Prepare about 30 cards with different topics, objects or subjects written on each one. Start the game with all the children sitting in a semi-circle. A volunteer picks a card and stands in front of the group. The task is to communicate exactly what is on the card to the rest of the group without using real words; only gibberish, action and emotion. The acting lesson: it is not about the words but the intention. This game can be tailored for younger children as young as 7 all the way up to high school age.
The goal in this game is to react as quickly as possible without judging. Everyone sits in a circle. The first person says a word and the next person must immediately add a word. The idea is to keep it going to form a story.
The lesson: acting is doing and reacting, not thinking and analyzing. This game teaches in the moment awareness. Depending on the level of the students, this game can be played by as young as elementary school age children, all the way through high school.
Divide the children into groups of two. Each person should face each other and is assigned either A or B. The A partner slowly moves. B then mirrors the movement. The trick is that each person should look only in their partner's eyes not at the moving parts. It is a very exciting exercise because amazing trust is often revealed. It is a great game when starting play rehearsals.
This activity is for middle school age students and older. There is no preparation, but it is most successful when pairs are chosen by the instructor so that students are in pairs that they would not necessarily choose themselves.
This exercise is for the more advanced drama students or slightly older children in middle school through high school. One child is assigned an ordinary task, such as reading, ironing or anything that one might do in the privacy of their home. Then she does the task in front of the class. The goal is to be as real in this fabricated environment as possible. Encourage the student to avoid "performing" the task and just be in the moment. Also, encourage the other members of the class to be supportive during a seemingly mundane activity. If done correctly, this drama activity teaches one of the biggest lessons in theatre. The lesson: learning to create real circumstances and behavior on stage without being presentational.