From ‘Drop of a Hat: Drama Lessons’ available now
Age: 5 to adult
Players: Pairs
Time: 5-15 minutes
Skills: Mime and Movement
A variation on the Mirror Game for younger students
Select two students to demonstrate the Mirror Game and label them A and B.
The pair should stand facing each other a short distance apart with an imaginary mirror between them.
- A starts moving slowly and smoothly, while B tries to reflect A’s movements as accurately as possible
- When they have got the hang of this, give a signal (ring a bell or clap your hands) for the leading to swap so that A is now looking in the mirror
- Now start again and ask A to think of a type of pet. They should slowly make the movements and facial expressions of the animal
- B copies the movements and afterwards guesses what the animal was
Now all the students are going to take it in turns to be different types of pet.
- Divide the class into pairs and ask them to label themselves A and B
- ‘A’ will be the first animal. Emphasise slow movements
- After a while ask them to stop and guess the animal
- Swap over. Partners pretend to be a different animal each time they swap
- Ask a pair to show what they were doing (they should whisper to decide who is leading at first)
- Give the signal to swap a few times then stop the activity and ask the students to guess who is leading at that moment and which animals they saw
- Ask more pairs to show their ideas
The above is an extract from the latest book by David Farmer.
The reviews are in!
‘A flexible, varied book filled with engaging drama activities… for primary teachers, I would very much recommend ‘Drop of a Hat’ for its content, ease of use, and engaging activities, as well as for demonstrating how you can use drama to great effect in many areas of the curriculum… Secondary drama teachers will find the activities useful and many of the stimulus materials would be relevant at KS3 and 4.’
— Drama and Theatre Magazine (January 2020)
Browse all the Games!
Count To 20
One of the simplest, yet most challenging drama games 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 Language Teaching (teenage to adult)
14 easy to use drama games and activities suitable for a range of ages and language levels.
Drama Games for Story Books
Two activities for exploring story books through drama
Family Portraits – Online/Socially Distanced
Groups have just a few seconds to make comical family tableaux.
Fruit Salad
A game of quick reactions and verbal dexterity
Grandma’s Footsteps
Perfect game for exploring dramatic tension.
Groovy Image Factory
Quickly generate repeating actions and sounds or words
Guess The Pet
A variation on the Mirror Game for younger students
Guess Who I Am (inc Online Version)
A fun way of creating characters from any picture.
Imaginarium
An exciting and completely unpredictable way to quickly develop a scene
Night Watchman
The museum is closed for the night. The watchman is making his rounds. But something strange is going on...
Open and Close
In pairs, create a still image where one of you has a higher status than the other and let others
Pecking Order
Can you work out where you stand in the pecking order?
Podcasts and Webinars with David Farmer
Podcasts and Webinars about drama teaching featuring David Farmer
Poetry in Motion
Poetry can be explored and presented effectively 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
In pairs, create a still image where one of you has a higher status than the other and let others
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.
Sources of Light
Create objects that make or reflect light
Status Pictures
In pairs, create a still image where one of you has a higher status than the other.
Story Orchestra
The group tells a story, with a conductor guiding the narrative
Ten Second Objects
Small groups make the shape of an object using their bodies - in only ten seconds!
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 Drama Games?
Children's natural tendency towards make-believe play can be utilised at school through structured play and drama.
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
One of the simplest, yet most challenging drama games 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 Language Teaching (teenage to adult)
14 easy to use drama games and activities suitable for a range of ages and language levels.
Drama Games for Story Books
Two activities for exploring story books through drama
Family Portraits – Online/Socially Distanced
Groups have just a few seconds to make comical family tableaux.
Fruit Salad
A game of quick reactions and verbal dexterity
Grandma’s Footsteps
Perfect game for exploring dramatic tension.
Groovy Image Factory
Quickly generate repeating actions and sounds or words
Guess The Pet
A variation on the Mirror Game for younger students
Guess Who I Am (inc Online Version)
A fun way of creating characters from any picture.
Imaginarium
An exciting and completely unpredictable way to quickly develop a scene
Night Watchman
The museum is closed for the night. The watchman is making his rounds. But something strange is going on...
Open and Close
In pairs, create a still image where one of you has a higher status than the other and let others
Pecking Order
Can you work out where you stand in the pecking order?
Podcasts and Webinars with David Farmer
Podcasts and Webinars about drama teaching featuring David Farmer
Poetry in Motion
Poetry can be explored and presented effectively 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
In pairs, create a still image where one of you has a higher status than the other and let others
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.
Sources of Light
Create objects that make or reflect light
Status Pictures
In pairs, create a still image where one of you has a higher status than the other.
Story Orchestra
The group tells a story, with a conductor guiding the narrative
Ten Second Objects
Small groups make the shape of an object using their bodies - in only ten seconds!
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 Drama Games?
Children's natural tendency towards make-believe play can be utilised at school through structured play and drama.
Where Do You Stand? (inc Online Version)
A fast and effective way of discovering everybody’s opinions about a subject - online or offline.
