guesses the contestant's characters.
How to:
the guest is sent out of the room.
Give each contestant a character:
ice cream man, police officer, postal worker, alien from another planet, fire hydrant.
Bring the guest back in. The host will start up the show an introduce each contestant, without giving away their character.
Guest will then ask each contestant questions read from a pile of cards:
1.If you were a type of ice cream what flavor would you be?
2. What is your favorite clothing brand and why?
3. If you could go on vacation anywhere where would it be and why?
4. If you won a million dollars, how would you spend it?
5. If you could meet a historical/famous person who would it be and what would you ask them?
6. Why should I not go out with the contestants next to you?
7. What is the most romantic thing you've done?
8. What is your favorite food and why?
9.If you had to be an animal which animal would you be?
10. Show me how much you want to date me by singing twinkle twinkle, Elvis Presley style.
11. What is your idea of a perfect date?
Let the Guest ask these questions to contestants (they can ask the same questions to different contestants).
After a considerable amount of time have the guest pick a contestant to date, and guess what each contestants character was.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Friday, September 21, 2007
Human Machine
Objective: To make a machine with students acting out machine parts.
1. Have students think of a machine to make:
ex. dog cleaning machine
pancake machine
toy machine
pizza machine
jewelry machine
and so on....
2. Choose one student to start, student then must make one repetitive movt. and sound (ex. moving hands up and down while saying "beep beep"). Then have another student add on the the machine, (ex. they put one hand on previous person's shoulder and move their legs up and downs while saying "boing boing")
each student adds on the person before them (must be involved with the other person's movt somehow). This activity sounds weird but give it a try. I did it with 6th and 7th and they really liked it, they wanted to do it again and again.
Variation- Then to make it more interesting, I split the class into 2 groups and they both competed to see which team could make the best machine.
1. Have students think of a machine to make:
ex. dog cleaning machine
pancake machine
toy machine
pizza machine
jewelry machine
and so on....
2. Choose one student to start, student then must make one repetitive movt. and sound (ex. moving hands up and down while saying "beep beep"). Then have another student add on the the machine, (ex. they put one hand on previous person's shoulder and move their legs up and downs while saying "boing boing")
each student adds on the person before them (must be involved with the other person's movt somehow). This activity sounds weird but give it a try. I did it with 6th and 7th and they really liked it, they wanted to do it again and again.
Variation- Then to make it more interesting, I split the class into 2 groups and they both competed to see which team could make the best machine.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Bus Stop
You can play this as a whole class, very popular game.
Amount of people: 3-4 at the bus stop, the rest of class is the audience.
Difficulty: Easy
The objective of the game is to improvise a role and play that role out in a makeshift bus stop. The bus stop is made up of three chairs, and as the game starts all three are filled. Each person must act as if they are at the bus stop, and each one acts as if they have a quirk, whether it be physical, psychological, or otherwise.
The quirk could be blindness or hysteria, or it could be more concrete, such as the person acting as if he is hiding a bomb or have a suitcase full of money. He must interact with each other person and improvise.
After awhile (this can be gauged by an observer or just determined by the person), the person on the last seat leaves, the next person moves up, and a new person enters.
This repeats until there are no more people left or until everyone gets sufficiently bored.
variation- they don't have to have a quark and can act out different roles and the audience has to guess.
**Sometimes when the class is younger it is helpful to have a list of roles for them to act out. When a student is chosen to go up to the bus stop whisper the role they are playing in their ear.
List of roles:
Santa Claus
Gardener
An American Idol contestant (who didn't win)
Shoe salesman
Madonna
Fashion Diva
Lassie
The old woman in the shoe
Sponge bob square pants
Queen Elizabeth
Robot
Manicurist
ET
Mary had a little lamb
The indestructible Cheerleader from Heroes
Ariel the little mermaid
a transformer
a computer geek
Jeanie from I dream of Jeanie
a talk show host
a psychologist
the tooth fairy
easter bunny
Amount of people: 3-4 at the bus stop, the rest of class is the audience.
Difficulty: Easy
The objective of the game is to improvise a role and play that role out in a makeshift bus stop. The bus stop is made up of three chairs, and as the game starts all three are filled. Each person must act as if they are at the bus stop, and each one acts as if they have a quirk, whether it be physical, psychological, or otherwise.
The quirk could be blindness or hysteria, or it could be more concrete, such as the person acting as if he is hiding a bomb or have a suitcase full of money. He must interact with each other person and improvise.
After awhile (this can be gauged by an observer or just determined by the person), the person on the last seat leaves, the next person moves up, and a new person enters.
This repeats until there are no more people left or until everyone gets sufficiently bored.
variation- they don't have to have a quark and can act out different roles and the audience has to guess.
