Welcome to Drama Resource – the go-to website for drama teachers – with games, strategies, lesson plans, book reviews and teaching tips.
Theatre director David Farmer inspires, motivates and teaches about the power of drama to transform learning.
Count To 20
A classic concentration and focus exercise, where the group tries to count to twenty.
Daft Definitions
Put random words together to invent new concepts! Great storytelling warm-up.
Drama Games for Story Books
Two amazing drama activities for bringing story books to life through drama!
Family Portraits
Groups make family portraits by striking funny poses.
Fruit Salad
A fun game encouraging fast reactions and verbal dexterity by saying the names of fruits.
Grandma’s Footsteps
This classic playground game is perfect for exploring dramatic tension. Plenty of fun, surprise and cheating!
Guess Who I Am
A fun way of creating characters from any picture.
Imaginarium
An exciting and completely unpredictable way to brainstorm ideas.
Night Watchman
The museum is closed for the night. The watchman is making his rounds. But something strange is going on...
One Word At A Time
A story is told by the group or in pairs, with each person adding one word at a time.
Open and Close
A brilliant method of performing a series of freeze-frames to tell a story in a drama lesson.
Pecking Order
Can you work out where you stand in the pecking order?
Poetry in Motion
Groups explore short or long poems through drama and movement.
Random Sound Stories
A story is told by the group or in pairs, with each person adding one word at a time.
Sculptor and Statue
Students work in pairs and one mould the other's body into a character or shape.
Shoe Shuffle
Develop imagination and mime skills using everyday objects
Siren (Voice Warm-Up)
An effective and easy humming warm up for exploring and extending the vocal range.
Soundscapes
The group is conducted to create a sound picture or “soundscape” using their voices and bodies.
Status Pictures
In pairs, create a still image where one of you has a higher status than the other.
Story Orchestra
Conduct a story like a piece of music, in this fun drama game!
Ten Second Objects
Drama game - groups make the shape of an object using their bodies - in only ten seconds!
There Is Only One Liar
A psychological but fun group dynamics game from Augusto Boal.
Three Changes
An observation and getting to know you game - with online version
Three Word Sentences
Sometimes three words are just enough.
Two Truths And A Lie
Play online or live - tell your partner three things about yourself – two of which are true and one
What Are You Doing?
Quick thinking and action is essential in this funny mime and spoken language drama game.
Where Do You Stand? (inc Online Version)
A fast and effective way of discovering everybody’s opinions about a subject - online or offline.
Count To 20
A classic concentration and focus exercise, where the group tries to count to twenty.
Daft Definitions
Put random words together to invent new concepts! Great storytelling warm-up.
Drama Games for Story Books
Two amazing drama activities for bringing story books to life through drama!
Family Portraits
Groups make family portraits by striking funny poses.
Fruit Salad
A fun game encouraging fast reactions and verbal dexterity by saying the names of fruits.
Grandma’s Footsteps
This classic playground game is perfect for exploring dramatic tension. Plenty of fun, surprise and cheating!
Guess Who I Am
A fun way of creating characters from any picture.
Imaginarium
An exciting and completely unpredictable way to brainstorm ideas.
Night Watchman
The museum is closed for the night. The watchman is making his rounds. But something strange is going on...
One Word At A Time
A story is told by the group or in pairs, with each person adding one word at a time.
Open and Close
A brilliant method of performing a series of freeze-frames to tell a story in a drama lesson.
Pecking Order
Can you work out where you stand in the pecking order?
Poetry in Motion
Groups explore short or long poems through drama and movement.
Random Sound Stories
A story is told by the group or in pairs, with each person adding one word at a time.
Sculptor and Statue
Students work in pairs and one mould the other's body into a character or shape.
Shoe Shuffle
Develop imagination and mime skills using everyday objects
Siren (Voice Warm-Up)
An effective and easy humming warm up for exploring and extending the vocal range.
Soundscapes
The group is conducted to create a sound picture or “soundscape” using their voices and bodies.
Status Pictures
In pairs, create a still image where one of you has a higher status than the other.
Story Orchestra
Conduct a story like a piece of music, in this fun drama game!
Ten Second Objects
Drama game - groups make the shape of an object using their bodies - in only ten seconds!
There Is Only One Liar
A psychological but fun group dynamics game from Augusto Boal.
