Category: Mime for kids

Posted in Drama, Drama Activities for children, Drama for children, drama for kids, Drama strategies, Drama techniques, Freeze Frame, Hot seating, improvisation, Mime for kids, Plays about graditude, Plays for Children, Plays for well being, Plays that teach emotions, Role playing stories, Still image, Storytelling

A drama workshop for children which is based on gratitude.

Posted on by Drama Start Books


Here is a drama workshop for 5 to 8 year olds based on the theme of “The Magic of Thankfulness”: It is from the book Gratitude Stories on Stage.

Introduction: Begin the workshop by discussing the concept of gratitude and what it means to be thankful. Ask the children to share examples of things for which they are grateful.

Main Focus/The Magic Wand: Mime and Movement – Explain to the children that they will be using their imaginations to pretend they have a magic wand that can make things appear or disappear. Have them practice moving the wand in different ways to make different things happen, such as waving it to make a flower appear or flicking it to make a rock disappear.

Still Image – In small groups, have the children create a frozen image of themselves holding their magic wands and casting spells.

The Ungrateful Friend: Action Narration – Tell the story of an ungrateful friend who never says thank you or appreciates the things others do for them. Have the children act out the story as it unfolds.

Narration: Once upon a time, there was an ungrateful friend named Max. Max had many friends, but he never thanked them for their help or appreciated what they did for him. One day, Max’s friend Sam cooked him a delicious dinner and invited him over. Max came over and enjoyed the meal, but when he left, he didn’t even say thank you to Sam. The next day, Max’s friend Sarah invited him to her birthday party. She decorated her whole house, baked a cake, and had a special present for Max. But when Max arrived, he didn’t even say happy birthday to Sarah or thank her for inviting him. Max’s friends started to get tired of his ungrateful behaviour. They started to distance themselves from him and stopped inviting him to their events. Max didn’t even notice and thought nothing of it. One day, Max needed help with a big project, so he reached out to his friends for assistance. But none of them wanted to help him. Max was surprised and didn’t understand why. He realized that he had taken his friends for granted and never showed them appreciation or gratitude. Max decided to change his ways and started saying thank you and showing appreciation for his friends. He even threw a party to apologize for his past behaviour and to thank his friends for always being there for him. From then on, Max’s friendships grew stronger, and he learned the importance of showing gratitude and appreciation.

During the story, the children can act out the various scenes by showing appreciation, saying thank you, and giving hugs to each other. They can also show Max’s ungrateful behaviour by ignoring their friends and refusing to say thank you. The children can also act out the scene where Max realizes his mistake and shows gratitude to his friends by hugging and thanking them.

Hot Seating – Choose one child to play the ungrateful friend and another to play their best friend. The rest of the children will take turns asking them questions about their actions and feelings towards each other.

The Magic of Thankfulness: Flash Forward – Have the children create a scene showing the ungrateful friend realizing the importance of being thankful and expressing gratitude towards others.

Role Play Sculpting – In small groups, have the children take turns playing the role of someone who has done something kind for them, while the others sculpt them into a frozen image to represent their gratitude towards that person.

The Thankful Tree: Conscience Alley – Set up a “thankful tree” by taping a large piece of paper to the wall and drawing a tree trunk and branches. Have the children take turns walking through the “conscience alley” and adding leaves to the tree with things they are thankful for.

Storytelling – End the workshop by reading a story about thankfulness, such as “The Giving Tree” by Shel Silverstein, and encourage the children to share their favourite parts of the story and how it relates to the theme of gratitude.

Conclusion: Gather the children in a circle to reflect on the workshop. Discuss how the different drama techniques helped them understand the theme of gratitude and its importance.

Encourage the children to practice being thankful and expressing gratitude towards others in their daily lives.

 

Posted in Mime, Mime for all ages, Mime for children, Mime for kids, Movement activities, Solo Mimes

Solo Mimes

Posted on by Drama Start Books

 

The following are the outline of three solo mimes.

The Magician

A magician enters , bows and then takes off his cape and hat – he puts them to one side.

He slowly and carefully takes off his gloves, – throws the gloves up in the air – they change into a bunch of flowers – he smells them, shows them to the audience and then hands them to his assistant.

