Drama: Circle Name Game
Drama: Circle Name Game
A simple way to start creating a sense of community among students is through icebreakers, such as variations of the ‘name game.’
Greetings
Have your students move about the room greeting each other, at first by extending a handshake. On a signal, each player greets in a new way: e.g., elbow to elbow, finger to finger, toe-to-toe, etc.
The Game
1. With the class sitting in a circle, each student calls out his/her name accompanied by a gesture. The group echoes the name and the gesture.
2. The activity is repeated, each person using a different gesture (one that has not been used).
3. A further challenge is to call out the name in a different way; i.e., loud, whisper, singing, etc.
4. As a final activity, each person performs the gesture used to accompany his/her name, but does not say the name out loud.
The preceding was adapted from Drama Schemes, Themes & Dreams by Larry Swartz and Debbie Nyman, published by Pembroke Publishers