Type: Ensemble Building Purpose: Participants share truths about themselves in order to find commonalities amongst the group. This game is suggested for slightly older actors. Materials Needed: Painter’s Tape or Post-It Notes Procedure: 1. Give each student a small piece of painter’s tape or a post-it note. To start, each person must stand at a [...]
Purpose: A fun, quick game to help learn the names of everyone in the class. Procedure: 1. Have the students stand in a single line. 2. The 1st student in line (i.e. Marc) turns to the 2nd student in line (i.e. Rachel) and initiates the following script (taken from the name of the game, Me You You [...]
Type: Ensemble Building Purpose: A fun getting-to-know-you game for the beginning of a new semester…that involves making paper airplanes! Procedure: 1. Gather the class into a sitting circle. 2. Pass out a piece of paper to each student and a writing utensil. 3. On the piece of paper they must write their name, and two places they would [...]
Type: Focus, Ensemble Building Purpose: A great way to work on focus and collaboration through a repetitive physical activity. Materials: 3 bean bags or light balls for the kids to throw. Procedure: 1. Have the class stand in a circle. 2. Begin by introducing just 1 ball to the group. 3. Tell the class that the goal of this [...]
Type: Ensemble Building Purpose: A great activity to introduce if you feel like there are some issues with the group dynamics. This activity will make everyone feel good and provide everyone with a little boost of confidence. It should be played after the group is already a little familiar with each other. Procedure: 1. Have everyone sit in a circle. 2. Give each player [...]
Type: Ensemble Building Purpose: A fun, calm activity to play at the end of a session to reflect on the day’s lesson and to reinforce the ensemble. Materials: A ball of yarn. Procedure: 1. At the end of a session/rehearsal, have the class sit in a large circle. 2. Tell the students to close their eyes. Give the students [...]
Type: Focus, Ensemble Building Purpose: 1. Instruct the class to quietly and slowly create a huddle (standing close together, arms around each other’s shoulders). 2. Tell them to close their eyes and be completely silent. 3. Lead them through one minute of slow and deep inhales and exhales. 4. When they are relaxed, ask them [...]
Type: Break Out of Shell, Ensemble Building Purpose: This game has a similar style to Bippity Bippity Bop, but is slightly simpler and allows the kids to create their own animal poses. Procedure: PART 1 1. Divide the class into groups of 3. 2. Ask each group to think of an animal. Make sure there are no duplicates. [...]
Type: Warm-up, Ensemble Building Purpose: A unique way to allow kids to get to know each other at the beginning of a semester. Procedure: 1. Randomly divide the class into pairs. 2. Provide each student with a blank piece of paper and something to write with. 3. Instruct the students to silently think about items or objects [...]
Type: Ensemble Building Purpose: A fun simple game that allows students to creatively work together. Procedure: 1. Divide the class into groups of 6-8 players. 2. Ask a group to take the stage. 3. Instruct them to arrange themselves in a line in order of height. When they are finished they must call out “We’re a fine, [...]
