
Games featured here have been used by drama and dance practitioners, educators, and artists in various formats for many years. If we have sourced a game from a specific website, it is credited at the end of the game description.
Most of these games can be adapted up or down with the right supports (e.g., supporting scripts or sentence stems for younger students). Use your professional judgment about whether these games are right for your group.
Notes:
- It may be worthwhile to review procedures for participating safely in drama games before playing (e.g., be prepared to stop when the teacher needs your attention, etc.). Explicit rehearsal of procedures and routines are beneficial for all students and essential for some.
- Games should include the right to pass and the right to return when students are ready and able to participate again. This honours the social and emotional access needs of students including the need for longer transitions and opportunities to observe before participating, and physical access needs including the need for rest if an activity is overstimulating or tiring. It also honours preferences if a game includes touch that does not feel safe or appropriate for a student (for any reason).
Game Name
Skill Focus
Recommended Panel
Concentration, Risk-Taking, Ensemble Building, Energizer
Any
Concentration, Risk-taking, Ensemble-building, Energizer
Junior/Intermediate/Senior
Concentration, Ensemble-building, Energizer
Any
Concentration, Ensemble-building, Energizer
Junior/Intermediate/Senior
Concentration, Ensemble-building, Physical warm-up, Language skills, Energizer
Any
Concentration, Ensemble building, Risk-taking, Non-verbal communication
Any
Concentration, Ensemble building, Risk-taking, Non-verbal communication
Any
Concentration, Ensemble-building, Active Listening
Junior/Intermediate/Senior
Concentration, Ensemble-building, Non-verbal communication
Primary/Junior/Intermediate/Senior
Concentration, Ensemble-building, Active listening
Intermediate/Senior
Ensemble-building, Active listening
Any
Ensemble-building, Observation, Concentration, Problem-solving, Non-verbal communication, Self-awareness
Intermediate/Senior
Ensemble-building, Concentration, Non-verbal Communication, Risk-taking
Junior/Intermediate/Senior
Ensemble-building, Concentration, Observation, Non-verbal communication, Self-awareness
Primary/Junior
Ensemble-building, Concentration, Observation, Non-verbal communication, Self-awareness, Risk-taking
Primary/Junior/Intermediate/Senior
Do you have a game you'd like to add? Let us know using the Feedback form in the menu on the left!
Further Resources
- Booth, David. Games For Everyone. Pembroke Publishers Limited, 1986.
- Booth, David & Charles Lundy. Improvisation, Learning Through Drama. Harcourt Brace Jananovich, 1985.
- Boal, Augusto. Games For Actors and Non-Actors. Routledge, 1992.
- Neelands, Jonothan. Beginning Drama 11-14. David Fulton, 1997.
- Rooyackers, Paul. 101 Drama Games: Fun and Learning with Acting and Make Believe. Hunter House, 1997.
- Rooyackers, Paul. 101 Dance Games for Children: Fun and Creativity with Movement. Hunter House, 1996.
- Spolin, Viola. Theatre Games for the Classroom: A Teacher’s Handbook. Northwestern University Press, 1986.
- Swartz, Larry. The New Dramathemes. Pembroke Publishers, 2002.
- Name Games from https://www.dramanotebook.com/drama-name-games
- https://www.childdrama.com/lessons.html