Drama Games

Drama Games for breaking the ice, physical warm-ups, group dynamics and encouraging creativity. These activities are drawn from a wide range of sources, including traditional games, as well as exercises developed by directors, actors and teachers. View each category by clicking on the tabs below.

1-2-3

A simple and effective game which is ideal for closing a session.
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Animal Characters

How often do you meet someone who reminds you of an animal? In this game, animal traits are used as
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Best Bits

Quickly share group work!
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Count To 20

One of the simplest, yet most challenging drama games where the group tries to count to twenty.
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Daft Definitions

Put random words together to invent new concepts! Great storytelling warm-up.
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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.
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Drama Games for Story Books

Two activities for exploring story books through drama
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Experts

Experts talk about what they know - and what they don't
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Family Portraits – Online/Socially Distanced

Groups have just a few seconds to make comical family tableaux.
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Fruit Salad

A game of quick reactions and verbal dexterity
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Grandma’s Footsteps

Perfect game for exploring dramatic tension.
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Groovy Image Factory

Quickly generate repeating actions and sounds or words
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Guess The Pet

A variation on the Mirror Game for younger students
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Guess Who I Am (inc Online Version)

A fun way of creating characters from any picture.
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Imaginarium

An exciting and completely unpredictable way to quickly develop a scene
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Night Watchman

The museum is closed for the night. The watchman is making his rounds. But something strange is going on...
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Non-Verbal Communication

Discussion and activities exploring the power of non-verbal communication
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Open and Close

An effective way of performing a sequence of freeze frames.
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Pecking Order

Can you work out where you stand in the pecking order?
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Poetry in Motion

Poetry can be explored and presented effectively through drama and movement
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Random Sound Stories

A story is told by the group or in pairs, with each person adding one word at a time.
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Sculptor and Statue

In pairs, create a still image where one of you has a higher status than the other and let others
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Shoe Shuffle

Develop imagination and mime skills using everyday objects
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Siren (Voice Warm-Up)

An effective and easy humming warm up for exploring and extending the vocal range.
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Soundscapes

The group is conducted to create a sound picture or “soundscape” using their voices and bodies.
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Sources of Light

Create objects that make or reflect light
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Status Pictures

In pairs, create a still image where one of you has a higher status than the other and let others
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Story Orchestra

The group tells a story, with a conductor guiding the narrative
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Ten Second Objects (inc Online Version)

Small groups make the shape of an object using their bodies - in only ten seconds!
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Three Changes

An observation and getting to know you game - with online version
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Three Word Sentences

Sometimes three words are just enough.
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Two Truths And A Lie

Play online or live - tell your partner three things about yourself – two of which are true and one
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What If

Quick ways to revamp a fairy tale – or any story
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Where Do You Stand? (inc Online Version)

A fast and effective way of discovering everybody’s opinions about a subject - online or offline.
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I find ‘Poetry in Motion’ a great way to teach lines from Shakespeare!

Martha O'Shaughnessy Martha's Speech and Drama
Martha O'Shaughnessy

I would like to thank you, David Farmer, so much for all the online drama games – I am doing a debate club via Zoom and they are wonderful for warm ups – I am a big fan of yours having bought both your drama games books and regular visits for your drama tips eg the Cinderella freeze frame, for when I used to teach in a classroom before Covid.

Elisabeth Lowery, Ecole Jacques Prevert, Hammersmith 
Elisabeth Lowery, Ecole Jacques Prevert, Hammersmith

Love the Who am I game – had great fun choosing lots of famous paintings and can’t wait to try it out on Y4 in Zoom time on Thursday.

Laura Rogan Solefield School, Sevenoaks, Kent
Laura  Rogan

I just wanted to thank you for this wonderful resource.  I have found inspiration and comfort from your emails for years. I thought you should know your generous sharing of ideas has been really appreciated.

Jane McGrath Buenos Aires
Jane McGrath

Thank you David Farmer !!! I love your Drama Games and they inspire me greatly!

Sara Christoffersen, Argentina Argentina
Sara Christoffersen, Argentina

I have really enjoyed learning about the games and creating ways to use them in my classes for adults. It takes a bit of courage to get students to move out of their comfortable chairs to the imaginary stage – and courage for the teacher to make this happen in a safe and fun way for the students!

Participant Drama Power Up, May 2018
Participant

I loved this game, the students were extremely spontaneous and that made it more enjoyable. I often use all the drama games that you send and believe me it’s made my classes fun!

Nishi, Mumbai, India 
Nishi, Mumbai, India

Thank you for sending me the suggestions for the parents’ workshop. The parents loved those sessions and could understand how their children are learning and why their kids say that drama is so much fun. They really loved it!

Marika, Kenya 
Marika, Kenya