He pulls a long handkerchief from his breast pocket – he shows this handkerchief both sides, bunches it up and then produces a dove from it. He strokes the dove – lets it fly away and then it lands on his hand again. He gives the dove to his assistant.

At the back of the stage there is a large box. The magician walks back to it and then pushes it forwards. He swings it round, opens the front door and then gestures to his lady assistant who gets into the box, and closes the door.

The magician produces a sharp word-he brandishes the sword and then sticks it through the box. More and more swords are put through the box – perhaps he saws the box in half as well.

He pulls the sword out – opens the door. The lady walks out and the magician takes his bow. (Or the lady could collapse down to the floor – the magician shrugs and goes off).

 

The Driving Lesson

(There are two chairs to represent the two front seats in the car)

A lady gets into the car for her first driving lesson.

She gets into the passenger seat by mistake.

After some maneuvering she climbs in to the driving seat.

She tests all the controls – when she sees the rear view mirror she checks her appearance and starts to tidy her hair – then remembers the driving lesson.

She tries to get hold of the gear lever, but gets hold of the instructor’s knee by mistake.

She gets embarrassed. At last the car starts but it goes backwards.

Suddenly it stops. It starts again but this time it jerks forwards.

It begins to start speeding.

The lady takes her hand from the steering wheel to shield her yes.

The car crashes.

The lady opens her eyes. She is unhurt – so she gets out of the car, dusts herself down and walks off cheerfully as if nothing happened.

Stuck up

You carry a heavy parcel.

You take a large sheet of brown paper and wrap it around the parcel.

You try to keep the paper the parcel as you reach for a roll of sticky tape.

You get your sticky tape stuck to your fingers and your clothes,

As soon as pull it off one part gets stuck to another part – it gets stuck everywhere but on your parcel.

You get more and more stuck up until finally your knees are stuck, and your arms are stuck, every part of you is stuck and you hobble off.

For more solo mimes click here.

Posted in Mime, Mime for all ages, Mime for children, Mime for kids, Occupational mime

Occupational Mime

Posted on by Drama Start Books

How do we represent occupational mime correctly?

To present a correct representation of the occupation. In order to do occupational mime correctly we need to convey

  • The size of the objects
  • The weight of the objects
  • The shape of the objects
  • The resistance of the objects
  • How we use the objects.

How do we achieve all of the above?

  • We must imagine the action, weight, shape ans feel of an object.
  • We must observe the people around us carefully. Watch how they move and recreate how they do it.
  • We must be aware of our bodies and how they move.

Occupational Mime Exercises:

  • Lift a real chair then recreate the size, weight, shape and resistance as you lift an imaginary chair.
  • Move the real chair, then move the imaginary chair.
  • Handle different materials (rough, smooth, silk). This will help with recreate textures in mime.
  • Lift a real box then lift an imaginary box. Lift the imaginary box and put it down and lift it from the same place. Let it have the same size, weigh and resistance.
  • Lift a real glass. Lift an imaginary glass and put it down and lift it from the same place. Let it have the same size, weigh and resistance.
  • Open the lid of a box. Open an imaginary box. What’s the angle of the lid. How does it open?

When you are  performing mime you must have clear and slow movements.

Things to try:

  • Open a door
  • Enter a room
  • Turn around and close the door.
  • Go pass a table
  • There is a box on a shelf. Take it off.
  • Put it on the table
  • Open it the box and take out a telescope
  • Extend the telescope
  • Put it to your eye
  • Put it down
  • Put it in the box (same place as before.)
  • Lift the box back on the shelf.

Mime workshops for all ages

Solo Mimes

Posted in Mime, Mime for all ages, Mime for children, Mime for kids, Movement activities

Cu Chulainn – Mime Play

Posted on by Drama Start Books

 

 

 

Cu Chulainn

(This is a mime play with a storyteller, the mime actions are in italics).

The storyteller:

This is the story of Cu Chulainn and how he got his name and became one of Ireland’s most famous warriors. Cullen was a blacksmith to the high king of Ireland. His job was to make swords of flashing steel that could cut the thickest of trees and bronze shields that would protect the king from the wrath of the fieriest dragon in Ireland.

