By T. D.
What’s a way to help your kids learn to be creative and confident while having fun as a family at the same time?
The answer is Improv. Improv, short for improvisational theater, is not just for late night television or nightclubs. It can be a fun — and clean — way for children of all ages to learn through play.
You probably already use Improvisation in your homes without realizing it. Charades is a great Improv game. Acting out silent clues for your partner to guess an answer in a particular category such as fictional heroes or famous presidents can be a fun way to review material you have covered with your homeschoolers. However, it also teaches them how to think quickly on their feet.
In fact, spontaneity is the first rule of Improv. (Yes, although Improv can seem free-wheeling, there are some general rules.) In an Improv game, it is important to go with your first instincts. If you second-guess your response in a scene, the moment you were looking for may be gone. The scene, or game, may suffer as a result.
An Improv warm-up game I often use with my students illustrates the importance of spontaneity. The “I’m A Tree” game starts with one player who strikes a tree-like pose in the center of a circle of other players and states, “I’m a tree.” A second player then joins the first player by becoming something or someone who would be near or on the tree. She might state, “I’m a tire swing,” and turn herself into the shape of a swing somehow. A third player then joins them by becoming another part of the scene. Maybe he will say, “I’m a bird sitting on the tree branch” and position himself so that he appears to be a bird on the tree.
The first player then says “I’m a tree, and I am taking my swing (or bird)” and leaves the center with one of the players. The remaining player then re-states “I’m a bird” (or “I’m a swing”). Then the scene takes on a completely different location and context when a new player enters. Maybe the second player in this new scene is a cat stalking the bird, and the third player is the cat owner trying to get the cat inside.
The possibilities are endless, and with a little encouragement, you will be amazed at some of the creative threesomes you and your children can come up with as you do multiple rounds of this game.
The second rule of Improv is to say “yes” in a scene. Because of the way television comedians often portray Improv as a series of one-liners, this rule can get lost in the shuffle. The best Improv comes from the relationship between the players, not from an individual player’s gags. When your partner makes an offer in a scene and you accept it, you move the scene forward. If you deny that offer, the scene is shut down.
Let’s take a look at how that happens in a popular Improv game called “Freeze.” This game starts with two players who are given a relationship and a location from the audience (or the rest of your family or group). Let’s say they are backpacking friends on an expedition in the Outback.
The game starts immediately with these two players creating a scene – ideally involving plenty of movement — set in the Australian Outback. (Accents are great in Improv, by the way.) After the scene has been briefly established, the other players look for a moment to yell “freeze!” The two original players then freeze in their positions. The player who yelled freeze taps one of them on the shoulder and takes that person’s position. The tapped player exits, and the new player starts another scene in a completely different location with a new relationship. This scene then continues until another player yells “freeze!” and takes the scene somewhere else.
Now let’s says one of the players begins that first scene with “I never knew it could be so hot and humid in the Outback.” If the scene partner responds with, “What are you talking about? I’m freezing!” the scene has nowhere to go.
However, if the player uses the “Say yes” rule by saying something like “I know! And our water supply is running low!” the scene can move forward. Perhaps the players can now be on the look-out for water sources.
Saying “yes” in a scene can be contrary to instinct for new improvisers. I often describe Improv as taking a free fall on stage while waiting for a safety net to catch you. That safety net is your scene partner. Here’s where my third and last rule of Improv comes in: Make your partner look good.
The “make your partner look good” rule encompasses the first two rules. You make your partner look good by being spontaneous. When we overthink a response in an Improv game, our partner can be left hanging. We also make our partner look good in a scene by accepting whatever offer he or she has brought to the scene.
In addition, we make our partner look good by keeping the focus of the scene on the relationship between the characters we have created and not on ourselves.
It’s easy to see the life lessons that can come out of playing Improv games with your kids. Being spontaneous and saying yes to new opportunities can open up all kinds of doors in our lives. Of course, we have to say ‘no” to things that are dangerous or wrong for us, but when we think “yes” more often than “no,” we put ourselves in the position for personal and spiritual growth.
Similarly, when we strive to put the other person first in real- life situations, we create healthy personal and professional relationships.
Playing Improv games builds self-confidence. It can be difficult to let go of some of your inhibitions at first, but when you do, the results are energizing. When you get some laughs from an appreciative audience, you’ll see that Improv games can even be a bit addictive.
In a world that is increasingly dominated by virtual reality and screen time, Improv games are a great way to connect with others and to learn about each other. Why not try some group Improv games with your family, extended family or homeschool group? Go on, say yes!
Here are some other Improv games to get you started. After you get hooked, check online for other ideas:
- What Are You Doing? is a fun group warm-up game for all ages. One player starts the game by miming a simple action, say brushing his teeth. A second player comes up to him and asks, “What are you doing?” The first player responds with something completely different than his actions indicate, such as “I’m taming a lion.”
The second player then acts out lion-taming for a few moments. A third player enters and asks “What are you doing?” The second player responds with something completely different. Maybe, “I’m washing my dog.” The third player starts washing the dog until a fourth player enters and asks… you guessed it.
This game can go on as long as you like with more and more silliness and creativity. Using accents, mannerisms and movements for the characters you create makes it all the more fun. Anything goes in this game!
- The ABC game is a challenging game that keeps players on their toes. The group gives two players a location and a relationship. (Let’s say an employee and customer at an ice cream shop.) One player starts the scene with a line that begins with the letter “A.” (“Are all these flavors available today?”) The second player responds with a line that begins with the letter “B.” (Butter brickle is the best choice, in my opinion) The first player, then says a line that begins with “C” (Could you give me a taste of butter brickle? I’ve never had it.”) and so on.
The trick here is to make the scene make sense while beginning each line with the appropriate letter. Also, you don’t have to keep talking about ice cream. The scene can go in other directions. Maybe the two people have met before and end up discussing their past. Who knows?
When a player makes a mistake or blanks out (and it will happen a lot), another player takes her place and the scene continues. The rest of you can have fun by providing a buzzer-like sound when a player gets out. Be sure to be good-natured about this. The game is over when the scene gets to “Z.” Of course, you may want to start again with two new players and a new location.
- Change Your Mind is another good choice for your group. One player will be the narrator, and the other player will act out what the first player describes. Other players will give the narrator a topic that would fill in the blank for the title “The first time I ___” Let’s say, the topic is camping.
The first player then starts an improvised monologue about the first time she went camping. As she talks, the second player silently acts out what the first player describes. Ideally, the narrator includes lots of opportunities for movement in what she describes.
Now, here comes the fun part. A third player claps his hands at certain points in the monologue. Whenever, the narrator hears the clap, she must change the last word or phrase she said. For example, if the clapper claps at the end of “I got out my new tent,” the narrator now says, “I got out my new puppy.” If the clapper claps again right away, it changes again to maybe “I got out my new water gun” or whatever. The narrator and the player acting out the monologue continue the story from the last changed line, weaving that change into the story.
The clapper should clap at five different intervals (several claps per interval are fine). After the five different intervals, the clapper is silent, and the narrator knows it is time to wind up the scene.
Have as many rounds of this game as you like with different players narrating and acting out
their imaginary adventures. Being a clapper takes certain sense of timing but is a lot of fun
too. Encourage your kids to stay in character and not laugh in the scene unless it is part of the
character’s reaction. Audience members are encouraged to laugh, of course! Ω
