Tried and True Drama Games: One teacher’s favorite 10-minute concentration games

This blog is one of a 3-part series. Be sure to also check out One teacher’s favorite 10-minute acting games and One teacher’s favorite 10-minute language & storytelling games.

Can your students focus? How well can they listen? Are they able to work together as a team? One way to practice and build these skills is through drama games! Not only will you love the results you’ll see among your students after playing these games over time, but they will also love them and ask to play them again and again! I know mine did. 

Here are 6 of my favorite classroom drama games that build concentration skills and teamwork with a brief summary of each. 

1. Who started the motion?
Sit in a circle as the class silently copies your motions (moving hands, fingers, arms, etc.). Select another student to be the leader as the class follows their motions. Once the class is following well, send a student out of the room to be the guesser. While they are gone, select a new leader. Have the guesser come back in to see if they can guess who the leader is within 3 guesses. Note, the first time played, it will likely be very easy to guess who is the leader because everyone will be staring at them. Take time to talk about this with the class and how they can make it less obvious (watch in your peripheral, watch someone else who is watching them, etc.).

2. Zip-Zap-Zop
Students stand in a circle. One student, Player A, claps his hands, ending in a pointing position toward the direction of another student. Simultaneously Player A will say the nonsense word “Zip!” Player B repeats this action, clapping and pointing at another student, Player C, while saying “Zap!” Player C repeats this action, pointing at yet again another student while saying the word “Zop!” Players do not need to follow any order and can clap and point at any other player they choose, but they should follow the pattern of “zip, zap, zop.” If a student says the wrong word or doesn’t respond when the clap has been sent to them, they are out. Eventually, the out players can start a new circle of their own.

3. The object moves the players
Any number of players (3-5 works well) agree on an object such as a sailboat, roller coaster, elephant, etc. They then move simultaneously as if they were on that object. Other members of the class guess what the object is that is moving them. Note: Coach the players by asking them to consider, what would it feel like to be moved by this object? How will we know as the audience? Are you all in this together?

4. Singing Syllables
Have one player go out of the room. While they cannot hear, decide as a class on a multi–syllabic word, such as umbrella, elevator, celebration, etc. Divide the class up into groups according to the number of syllables that are in the word (elevator would be four groups). Then assign each group a syllable to sing (e.g., group 1: eh-, group 2: -leh-, group 3: -vay-, group 4: -tor). Have them sing (in unison) their syllable over and over again to the tune of Row-Row-Row Your Boat, as you invite the guessing playing back into the room. The guesser can walk around the room listening to each group, then tries to guess the word based on the syllables they hear. Note: To begin, you can start with a list of words on the board to choose from. This is also a fun way to review vocabulary words.

5. Pass the clap
Have students stand in a circle. Tell students that they will be passing a clap around the circle, but that it will go around the circle two students at a time. Choose a starting point and have one person turn to the next person and have them both clap at the same time. The second student then turns to the next person and they clap at the same time. Key to success is eye contact, and watching each other’s hands in the beginning. If the game gets sloppy, ask students to slow down. Once the game is going smoothly, tell students that they may reverse the clap by remaining focused on the player who passed the clap, and clapping again. Another clap may also be introduced at another point in the circle so that there are two claps traveling around the circle.

6. Do you see what I say?
Pair students up with a partner and have them sit back to back. One student will describe an object while the other player draws what they are hearing (you can use paper and pencil or whiteboards). The describing player cannot say what things are called, but only use descriptions such as “Draw a large circle. Now draw two small ovals in the middle of that circle that are side by side. Now draw a straight line connecting the ovals. etc.”. Once finished, take a look at your team’s drawing! How well did you do? 

Several of these games were taken from 101 Games that Teach Storytelling Skills by Anthony & Mike Burcher, Theater Game File by Viola Spolin, Beat by Beat Press, and the Drama Notebook website. Check them out to learn even more fun drama games and activities for your classroom! And visit our website to learn more about using drama in the classroom.