Mime action:

Cullen the blacksmith walks to the centre of the stage. He has got helpers. They make a still image of a blacksmith’s forge. Then, they mime making the swords. They hand them to each other. They brandish them. They cut down trees to see if the sword is sharp enough and they present if to the king who is sitting on his throne.

The storyteller:

The high king was pleased with Cullen and one day he held a royal feast in his honour and invited all the noble warriors in Ireland to the feast.

Mime action:

The King leads the procession of warriors. Servants bring in seats. They sit and the servants carry in great plates of food and bottles of wine.

The storyteller:

As night fell, Cullen left his mighty black hound to guard the king’s palace. The hound was very fierce with ugly red eyes and huge teeth.

Mime action:

One of the children takes the part of the hound. The High King,, Warriors and Cullen stretch out and go to sleep. The hound stands in front of them and guards them.

The storyteller:

The King had forgotten that a boy called Setanta was playing hurley on the field outside. No one had warned him about the dreadful hound.

Mime action:

Setanta approaches the palace. He is happy and swing his hurling stick. He sees the hound. The hound attacks Setanta. The battle continues in slow motion as the storyteller speaks. The king, warriors and lords wake up and watch the fight.

The storyteller:

There was a mighty fight between them. Setanta eventually kills the hound by ramming his hurley down the hound’s throat.

Mime action:

The hound dies.

The storyteller:

The king, Cullen and all the noble warriors rush out when they hear the combat. The king hugs Setanta as he is delighted that the boy is safe.

Mime action:

The king comes forward and praises Setanata. Cullen stands over the dead hound. The King and warriors go to him.

The storyteller:

Cullen however was sad and grieved at the loss of his great guard hound. He wondered who will guard his workshop. Who will guard all the bronze and gold in the workshop that’s needed to make the swords and shields.

Mime action:

Setanta lifts his hand and gestures that he will take the place of the hound. He could take the mask from the hound and change this into a helmet which he lifts high and then places on his head.

The storyteller:

“I will guard your forge from now on and I will take the place of your hound” said Setanta. So he did – and guarded the forge of Cullen, the blacksmith. He was known by his new name Cu Chulainn – the hound of Cullen. He became the highest and greatest of Irelands’s ancient warriors.There are many more exciting stories about Cu Chulainn and the heroes of Ireland. Make up your own mime plays from these stories.

For more mime activities click here

Visit my Amazon page for more drama activities, plays and monologues.

 

 

Posted in Action Poems, English as a second language, English teaching games, Esl Drama, expressive arts, Mime, Mime for kids, Movement activities

Emotions -a drama workshop for children based on emotions

Posted on by Drama Start Books

Drama is a great way of expressing emotions. Explain to the children everything we do and every thought we have comes with a feeling. Sometimes the feelings feel good and sometimes not so good. Some feelings are strong, some are weak. When we feel something we can choos want to do about that feeling. Sometimes we try to ignore it and it goes away and sometime it takes over and we cannot think of anything else. When you get a feeling, first work out what it is and come up with an idea about what to do about it.

When you are feeling…….
Happy
Angry
Bored
Worried
Sad
Excited
Grumpy
Scared
Quiet
Jealous
Embarrassed
Shy

Everyone makes mask with different emotions. Walk around the trying portray their emotions.
The rest of the class has to get what emotion you are portraying.

ACTIVITY: EMOTION ACTION SONG.

The song is a variation on the classic “If You Are Happy, And You Know It.”

When I sing this, I over exaggerate my faces. And I encourage the children to make the faces along with the body language. So often we focus emotion lessons only on faces, but children’s bodies tell us how they are feeling too.

If you are happy, and you know it clap your hands
If you are happy, and you know it clap your hands
If you are happy, and you know it, then your face will surely show it
If you are happy, and you know it, clap your hands.

Now replace happy with different emotions:

Mad – cross your arms.
Frustrated – stomp your feet.
Excited – jump up and down.
Sad – make a frown
Scared – hide your face.

Mirror, Mirror

Pair the children up. One child makes an emotion face and their partner identifies the emotion and duplicates it.

For more drama activities for children visit my amazon page.

For more free drama activities click below.