**Sometimes when the class is younger it is helpful to have a list of roles for them to act out. When a student is chosen to go up to the bus stop whisper the role they are playing in their ear.
List of roles:
Santa Claus
Gardener
An American Idol contestant (who didn't win)
Shoe salesman
Madonna
Fashion Diva
Lassie
The old woman in the shoe
Sponge bob square pants
Queen Elizabeth
Robot
Manicurist
ET
Mary had a little lamb
The indestructible Cheerleader from Heroes
Ariel the little mermaid
a transformer
a computer geek
Jeanie from I dream of Jeanie
a talk show host
a psychologist
the tooth fairy
easter bunny
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Mingle
Just a fun "back up" group game!
*works well with all ages, even kindergarten
1.Teach the students the mingle dance. As they say "Mingle, Mingle, Mingle! Mingle Mingle Mingle!" they roll their hands and then point from left to right while marching around.
2.Then leader joins in and shouts out: "[Mingle mingle mingle, some number]" (encourage kids to sing along but they must listen for number).
Everyone then has to huddle together in a group huddle or "clump" of that many people. There should usually be people left over because there aren't enough people to form a full clump.
If you can't form a clump, then you're out! The game ends with a clump of two, and those two win the round!
-I also added if anyone in your group falls the entire group is out.
*works well with all ages, even kindergarten
1.Teach the students the mingle dance. As they say "Mingle, Mingle, Mingle! Mingle Mingle Mingle!" they roll their hands and then point from left to right while marching around.
2.Then leader joins in and shouts out: "[Mingle mingle mingle, some number]" (encourage kids to sing along but they must listen for number).
Everyone then has to huddle together in a group huddle or "clump" of that many people. There should usually be people left over because there aren't enough people to form a full clump.
If you can't form a clump, then you're out! The game ends with a clump of two, and those two win the round!
-I also added if anyone in your group falls the entire group is out.
Commercials
Time: 15-50 minutes
How to:
1.Ask class to make up a random gibberish word like "Snarflax"
2. Separate students into 2-4 people per group.
3.Tell students that they are going to make a 2 minute commercial selling us "Snarflax". Make us want to buy this product. Tell them to be creative. Set a time limit 5-10 minutes.
4. Walk around to each group and discuss what they are selling, make sure it is appropriate. If needed help them get the ball rolling. If students say they already know what they are doing and are sitting down have them practice their commercial for you, give suggestions and encouragement.
5. When time limit is up have student sit back down and watch each other's commercials.
Students get really into this and always want to do it again with a new word.
How to:
1.Ask class to make up a random gibberish word like "Snarflax"
2. Separate students into 2-4 people per group.
3.Tell students that they are going to make a 2 minute commercial selling us "Snarflax". Make us want to buy this product. Tell them to be creative. Set a time limit 5-10 minutes.
4. Walk around to each group and discuss what they are selling, make sure it is appropriate. If needed help them get the ball rolling. If students say they already know what they are doing and are sitting down have them practice their commercial for you, give suggestions and encouragement.
5. When time limit is up have student sit back down and watch each other's commercials.
Students get really into this and always want to do it again with a new word.
Picture Party
Time: About 15 minutes
Objective: Character Development
Materials: Collect pictures of all types of people. (1 picture for each student)
Different ages, occupations, cultures.
Directions: Have students space out so they will not bother each other, hand out a picture to each student, don't let them show their characters to each other.
Then they must sit alone concentrating on the character in the picture.
Suggestions you can make to students as they are concentrating:
-Close your eyes
-You must make a name for your character.
-Imagine their job
-What do they like to do on their free time?
-Do they like animals?
-Are they an introvert (shy) or an extrovert (outgoing)?
-What does their voice sound like?
-Do they speak soft/loud, quick/slow, or in between---Don't make the person overly loud or quiet so the character is unreal.
-What is their family like? Children, a husband?
Do they have friends?
-Are they happy, moody, melancholy?
*let the students know that this is the time to create a real character, not a stereotype.
Before students stand up, go around and collect the pictures. Then announce that the class is having a party and that they must act like their character without describing physical features.
Let this go on for about 5 minutes.
Now have students sit in circle and have them guess each other's characters.
Objective: Character Development
Materials: Collect pictures of all types of people. (1 picture for each student)
Different ages, occupations, cultures.
Directions: Have students space out so they will not bother each other, hand out a picture to each student, don't let them show their characters to each other.
Then they must sit alone concentrating on the character in the picture.
Suggestions you can make to students as they are concentrating:
-Close your eyes
-You must make a name for your character.
-Imagine their job
-What do they like to do on their free time?
-Do they like animals?
-Are they an introvert (shy) or an extrovert (outgoing)?
-What does their voice sound like?
-Do they speak soft/loud, quick/slow, or in between---Don't make the person overly loud or quiet so the character is unreal.
