Catch My Name (Ice Breaker)
Age and Number of campers: Trailblazers, small to large groups
Requirements:
• Ball to pass across the circle, as a variation you can have multiple balls
How to play:
1. A fun way of learning names. The group stands in a circle and begins by bouncing a medium-sized ball, such as a children's football, across the circle from one person to another. Make sure people are ready to throw and ready to catch. Eye contact is important.
2. Now, introduce yourself as you throw or bounce the ball across the circle - 'Hi, I'm Robert'. Once everybody has had a go at that, continue the game but this time say the name of the person that you are throwing to - 'Jessica to Kelvin'. The group should ensure that everybody receives the ball. One way of doing this is for everybody to hold one hand up until they have caught the ball, or each person folds their arms when they have thrown it.
3. As a variation, the catcher can call out the name of the thrower
4. Ask everybody to call out the name of the thrower
5. More balls can be added in so that it develops into a Group Juggle.
6. Don't make name games into an actual test - people are less likely to learn names if they feel pressurised. Keep it light and enjoyable
7. A useful adaptation for language learners - use word categories so that each person throwing the ball must say a word in the named category.
Rules:
1. Have campers maintain eye contact to avoid any accidents.
What can we do next:
• After learning everyone’s name, continue to a warm-up game to generate a closeness in the group.
Ten Second Objects (Warm Up)
Age and Number of campers: Trailblazers, small to large groups
Requirements:
• No equipment is required
How to play:
1. Divide everyone into small groups (4-6). Call out the name of an object and all the groups have to make the shape of that object out of their own bodies, joining together in different ways while you count down slowly from ten to zero. Usually every group will find a different way of forming the object. Examples could be: a car, a fried breakfast, a clock, a washing machine, a fire.
2. Encourage groups to think about using different levels with their body shapes, e.g. high, medium and low.
3. You could choose objects from a play you are rehearsing or a theme you are exploring.
4. Groups can also be given a couple of minutes to devise an object of their own which the rest of the class try to guess.
5. You could make it a rule that after 10 seconds they must be completely frozen in position. On the other hand it can be fun if they are able to make objects that use movement.
6. You can use the shapes created as a quick way into creating ideas for physical theatre.
Rules:
1. No outstanding rules
What can we do next:
• Continue onto storytelling games to start imaginations flowing
One Word At a Time (Storytelling)
Age and Number of campers: Trailblazers, small to large groups
Requirements:
• None, or a ball to pass across the circle
How to play:
1. In a circle, the story is started, with each person in turn adding one word. It usually starts with 'Once - upon - a - time'. The idea is to keep your thoughts free flowing, so that you don't try to guess what is coming or force the story in a particular direction. It is not always easy to maintain a logical flow for the story, although it is always amusing. If the group is too large, break into smaller groups.
2. Another variation is to throw or roll a ball around the circle in any order.
a. Add your word as you pass the ball to the next person.
b. This ensures that people are more attentive; although you should make sure everyone is included.
3. Try playing the game in pairs, where both participants act the story out as it is told. In this case, tell the story in the present tense and as 'we'. For example, 'We - are - climbing - a - mountain. - Look - a - giant -spider - coming - towards - us. Quick - run!' You can soon create an adventure story in this way. You can also use the one word at a time technique to create characters made up of two or more people - great fun for interview scenes!
Rules:
1. No outstanding rules
What can we do next:
• After starting the imaginative process and giving the campers the power to change stories, continue onto Improvisation games
Alphabet Conversation (Improvisation)
Age and Number of campers: Trailblazers, small to large groups
Requirements:
• None
How to play:
1. Have a conversation where each sentence begins with the next letter of the alphabet. This may seem difficult at first, but improves with practice. If you get stuck, you can also use sounds to start a sentence, for example 'Mmmm' or 'tut-tut'. Here is an example:
A: Anyone seen my cat?
B: Black one, with funny eyes?
A: Can't say I remember.
B: Don't tell me you've forgotten what it looks like?
A: Every cat looks the same to me.
B: Fortunately, I found one yesterday
A: Gee, that's great!
2. You could also try beginning somewhere in the middle of the alphabet. Then when you reach 'Z', return to 'A' until you arrive back where you started
3. Try setting the scene or location before you start
4. It's great for bus journeys too!
Rules:
5. No outstanding rules
What can we do next:
• Campers are having more opportunities to create things using their own imagination. To develop bodily and self-awareness, move onto Movement games.
Follow Your Nose (Movement)
Age and Number of campers: Trailblazers, small to large groups
Requirements:
• None
How to play:
1. A movement exercise for the whole group. Move around the room, filling up the space, changing pace, changing direction, being aware of other people but not touching them. Now become aware of your nose. Let your nose lead you around the room. Follow it wherever it goes!
2. Develop this by focussing on different parts of the body, so that participants begin to discover new ways of moving. Very useful for dance or physical theatre, or simply for discovering movement ideas for characters. Try being led by your stomach, your little toe, your knee, your back and so on.
Rules:
1. No outstanding rules
What can we do next:
• After realizing the potential of our bodies, move onto miming games.
Essence Machines (Miming)
Age and Number of campers: Trailblazers, small to large groups
Requirements:
• None
How to play:
1. This activity provides a useful technique for generating physical and aural ideas around a theme. Explain that the group is going to create a "machine" out of themselves. Name a topic and give the participants a few moments to think of a repeating sound and action linked to that theme.
a. For example, if the theme was "shopping" a participant could mime taking money out of a purse to give to a shopkeeper, whilst saying "I'll have two of those, please."
2. As soon as someone has an idea, ask them to step into the centre of a circle to begin their repeating sound and movement. Ask if somebody else can think of a suitable way to add in their own idea. Gradually, more and more people join in the activity. Some may be linked to existing parts of the "machine", whilst others may be separate.
a. To continue the example above, someone could join the action by becoming the shopkeeper and saying "Shall I wrap them for you?", whilst somebody else could be a cleaner in the shopping mall.
3. You may find that everybody wants to join in the activity, although be careful not to let it go on for too long or get too unwieldy. Once it is set up, the machine can be frozen, then played back at twice or half the "normal" speed. Themes could include: a football match, a meal in a restaurant, folk tales, Halloween. You could have a machine that actually makes something, like chocolate biscuits, school dinners or weather conditions.
Rules:
1. No outstanding rules
What can we do next:
• Many other games will highlight the skills learnt through Drama Games. The group will generally feel much closer and will feel much more self-confident.
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