Drama workshop for children based on the Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen

A Play  script for children – The Frog Prince

Posted in Action Poems, creative arts, Drama for children, Drama games for 3 year olds, Drama games for 4 year olds, Mime for children, Mime for kids, Movement activities, Movement stories for children

Body/self awareness Activities

Posted on by Drama Start Books

image

Game: Colour Jump

Instructions: Ask the children to look at their clothing. Ask them to notice the colors they are wearing. Tell the children that when you name a color they are wearing, they will jump up and then sit back down. Be sure the children have enough space to move without hurting other children. If your space is limited, they can all stand and then hop when their color is called. Call out one color. Help children by drawing attention to the colors they are wearing. Example: “Mara, is that red on your shirt?”

Game: Alphabet Jump

Instructions: Tell the children that you are going to name a letter of the alphabet. When a child’s name begins with that letter, that child can jump up and then sit back down. Recite the alphabet, and pause when you reach a letter that begins a child’s name. If that child hesitates, repeat the letter and look at the child. You can prompt a child by saying, “B. B. I think Bryan starts with B.” If a child jumps on the wrong letter, say, “Oops, Janna, you jumped to

Game:The Shake it Song

Instructions: As you sing this little song, move your body with the words. (i.e. when you say “shake it high!” shake your arms and head up high. When you say/sing “shake it low”, bend down and shake your body in a low crouched or squat position – a pile for my ballet trained friends!)

SHAKE, SHAKE, SHAKE
SHAKE, SHAKE, SHAKE
Shake it HIGH!
Shake it LOW.
Shake it all about!

(repeat at least 3X)

You can choose to turn around when you sing “Shake it all about” – or you can simply shake your whole body. Allow whatever movement happens freely as you play with your child. Sing the song at least three times. You really want to get into the fun like to end my 3-4 and 5-6 classes with what I call “body awareness freeze game”. So it’s like freeze dance except no one’s out if they move during a freeze moment. Instead, I shout out directions every time the music stops. There are two categories: directions that affect how they move, and directions that will affect the shape they will form with their bodies when the music stops.

For example, I may say: “until the music stops you will make a hand dance” and dance mostly with their hands. Then the music stops and I say “Now you will make a shoulder dance”. etc.
With the other variation, I let them dance however they want, and then I say “Next time the music stops I want you to make straight lines with your arms and legs” and then they do it when the music stops. Then I give them something else “Next time the music stops you have to have one foot and one hand in the air”… It can be anything really, I just want them to be creative and start problem solving with their bodies… When there’s a holiday coming up I ask them to shape their body like a star, like a Christmas tree, or like a heart for valentine’s day. They love it and that way they are still developing skills and body awareness while having crazy loads of fun!

 

 

Posted in Action Poems, Drama, Drama Activities for children, Drama for children, drama for kids, English teaching games, Mime, Mime for all ages, Mime for children, Mime for kids, Movement activities, Movement stories for children

More Fun Movement Games for Children

Posted on by Drama Start Books

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Game: Call and Response
Age: 4 years +
Minimum number of participants: 2
Resources: Clear space
Other Benefits: Creativity, focus, listening.
Instructions: Everyone sits in a circle. The teacher starts the activity by making a simple clapping rhythm. The rest of the circle repeats the rhythm. The child who is sitting next to the teacher takes a turn at making a simple clapping rhythm and the rest of the group copies it. When the group has got comfortable with the call and response technique the game can become a little more complicated. Each child must add on to the clapping rhythm that has gone before them. The child who is last in the round must remember everybody else clapping rhythm before they do their own.
Extension: Older children can stand in a circle and use different parts of their bodies to make the rhythms. For example they could use body percussion, stomping or tap dancing.

Game: Action Charades
Age: 4 years+
Minimum number of participants: 4
Resources: Clear space and a list of verbs.
Other Benefits: Critical thinking, creativity.
Instructions: If there is a large number of children divide them into groups of 4 or 5. Give each group a verb such as cleaning, cooking and swimming. One child will mime the verb to their group. The group members have a minute or two to guess the verb. . To reduce noise, have one group participate at a time, while the other group members watch.
Suggestions of Verbs:
Taste
Smell
Dance
Jog
Skate
Scream
Fight
Cry
Read
Write
Cook
Clean
Paint
Joke
Sleep
Sneeze