Three Changes
An observation and getting to know you game - with online version
Three Word Sentences
Sometimes three words are just enough.
Two Truths And A Lie
Play online or live - tell your partner three things about yourself – two of which are true and one
What Are You Doing?
Quick thinking and action is essential in this funny mime and spoken language drama game.
Where Do You Stand? (inc Online Version)
A fast and effective way of discovering everybody’s opinions about a subject - online or offline.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream (5-11 years)
Drama activities based on ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, including a live performance of the story of Titania and Oberon
Cinderella – Listen To Me – Restorative Justice (5-11 years)
Explore bullying issues through the story of Cinderella using drama, writing and restorative justice techniques
Commedia dell’arte Drama Unit
Commedia dell’arte began in the marketplaces of 16th-century Europe as improvised theatre which was rude, funny and satirical.
Drama Games for Language Teaching (teenage to adult)
14 easy to use drama games and activities suitable for a range of ages and language levels.
Funnybones Drama and Dance Unit (5-7 years)
Practical and funny drama and dance activities linked to this evergreen story (5-7 years)
Guide to Freeze-Frames and Still Images
Ideas about using freeze-frames in drama, including 50+ ways to use them across the curriculum and a checklist for grading.
Introducing Augusto Boal (12 years to adult)
3 full-length practical sessions introducing the work of the revolutionary Brazilian theatre maker.
The Gruffalo Drama Activities (4-7 years)
Explore familiar themes and characters through improvisation and role play.
The King’s Sentence – a world without words
Lesson plan and original story for KS2 exploring non-verbal communication through gesture and sign language.
The Musicians of Bremen Script
Sparkling play script of the Brothers Grimm tale for performance in schools
The Refugee Cat Drama Unit (5-11 years)
The incredible real-life story of a refugee family and their cat told through storytelling, discussion and drama activities.
The Tiger Child Drama Unit (4-7 years)
A range of drama and storytelling activities based on a traditional Indian folk-tale for KS1 and reception.
World War Two Evacuees Drama Unit (7-11 years)
Explore the experience of World War Two evacuees using media, drama strategies and a fictional story.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream (5-11 years)
Drama activities based on ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, including a live performance of the story of Titania and Oberon
Cinderella – Listen To Me – Restorative Justice (5-11 years)
Explore bullying issues through the story of Cinderella using drama, writing and restorative justice techniques
Commedia dell’arte Drama Unit
Commedia dell’arte began in the marketplaces of 16th-century Europe as improvised theatre which was rude, funny and satirical.
Drama Games for Language Teaching (teenage to adult)
14 easy to use drama games and activities suitable for a range of ages and language levels.
Funnybones Drama and Dance Unit (5-7 years)
Practical and funny drama and dance activities linked to this evergreen story (5-7 years)
Guide to Freeze-Frames and Still Images
Ideas about using freeze-frames in drama, including 50+ ways to use them across the curriculum and a checklist for grading.
Introducing Augusto Boal (12 years to adult)
3 full-length practical sessions introducing the work of the revolutionary Brazilian theatre maker.
The Gruffalo Drama Activities (4-7 years)
Explore familiar themes and characters through improvisation and role play.
The King’s Sentence – a world without words
Lesson plan and original story for KS2 exploring non-verbal communication through gesture and sign language.
The Musicians of Bremen Script
Sparkling play script of the Brothers Grimm tale for performance in schools
The Refugee Cat Drama Unit (5-11 years)
The incredible real-life story of a refugee family and their cat told through storytelling, discussion and drama activities.
The Tiger Child Drama Unit (4-7 years)
A range of drama and storytelling activities based on a traditional Indian folk-tale for KS1 and reception.
World War Two Evacuees Drama Unit (7-11 years)
Explore the experience of World War Two evacuees using media, drama strategies and a fictional story.
3D Living Pictures
Bring characters from works of art, book illustrations and photographs to life through drama.
Action Clip
Action Clip is a quick way to bring a freeze frame to life – with no preparation!
Conscience Alley
One person walks down an alleyway made by the group and makes a decision based on their advice.
Cross-Cutting
What is Cross Cutting? The dramatic action switches quickly between two scenes in the same space. Cross-cutting (also called split-screen)
Developing Freeze Frames
How to use freeze frames across the curriculum and in performance.