-What is their family like? Children, a husband?
Do they have friends?
-Are they happy, moody, melancholy?
*let the students know that this is the time to create a real character, not a stereotype.
Before students stand up, go around and collect the pictures. Then announce that the class is having a party and that they must act like their character without describing physical features.
Let this go on for about 5 minutes.
Now have students sit in circle and have them guess each other's characters.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Pantomime Telephone
This game is played similar to regular telephone.
Regular telephone: Children sit in a line and pass on a sentence whispering in each others ears. Then you see how the sentence has changed from beginning to end.
Pantomime telephone-
Children sit or stand in a line and pass on a pretend object with pantomime.
Congratulate them if the object remains the same from beginning to end.
ex.
pass on a baseball and bat
an apple
a water bottle
necklace
cell phone
a kitten
a piece of gum
encourage them to pass it on and act out what it is the best they can. when the other person thinks they know what the object is and is ready to pass in on themselves they should shake there heads yes and put out their hands to take the object.
Variation:
You can give teams points when they get it right.
You can make this into a relay by splitting up the teams. (whoever guesses the object correctly and/or first wins.)
Regular telephone: Children sit in a line and pass on a sentence whispering in each others ears. Then you see how the sentence has changed from beginning to end.
Pantomime telephone-
Children sit or stand in a line and pass on a pretend object with pantomime.
Congratulate them if the object remains the same from beginning to end.
ex.
pass on a baseball and bat
an apple
a water bottle
necklace
cell phone
a kitten
a piece of gum
encourage them to pass it on and act out what it is the best they can. when the other person thinks they know what the object is and is ready to pass in on themselves they should shake there heads yes and put out their hands to take the object.
Variation:
You can give teams points when they get it right.
You can make this into a relay by splitting up the teams. (whoever guesses the object correctly and/or first wins.)
Interrogation
Interrogation:
1 suspect
2 cops (one good guy one bad guy)
Props:
1 chair
optional: a flashlight, soft long foam noodle bats to hit the suspect with when not cooperating.
Objective:
Suspect has to guess 3 things-
Where the crime took place, what the crime was, and their (famous) accomplice.
The suspect must leave the room with another person to make sure they can not hear.
The class then makes up a crime.
ex. The "Suspect" & Simon Cowell (american idol judge), kidnapped Paula Abdul and locked her in bathroom.
The suspect needs to guess- Simon Cowell, kidnapped, and in a bathroom.
When the suspect returns and sits in a chair, he is interrogated by the police officers.
The officers would ask him questions like:
Police officer 1: You know where you were on Saturday at 4 pm?
Police officer 2: We know that you did it, you obviously couldn't stand her anymore. You think you can get away with it cause you have a british accent, you can't fool us.
Suspect: I didn't do anything.
Police officer 1: Don't lie. Why not put her in your dressing room. You thought the singers hear her? Kelly Clarkson would be really upset with you.
1 suspect
2 cops (one good guy one bad guy)
Props:
1 chair
optional: a flashlight, soft long foam noodle bats to hit the suspect with when not cooperating.
Objective:
Suspect has to guess 3 things-
Where the crime took place, what the crime was, and their (famous) accomplice.
The suspect must leave the room with another person to make sure they can not hear.
The class then makes up a crime.
ex. The "Suspect" & Simon Cowell (american idol judge), kidnapped Paula Abdul and locked her in bathroom.
The suspect needs to guess- Simon Cowell, kidnapped, and in a bathroom.
When the suspect returns and sits in a chair, he is interrogated by the police officers.
The officers would ask him questions like:
Police officer 1: You know where you were on Saturday at 4 pm?
Police officer 2: We know that you did it, you obviously couldn't stand her anymore. You think you can get away with it cause you have a british accent, you can't fool us.
Suspect: I didn't do anything.
Police officer 1: Don't lie. Why not put her in your dressing room. You thought the singers hear her? Kelly Clarkson would be really upset with you.
Dear Diary
Age group 12+
Groups of 3-4 students
Let the children practice their stories first, then perform it in front of the group.
(3 min. skit)
One child is the narrator.
The other children act out what the narrator says.
The narrator starts with a pretend diary and pen in their hands and says "Dear Diary," and the other children in their group act out the story.
They can speak but can not interrupt the narrator.
Ex:
Dear diary, today I woke up and and it was my birthday. I jumped out of bed yelled "yippee" and hopped to my dresser. I put on tons of make up and put on my best outfit. OH my gosh...you'll never guess what happened at school...
The narrator stands on the side while the children act out the scene.
Groups of 3-4 students
Let the children practice their stories first, then perform it in front of the group.
(3 min. skit)
One child is the narrator.
The other children act out what the narrator says.