Game: Balloon Keepy Ups
Age: 4 years +
Minimum number of participants: 2
Resources: Clear space, balloons.
Other Benefits: Coordination, imagination, spatial awareness.
Instructions: Divide the group into smaller groups of six to eight, hand each group a balloon, and ask them to form a circle holding hands. The teacher tells them that, on her/his cue, they are to put the balloon in the air between them and to keep it up using the body part the teacher calls (e.g., knees) without letting go of hands. They are to continue until the teacher calls out a different body part.
Suggestion of different body parts that can be used:
Arms
Legs
Chests
Elbow
Fingers
Knees
Fists
Noses
Heads
Thighs
Shoulders
Face 

For more movement games and activities, click here.

 

Posted in creative arts, Drama Activities for children, Drama for children, drama for kids, Drama strategies, Elements of Drama, English as a second language, English teaching games, Esl, Esl Drama, expressive arts, Mime, Mime for all ages, Mime for children, Mime for kids, Movement activities, Movement stories for children, Role playing stories, Still image, Storytelling, Storytelling in the Early years, Storytelling techniques

Mime Workshop for all ages

Posted on by Drama Start Books

Mime theme image 2

Main objective of workshop: Mime encourages confidence and awareness of self and of others. It encourages physical control, simplicity of thought and movement and more importantly it stimulates the imagination.

Sub aims:

  • To introduce relaxation exercises and understand their role in a drama class.
  • To promote group work and co-operation.

Relaxation exercises

Be a star: Lie sown on your back and spread your arms, palms up to the side and open your legs. Stretch the limbs all together. Feel you are making a four pointed star. Suddenly the star collapses. Feel the tension disappear.

Be Hercules: In the same position, imagine that the body is being pushed down by a heavy weight so that all parts of the body are being pressed into the ground suddenly the weight is removed. Feel yourself float on the ground.

Shake off the ants:  In the same position, imagine you are tied to the ground but you can wiggle. A colony of ants finds and begins to crawl over you. Commence to wiggle the body until the last ant leaves you. Then collapse.

Be a rubber puppet: Imagine you are made of rubber and there are strings attached to your shoulders which someone can pull from above. You are being pulled up and you find your limbs fly out in all directions. Even the feet can be pulled off the ground at times, finally the strings are cut and the body relaxes.

Mime Activities:

What’s in the Box: All the students sit in a large circle. The teacher asks them to imagine there is a magic box in the centre of the circle. The teacher can ask what size is it? What colour is it? Ask can everyone see it. This is a fun mime game. Everyone sits in a circle. Ask the children if they can see the box in the centre of the circle. Ask them what colour it is? What shape it is? Tell them it can be a different shape and colour, depending on where you are sitting in the circle. This is because it is a magic box.  The teacher goes into the centre of the circle first and mimes opening the box and taking out an object. She then mimes holding the object and the class must guess what it is. When the children guess correctly the teacher mimes putting it back in the box and closing it. The child who guessed correctly takes a turn at taking an object out of the box.

Pass the object: This is a follow on from the Magic Box game. The teacher mimes taking an object out of the box, for example a mouse, a rotten egg, a cream cake, chewing gum, lipstick or a puppy, and the children guess what it is. When they have guessed she passes the object around the circle. The children should react as if they were holding the actual object in their hands. Eventually the last child in the circle gets rid of the object and the teacher goes to the box and takes out a new.

Locomotion: Get the students consider the ways that people walk. The teacher gets the children to walk around the room. Then call out different ways of walking

Walk like  a …..

•           Toddler

•           child in high heels

•           child wearing heavy wellington boots

•           child splashing in a puddles

•           child stuck in mud

•           child walking on stony beach

•           child walking on hot sand

•           someone walking on fire

•           someone walking wearily

•           an old frail person.

