Let's Warm Up

If you are reading this I'm sure you've warmed up for something, whether that be a sports games, working out , singing or DRAMA!

Here are two of my favourite drama warm-up games that you can try with your class:

1. Circle up & Home Base 

Let's hit two birds with one stone with this one. Not only do these formations start off majority of drama games, but it's also a great classroom management tool. Have students form a circle within the space provided in the classroom. Then have students look on either side of them to see who they are standing beside. This formation is called Circle Up. When the teacher says, "Circle up" students will find their position.

Home Base is similar to circle up. However, students will find a space in the room that is their own. They will make sure that there is enough space around them that they won't intrude on another persons space. This gives students the opportunity to work independently. 

2. Zip, Zap, Bop

A fun game students will play in the Circle up formation. Students will be sending their energy through a zip or zap to another person in their class. A zip is given directly to a person sitting on either side of you. A zap is give to a student across from you or anywhere else besides the people sitting next to you. A bop is a block! The energy is sent right back to the person that sent it to them. Challenge students to zip, zap, bop as fast as they can! Below is a video of our class participating in this game.

3. I am a tree! 

Students will circle up, refer to explanation above. Students will be invited to take turns stepping into the circle and become an object. Students will say "I am a tree or I am a couch or I am a remote" etc. and other students will join the centre of the circle with objects that relate to the one initially started with to create an overall picture. Once students are in the circle, they must freeze in the position of their pose and wait until the overall picture is complete. The teacher can instruct students to create specific images for remembrance day etc to relate to other subjects. Once the picture is complete, the student that started that image picks one person to stay and students then build off that object.