5 Fun Drama Games for Kids
1 March 2023
Is your child a fan of imaginative play and make-believe? If so, they might enjoy participating in drama activities and games. Drama games are a great way to get children excited about theatre and help them learn the basics of acting. Here are five drama games for complete beginners and budding young thespians that will help them develop their skills and have some fun!
Theatre
This game is a great way to get kids started with acting. It's simple enough that even younger children can get involved, but it can also be made more challenging for older kids. To play, have the kids sit in a circle. One child will start by telling a short story. The next child in the circle will then act out what happens next in the story. The remaining children in the circle will watch and try to guess what is going on. After it’s all been acted out, the child who told the original story gets to recap it for everyone.
Charades
This classic party game is a great way to get kids miming emotions and actions. To play, divide the participants into two teams. One child from each team comes up with a word or phrase and acts it out, without speaking. The other team must guess what the word or phrase is. If they are unable to figure it out in a certain amount of time, the other team gets a point. Charades is an excellent way for kids to practise their acting skills and learn how to convey emotions without speaking. It can be made as challenging as is appropriate for the children involved.
Pantomime
This game is perfect for kids who are visual learners. To play, get one group of children to choose a short scene from a story or movie. They will then act out the scene without speaking. The other kids must guess what they’re watching. When they guess it, another team has a go at acting out a scene. This game is a really good way to get kids to use their imaginations.
Space Objects
Combining imagination and spatial awareness, this game is out of this world! Get everyone to sit in a circle and instruct them to pretend that they are holding a ball that is just big enough to fit in their hands. Now, ask them to close their eyes and imagine that the ball is actually a space object. It could be a shooting star, a planet, the sun, etc. What does it look like? How does it move? Does it make any noise? Encourage them to be creative and have fun with it. Once they have a good sense of their space object, invite them to open their eyes and share with the group what they came up with.
Human Knot
Human Knot is a good way to help children develop their teamwork skills. To play, have the kids stand in a circle and then walk into the centre. Ask the kids to grab the hands of two other children - but not the person directly next to them. The goal is for the kids to walk back into their circle and untangle themselves without letting go of anyone's hands. This game requires communication and teamwork, and it's a great way to get kids to think outside the box.
These are just a few of the many fun drama games to play with children. If you're looking for more ideas, there are plenty of resources available online. With a little creativity, you can come up with all sorts of fun and educational games to inspire your little performers.