Chain Mime: Divide the class into 2 or 3 groups. Have at least 6 in each group. Number the students from one to six. Get each member of the group to leave the room except for number one. The other groups stay in the room. You then give number one an action to mime. You then call number 2 into the room and number one mimes to number 2. They do not talk. Number 2 can not say anything and she has to do mime exactly what she saw to number 3, then number 3 comes into the room and watches number 2 very carefully. Number 3 does the mime for number four and so on. When number 6 comes into the room she has to guess what the original mime was. This is like broken telephone but it is done through mime. Here are some suggestions for mimes:

•           Riding a horse

•           Skiing

•           Washing dishes

•           Eating hot food

•           Counting money

•           Telling someone you love them

•           Eating spaghetti

•           Singing

•           Playing tug of war

•           Washing your dog

•           Ballet dancing

•           Moon walk

•           Playing basketball

•           Singing opera

•           Walking in the desert

•           Playing tennis

•           Making pancakes

•           Opening a present that you do not like

The other groups watch how the mime changes with each person. This is a fun game and helps with observation skills.

Basic Situation: Divide the class into small groups and they must use body language and facial expression to 5 ways of showing that their are

•           Cold

•           Hot

•           Surprised,

•           Frightened

Meetings

The class gets into pairs. Each pair stands back to back. When the teacher calls out go they must turn around and pass their partner if

•           They were strangers

•           They were a casual acquaintance

•           Meeting some one they haven’t seen for 10 years

•           Meeting someone that owes them money.

Group Mime: Divide the class into groups and give each group one of the following outlines for a group mime. Allow the class 10 to15 minutes to prepare

The Concert   

  • Audience arrive for outdoor concert
  • Band enters with different instruments
  • Audience is very enthusiastic, claps, jumps up and down and waves hands in the air.
  • One person faints
  • Security arrives and removes him and her
  • No one takes any notice
  • Band plays on
  • Girl gets up on the stage and tries to touch members of the group
  • Security removes them
  • It starts to rain and after awhile everyone goes away disappointed

Hijack

  • Passengers board the plane
  • Welcomed by the air hostess
  • The plane takes off
  • One hijacker takes over the plane and an other one holds up the passengers
  • One passenger faints
  • This distracts the hijacker for a second
  • Pilot overcomes him
  • Airhostess holds him and the handcuff are put on him
  • Pilot overcomes the second hijacker and handcuffs him to hijacker 1
  • All the passengers have a strong drink and cheer the pilot as he brings the plane to land.

The Bank Robbery

  • Cashiers arrive bored and yawning they open up their desks and talk to each other
  • People come in and walk up to the cashiers and put in and withdraw money
  • Suddenly two robbers come in wearing masks
  • They make everyone lie on the floor and they hold up the bank clerks and make them hand over the money
  • Little old lady trips up robber and he falls and spills the money
  • Security guard then holds up robbers and takes off their masks.

Other ideas/themes for group mimes: Camping, The Circus, Christmas morning, The big mistake.

Starting  to use mime in a Drama session;

Start beginner groups on occupational mimes and later move to emotional mimes. Mime starts within and is then portrayed by the body. Never forget that through mime is that art of movement it is also the art of stillness.

Occupational Mimes: lift a bucket, box, brush. Place the same objects on a shelf or table, place them, carefully on top of each other. Use scissors, shears, pickaxes, fishing rod. Use activities such as sewing buttons, cooking, putting on clothes, painting, cleaning windows.

Character Mimes: Portray different types of character, the young girl, the old woman, the rich lady, beggar, clown. Watch people around you.

Emotional Mimes: These are the hardest to portray. Feel, understand, convey happiness at receiving a gift. Sadness at hearing bad news, shock, horror, love etc..,

More mime games

What’s the Chair?

Place a chair in the centre of the circle and particiapnts take turns to mime what they imagine it to be:, for example:  a post box, a kitchen sink, a dog, a naughty schoolboy, a new car.

The person who guesses correctly takes their place in the middle.

Take over

•           in a circle, walking on the spot

•           leader makes a gesture, in time, that the everyone else imitates

•           continue for 8 beats or so, then shout the name of a particiapnt and they must change or add to the action

•           this can continue until the group have warmed up

What’s my job?

All sit in a circle.  Give everyone an occupation (e.g. policeman, astronaut, postman, teacher).  Use each occupation twice, and make sure the occupations are kept secret.

Students use the space to mime their own occupation.  Their task is to spot the person with the same occupation as them.  When they have done this they should approach their partner, and without speaking, check that they are both miming the same job.

They should sit down in their pair when they think they have found them.

The game continues until everybody is sitting down.  The teacher should check they are all correct at the end of the game!