The narrator starts with a pretend diary and pen in their hands and says "Dear Diary," and the other children in their group act out the story.
They can speak but can not interrupt the narrator.
Ex:
Dear diary, today I woke up and and it was my birthday. I jumped out of bed yelled "yippee" and hopped to my dresser. I put on tons of make up and put on my best outfit. OH my gosh...you'll never guess what happened at school...
The narrator stands on the side while the children act out the scene.
What is in my bag?
Objectve: Pantomine
Materials needed: a brown grocery bag (optional)
Students stand in a circle and pass around bag, (bag can be real or imaginary).
On each students turn they pretend to pull one object out of the bag and pantomine what it is. Other students try to guess what the object is.
ex:
corn on the cob
umbrella
a cane
a necklace
encourage the children to take out big and small objects on their turn.
I usually only go around the circle 2, but it is up to you depending on the enthusiasm of the class.
Materials needed: a brown grocery bag (optional)
Students stand in a circle and pass around bag, (bag can be real or imaginary).
On each students turn they pretend to pull one object out of the bag and pantomine what it is. Other students try to guess what the object is.
ex:
corn on the cob
umbrella
a cane
a necklace
encourage the children to take out big and small objects on their turn.
I usually only go around the circle 2, but it is up to you depending on the enthusiasm of the class.
Friday, August 24, 2007
acting ABC and 123
Write down situations on a piece of paper.
1. Girl come home with a puppy and tries to convince her mom to keep it.
2. Customer is trying to return an umbrella with a hole in it, the store clerk is giving him/her a hard time.
3. Mother and daughter are going on a long flight. One is very nervous, the other is trying to calm the other down.
Rules when acting out skits:
1. Students can not use real words.
2. Can only have conversation with each each other using alphabet letters or numbers.
* this activity places emphasis on gestures and tone of voice.
1. Girl come home with a puppy and tries to convince her mom to keep it.
2. Customer is trying to return an umbrella with a hole in it, the store clerk is giving him/her a hard time.
3. Mother and daughter are going on a long flight. One is very nervous, the other is trying to calm the other down.
Rules when acting out skits:
1. Students can not use real words.
2. Can only have conversation with each each other using alphabet letters or numbers.
* this activity places emphasis on gestures and tone of voice.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Classroom tips
Sometimes you have an easy class where everyone gets along and you don't have to do all this, but if you get a rowdy bunch make sure to:
1. Class structure- A begin class with the same exercise, then new exercises, and end class with a recap.
2.Plan- It is important to have a lesson plan, make sure that your plan is flexible. Always plan extra activities just in case one activity isn't going well you can move on. If an activity is going extra well you can also stretch it.
3. Small Groups-I learned that smaller groups of 4-5 students worked much better than doing the games all together. Some students got bored waiting for there turn to go in front of class. Small groups keep students engaged and then they would perform in front of each other.
4. Randomly select groups, I would line students up and place them in groups, tried to make sure there were mixed gender groups. If you have a particularly challenging group of students it is best to have the groups pre-selected.
**It really is beneficial for you to pick the groups because:
-some children get nervous when they have to form their own group, creates social tension
-one kid always gets picked last, and that does not help with confidence
-the children tend to pick the same group every time which does not help the class mix
-You can pick personalities that you know will mix well in group
-you won't have to worry about two trouble makers in the same group
1. Class structure- A begin class with the same exercise, then new exercises, and end class with a recap.
2.Plan- It is important to have a lesson plan, make sure that your plan is flexible. Always plan extra activities just in case one activity isn't going well you can move on. If an activity is going extra well you can also stretch it.
3. Small Groups-I learned that smaller groups of 4-5 students worked much better than doing the games all together. Some students got bored waiting for there turn to go in front of class. Small groups keep students engaged and then they would perform in front of each other.
4. Randomly select groups, I would line students up and place them in groups, tried to make sure there were mixed gender groups. If you have a particularly challenging group of students it is best to have the groups pre-selected.
**It really is beneficial for you to pick the groups because:
-some children get nervous when they have to form their own group, creates social tension
-one kid always gets picked last, and that does not help with confidence
-the children tend to pick the same group every time which does not help the class mix
-You can pick personalities that you know will mix well in group
-you won't have to worry about two trouble makers in the same group
Welcome
Hi my name is Ariel Olivas and I was a theatre teacher/teacher's aide for RCT, Riverside Children's Theatre for about 5 years. When I was teaching I found myself looking online for hours trying to find fun acting exercises to do with my class that were new to the children and new to me. I recently found my lesson plan book with all the activities we did in class and I thought that it would be nice to share them as a resource to other theatre teachers. Hope you enjoy.
ps. check out my website http://ArielOlivas.com
ps. check out my website http://ArielOlivas.com
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