Drama For Writing
Drama provides children with a meaningful and immediate reason for writing.
Flashbacks and Flash Forwards
Expand on a freeze-frame to create the before and after images. Great strategy for story building in drama.
Forum Theatre
Members of the audience step into a scene and change the action.
Freeze Frames
Freeze frames and still images can be used to communicate ideas, tell a story or bring images to life.
Hot Seating
A character is questioned by the group about his or her background, behaviour and motivation.
Hot Spotting
An amazingly fun and easy way to mix up hot-seating and freeze frames to develop characters
Image Theatre
Image Theatre is the use of still images (freeze-frames) to explore abstract concepts such as relationships and emotions, as well
Mantle of the Expert
Mantle of the Expert involves the creation of a fictional world where students assume the roles of experts in a
Marking the Moment
A drama strategy used to highlight a key moment in a scene or improvisation, using slow-motion, freeze-frames and more.
Role on the Wall
Role on the wall is a collaborative class activity for developing thoughts and ideas about a character.
Soundscapes
The group is conducted to create a sound picture or “soundscape” using their voices and bodies.
Storytelling
Storytelling is one of the most compelling forms of dramatic and imaginative activity.
Teacher in Role
Teacher in role is an invaluable technique for shaping the dramatic process and developing students’ learning. The teacher takes on
Thought Tracking
In Thought-Tracking, characters in a freeze-frame speak thoughts and feelings aloud.
Whoosh! Bringing Stories Alive through Drama
An interactive technique in which participants become characters and objects in a story as it is told.
3D Living Pictures
Bring characters from works of art, book illustrations and photographs to life through drama.
Action Clip
Action Clip is a quick way to bring a freeze frame to life – with no preparation!
Conscience Alley
One person walks down an alleyway made by the group and makes a decision based on their advice.
Cross-Cutting
What is Cross Cutting? The dramatic action switches quickly between two scenes in the same space. Cross-cutting (also called split-screen)
Developing Freeze Frames
How to use freeze frames across the curriculum and in performance.
Drama For Writing
Drama provides children with a meaningful and immediate reason for writing.
Flashbacks and Flash Forwards
Expand on a freeze-frame to create the before and after images. Great strategy for story building in drama.
Forum Theatre
Members of the audience step into a scene and change the action.
Freeze Frames
Freeze frames and still images can be used to communicate ideas, tell a story or bring images to life.
Hot Seating
A character is questioned by the group about his or her background, behaviour and motivation.
Hot Spotting
An amazingly fun and easy way to mix up hot-seating and freeze frames to develop characters
Image Theatre
Image Theatre is the use of still images (freeze-frames) to explore abstract concepts such as relationships and emotions, as well
Mantle of the Expert
Mantle of the Expert involves the creation of a fictional world where students assume the roles of experts in a
Marking the Moment
A drama strategy used to highlight a key moment in a scene or improvisation, using slow-motion, freeze-frames and more.
Role on the Wall
Role on the wall is a collaborative class activity for developing thoughts and ideas about a character.
Soundscapes
The group is conducted to create a sound picture or “soundscape” using their voices and bodies.
Storytelling
Storytelling is one of the most compelling forms of dramatic and imaginative activity.
Teacher in Role
Teacher in role is an invaluable technique for shaping the dramatic process and developing students’ learning. The teacher takes on
Thought Tracking
In Thought-Tracking, characters in a freeze-frame speak thoughts and feelings aloud.
Whoosh! Bringing Stories Alive through Drama
An interactive technique in which participants become characters and objects in a story as it is told.
101 Drama Games and Activities
'Belongs amongst the top 10 books any director or drama teacher should own.' - English Touring Opera
101 MORE Drama Games and Activities
'This book cheered me up. Buy it and smile. There will be a lot of laughter in your classroom.' - Drama Magazine.
Learning Through Drama in the Primary Years
'Full of easily accessible advice... clear explanations and inventive suggestions.' - National Drama Magazine.
Playful Plays
'David Farmer has hit gold with Playful Plays... an off-the-shelf, ready-to-go, high-quality rehearsal process ideal for primary-aged students' - Drama Magazine.
Drop of a Hat
‘A flexible, varied book filled with engaging drama activities’ – Drama and Theatre magazine. Lesson plans to bring the curriculum to life through drama and creativity.
