Six Warm Up Games for your Drama Classroom

Drama classes are a great way for young people to express their imagination and tell stories using their voice and bodies. However, every young actor needs to warm up first at the start of class.

At Play on Stage, we use these warm up games as a way to help our students focus, get their bodies moving, and build up the energy they need for other activities such as devising and playwrighting.

1. Make Me A

Develops: Warm-Up, Movement

Details: Facilitator instructs participants to walk around the room, without talking. When the facilitator calls out a number and claps their hands, the participants need to form a group of that size. Once they are in a group, the facilitator asks them to make something using their bodies, linked to the theme of the semester/play.

Pictured: Our participants playing ‘Make Me A…’

2. Shopping Trolley

Develops: Spontaneity, lateral thinking.

Details: The players stand in a line at one end of the room. The facilitator stands in the middle of the room. In turn the players run out to the facilitator and tap their hand while yelling out an item you would buy at a supermarket.

If a player repeats something that has been said, takes too long or says something that you could not buy at a supermarket, they are out. Repeat until there is only one player left standingShopping Trolley.

3. Sevens

Develops: Warm-Up, Focus

Details: Group stands in a circle and counts off numbers from one to seven, then start at one again. Starting with one person who says “one”, they touch their left or right shoulder. The side shoulder they touch indicate the person to that side says the next number (i.e. I touch my right shoulder, the person to my right says the next number).

The person who says “seven” does a sort of ‘Ole’ gesture, the position of the top hand (the hand above the head) indicates which way to go when we restart the sequence. Anyone who makes a mistake is has to do a lap around the outside of the circle while the game carries on.

Pictured: Our participants playing ‘Paint Me a Picture’

4. Paint a Picture

Develops: Teamwork, creativity and focus.

Details: The group makes an audience and the facilitator starts by choosing one person to run on and begin the picture. They run on, make a shape, freeze and then say what they are (e.g. I’m a tree, I’m a bird, I’m a rock, anything).

After that the facilitator chooses the next person and they must go on stage and freeze in a way that contributes to the picture.

5. Whisky Mixer, Misty Vista

Develops: Energy, focus 

Details: Participants stand in a circle. To pass to the left, say “misty vista” with whooshing arms. To pass to the right, say “whisky mixer” with whooshing arms. To pass across the circle, say “Mister Whisky”, and whoosh your arms in the direction you’re going. If the participants mispronounce or get it “wrong”, they have to run a lap  around the circle.

6. Big Booty

Develops: Warm-up: energy and focus

Details: Players stand in a circle. Number the players around the circle. Facilitator is Big Booty. The chant then goes as follows, Big Booty goes first saying their name and then a players number. The player responds by saying their number and another players number. All players must keep the beat and stay in time.

Chant: 

ALL: Big Booty, Big Booty, Big Booty Aha

FACILITATOR: Big Booty Number One

ONE: Number One, Number Three

THREE: Number Three, Number Twelve

With the help of these warm up games, our students are able to get into the rest of their drama classes with the energy and exciting they need.