Featured Game: What are You Doing?
October 15, 2018
What are You Doing?
Skill Level: Beginner
Unit: Improvisation
Active Participants: All
Materials: An open space
Values: Creativity, Confidence
OBJECTIVE
Participants pantomime one activity, but describe another.
HOW TO PLAY
- Participants form a line.
- The first participant steps toward center stage and starts with an activity supplied by the facilitator, such as chopping wood.
- Next participant in the line asks the wood-chopping participant, "What are you doing?" The wood-chopping participant must say an activity that is different from the actual one they are doing (this participant can say anything as long as it's not "chopping wood").
- This process continues down the line with every participant asking, "What are you doing?" and the next participant performing the suggested action.
TEACHING TIPS
- Suggested Activities: Flossing after eating popcorn. Cleaning the windows of the Empire State Building. Changing a baby's dirty diaper. Watching America's Got Talent. Hailing a taxi in a thunderstorm. Putting the sheets on a water bed.
- Encourage participants to use creative/wacky activities. The more complex, the better!
- For advanced game play, institute an "out" system where repeating a previous activity or delaying too long results in outs.
- Allow participants to use their turns to work on memory and pantomime.