Hopefully you have a good grasp of the alphabet, because you need it to play this game. The first player will begin the game with a sentence that begins with the letter “A.” The next player continues by beginning his or her sentence with the letter “B.” So on and so forth.
Variation #1 Try telling a well-known story starting sentences in alphabetical order.
Variation #2 Instead of using full sentences, go one word at a time.
Ask the Professors
To start, three students will come to the front, stand side by side, and assume their positions as “professors.” The audience can ask any of the professors any questions they want (as long as it is school-appropriate). Now here’s the fun part: the answer doesn’t have to be correct. In fact, the answer doesn’t even have to make sense! Once the initial professor has finished giving his or her explanation, another professor may chime in and add to what the previous professor said, or disagree entirely with what they just heard. This can be really fun if the professors get into it!
Circular Word Association
I will select a number of students (probably 5 to 8) to form a circle. Then I will designate a student to go first. The first student will say any word that comes to mind to the person to his or her right or left - we won’t know which direction the game is going to go until it has started. After hearing the first word, the student that was spoken to must turn to the next person in the circle and tell that person the first word that comes to mind. This should go on quickly down the line. A student is “out” if ... 1. it takes too long to respond. 2. he or she repeats a word that has already been said. 3. he or she says “uhhh,” “errr,” “mmm,” or anything else that isn’t really part of a word.
Helping Hands
This might be my favorite of all the games we play. Two people will work together as a team in this one. The first person will stand with his or her arms down to the sides. This player can talk, but cannot move the arms - they must remain down at his or her sides. I will place a giant shirt over his or her head. The second person gets behind the first and puts his or her arms through the arm holes in the big shirt the first player is wearing. This player provides the arm movements for the team, while the first player is responsible for talking. After positioned, the team will have an activity to perform. It may be something one person alone could do, like stuffing an envelope, or it could be something where I ask another member of the audience to help act in the scene. It could range from something very simple to something really difficult. This game is more fun and funny when the “arms” player uses good gestures.
Justify the Objects
This game is going to challenge you to justify, or give the reason for, the use of three or more unrelated objects through the use of dialogue and pantomime. Two or three players at a time will be selected to play. The class will suggest three objects and a place in which to locate them. It is up to the players to justify the appearance of those objects in the scene. The objects must play a part in the scene, they are not just there to be mentioned. For example, maybe the audience suggests a milkshake, a pig, and a tire as the objects, and chooses the moon as the location. The three players in the scene might explain that the tire is from an old space buggy, the pig was a stowaway passenger from earth, and the astronauts have figured out how to make milkshakes in space!
Letter Pointing
Before starting this game, you need to know that it only really works in small groups of 4 to 7 students. Okay, so now that you know that, you’ll understand if I break you into smaller groups at a time before we actually begin the game. After I’ve separated groups, one group will go first. I will begin randomly pointing at the students in the group. As I point at you, I will also say a letter from the alphabet. The student I point to must immediately respond with a word that begins with that letter.
A student is out of the game if: 1. they take too long to respond. 2. they say a word that doesn’t begin with the letter I said. 3. they use a word that has already been used. 4. they say a word inappropriate for school.
Variation #1 One way to make the game more fun is to pick a topic like “the zoo” before we start. When I point at you, you’d have to say something you might see at the zoo.
Variation #2 The most challenging way to play this game is to use a topic and letters. So if our topic was “the zoo,” I might point at you and say “C,” so you would need to quickly tell me something at the zoo that begins with that letter. Maybe you would say “cage” for your word.
Party Quirks
This game requires a lot of cooperation and listening just to get it started. The idea is that someone is hosting a party, but they get a few weirdos who crash it. It’s up to the host to try and figure out who has crashed the party. Three students will get selected to be the party crashers. A host (or possibly two hosts) will go out into the hallway and wait while the rest of the class assigns identities for the three party crashers. Maybe the class decides one person is an astronaut, another a pirate, and the third a cowboy. Once the crashers have their identities, they will stand off to the side, the host will enter the room, and the game will begin. One at a time the party crashers will ring the doorbell (actually I will make the sound for this) and be admitted to the party. The host and the crashers should engage in conversation, and the crashers should give clues about their identity either through their actions or their answers. This game is only fun if the host does things that a host would do at a party. For instance, he or she might ask what music the crasher likes to listen to, or what the crashers would like to eat or drink. Otherwise, the game plateaus fast and I’ll call it dead.
Remote Control
Until you guys really understand how this is going to go, we’ll play this one player at a time. Here's how it works ... One player will come to the front of the room to perform some sort of activity and/or recite something. I (or maybe a student I pick) will be able to control you like we would control a Blu-Ray disc. So, the player may be commanded to: -speed up -slow down -rewind -jump forward -jump backward (repeat) -pause -stop
Talk or Die
This can be a fun game if played correctly. Five or six players will stand in the front of the room. They will be given a story to tell, or a process to explain. A “pointer” will decide who speaks and when. The pointer will pick a person to begin the story or process by pointing at him or her. When pointed at, a person must begin talking immediately. Any hesitation or sounds like “err” or “uhh” will get that player killed. When a player is no longer pointed at, he or she must stop speaking immediately. If you are in the middle of a word, you have to stop talking. If you keep talking past when you are pointed at, you will die. Now, here’s part of the fun: when a player dies, they have to pretend to die on stage. Be creative, don’t just flop down on the ground - that’s boring!
Talking Heads
This game requires 4 players, two on each team. Each team has a speaker and an actor. You will be given a scenario to start off the game. However, only one person on each team can talk, and only one person on each team can move. The two players who can move should stand near each other. The two players who can talk should stand off to the side, out of the way of the action. The talkers provide the words and the actors provide the action for the scene. This game is funniest when the actors try to move their mouths to match the words the talkers say!
Treasure Chest
This game lets you use your imagination while at the same time helping you practice “painting with words” or “showing” rather than just telling. Two students will be at a table, facing each other. The first student will give the second student a treasure chest. As the first student (the giver) gives the treasure chest, he or she should wish the second student (the receiver) “Happy Birthday” or “merry Christmas” - anything celebratory. Now here’s where it gets a little tricky, so pay attention. The receiver then opens up the treasure chest and gets to pretend what is inside - the giver doesn’t know what they gave as the present. So when the receiver gets the chest, he or she can pretend it’s light, or heavy, or whatever! As the receiver opens the chest, he or she will physically and verbally react to what he or she is pretending they see without specifically identifying it to the giver or the audience. The receiver should describe the imaginary object in a way that gives clues about the object’s identity. After the receiver makes his or her statement, the giver attempts to guess what the object is. If he or she can’t guess what it is right away, the receiver gives more clues until the correct answer is given.
Games adapted from the following sources: Bedore, Bob. 101 Improv Games for Children and Adults: Fun and Creativity with Improvisation and Acting. Alameda, CA: Hunter House, 2003. Print. Newton, Brad. Improvisation: Use What You Know--make up What You Don't!: Improvisational Activities for the Classroom. 2nd ed. Scottsdale, AZ: Gifted Psychology, 1998. Print.