As we enjoy the warm weather and the school holidays are just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to bring creativity outdoors. Summer camps offer a wonderful opportunity for children to explore drama in a playful, pressure-free environment. Drama games not only keep children active and engaged, but they also nurture imagination, cooperation, and confidence—all essential skills for young learners.
Whether you’re working with a large group in a sunny field or a small circle under the shade of a tree, these drama activities are designed to be flexible, fun, and full of summer spirit. No scripts, no costumes—just imagination, movement, and laughter.
Here are 10 drama activities that will bring sunshine to your summer camp sessions!
1. The Holiday Suitcase
Focus: Imagination, storytelling, mime
One child mimes taking an imaginary object out of a suitcase. The others must guess what it is and how it might be used on holiday. Encourage silly, surprising, and unusual items!
2. Statue Garden
Focus: Stillness, group awareness, self-control
Play music and let children move around like holiday-goers (e.g. swimmers, ice cream sellers, hikers). When the music stops, they freeze as garden statues. Anyone who moves is “out” for a round.
3. Animal Adventure
Focus: Movement, sound, improvisation
Each child becomes a different animal found on a summer safari or jungle trek. In small groups, they must create a short scene with no words—just movements and sounds.
4. Weather Wizard
Focus: Voice, gesture, role-play
One child is the Weather Wizard who controls the climate. The others react in slow motion to sudden changes: heatwaves, thunderstorms, hurricanes, or snow in July!
5. Lost in the Campsite
Focus: Problem-solving, teamwork, role-play
In groups, children pretend they are lost in the woods and must work together to find their way back. Each group presents a short drama that includes a problem, a solution, and a creative twist.
6. The Ice Cream Shop
Focus: Improv, character creation, emotion
Set up an imaginary ice cream stall. Children take turns being the shopkeeper and a customer who has a very unusual request (e.g. broccoli and bubblegum flavour!). Encourage expressive voices and reactions.
7. The Picnic Disaster
Focus: Sequencing, comedy, freeze frames
Children work in groups to create three freeze frames showing a summer picnic… but something goes wrong! Ants invade, seagulls steal food, or it starts to rain chocolate milk!
8. Sunscreen Commercial
Focus: Performance, language, persuasion
In pairs or groups, children create a short commercial for a new brand of sunscreen. Bonus points for catchy slogans, jingles, or exaggerated performances.
9. Holiday Snap
Focus: Visualisation, freeze frame, narration
One child calls out a holiday location (e.g. the beach, the airport, a volcano). The others freeze in position like a holiday photo. The child who called it describes what’s happening in the scene.
10. Campfire Tales
Focus: Storytelling, atmosphere, suspense
Gather the children in a circle. Begin a spooky or silly summer story and invite each child to add a line. You can use a “magic object” like a stick or torch to pass the storytelling turn.
Final Tip:
Drama activities are most powerful when focused on process, not performance. Let children experiment, play, and invent their own worlds—while learning and laughing along the way.
For more ready-to-use drama games, stories, and scripts, visit DramaStartBooks.com and explore our full range of free and paid resources.
