Do you want to learn to be an actor? Would you like to put on your own play with your friends?
Here are some fun things for you to try at home!
Bad Monkey-for two or more players. Have your parents help you print out these two pages.Click here to print out the Bad Monkey game. IMPORTANT- Print each page on a different color. One page has animals, one page has activities. Cut apart the words and put them all in a hat. Pick out one of each color, and act thing such as a “monkey shopping at the grocery store,” and “a butterfly eating pizza.”
What Can It Be?-for two or more players. Find an object in your house, a paper plate, for example. Take turns “turning it into” something else. The first player may say, “it’s a Frisbee!” and pretend to toss it. The second player takes it and uses it like a steering wheel. Keep going until you run out of ideas, and then find another object. Suggestions for items include: a pillow; a broom handle; a pool noodle; a plastic bowl; a soup ladle, a funnel; an empty plastic plant pot; etc.. Look around you!
Pantomime-for one or more players. Print out this sheet and cut apart the sentences put them in a hat. Click here to print out the Pantomime list. Take turns pulling out things to act out without words.
The Martha Game-for three or more players. Pick an area to call your “stage.” One person goes first. She stands on the stage and picks what she wants to be.
“I am a tree.” She stands like a tree.
The next person becomes something that would be part of that “picture.”
“I’m a bench under the tree.”
The next person further adds to the picture. “I’m a bum on the bench.”
Etc., until the whole group is part of the picture. When everyone is in the picture, the last person gets to stay on stage and start the game over.
What Are You Doing?-for two or more players. Even if it’s just you and your mom, this is really fun! Find an area to be your “stage.” One person stands on the stage and starts an action such as brushing her teeth. The other person goes up to them and asks, “What are you doing?” The person brushing her teeth answers by saying something other than what she is doing. “I’m dribbling a basketball.” The first person then leaves, and the new person starts “dribbling a basketball.” Then the first person goes back in and asks, “What are you doing?” The person dribbling the basketball must say something other than dribbling a basketball. “I’m flying a kite.” They switch places, and the new person acts out “flying a kite.” If you have a group of friends, stand in circle and take turns being the next person to go into the center to ask “what are you doing?”
Crazy Kitchen Puppet Show-for two or more players. Go into the kitchen and find your “puppets.” You can decide that you are going to be an eggbeater named “Ralph.” Your friend can be a wooden spoon named “Tina.” Make up voices for your characters. Make up a story. You can start by telling a story you know, like Jack and the Beanstalk, or Rumplestiltskin and changing the ending. Or you can totally make up your own story. Make a stage out of a table covered with a long tablecloth, or put on your show behind the couch.
Create a Character-one or more players. Find a hat in your house that you would not ordinarily wear. Think about what kind of person would wear that hat. Click here to print out the Character Worksheet and answer the questions. Click here to print out the Costume Design worksheet and color it in with the rest of your character’s outfit. Pretend to be that character for a few hours!
Monologues: a monologue is a speech given by one character all alone in a play. You can find lots of books that have monologues at the library, or you can create your own simple monologue. After you have created a character (above), you can find a poem that would be your character’s favorite poem. Memorize it, and perform it for your friends and family in character.
One Word Story-for two or more players. Tell a story one word at a time with a friend or a group of friends.
Start the first one with: once…upon…a…time…there…was…
Story With Sound Effects-for one or more players. Look through your books, or go to the library and check out a book that has things that happen over and over. Make up a sound for each thing that repeats. If you are alone, you can perform all of the sounds yourself, if you are with friends, have each friend pick a word/character for which they make up a sound. For example, if you choose “Horton Hears a Who,” by Dr. Seuss, someone can be Horton, and someone can be the Who’s. Pick who is going to “be” Horton. That person gets to pick a sound. Every time Horton is mentioned, they make that sound. You can do the same thing with objects/weather/colors.
Here are some story suggestions:
- The Very Hungry Caterpillar-make different sounds for each food item.
- If you Give a Mouse a Cookie-make different sounds for different activities.
- Goodnight Moon-make different sounds for each object in the room.
- Wait ‘til The Moon is Full-someone gets to be the Moon, someone gets to be Mother; someone gets to be Little Raccoon.
*You may also choose to have a narrator tell a story and have other players be the characters. For example, one person could tell the story of the Tortoise and the Hare, and someone could make a sound for the tortoise and another person could make a sound for the hare.
A Short Play-print out this page and fill in the blanks to create your own instant story to act out! Click here to print out the “Short Play” worksheet.
Musical Story-one or more players. Ask your parents for some music without words. It can be classical music, jazz, tribal rhythms, etc… Choose one song to listen to either alone or with friends. Listen to it once without talking or writing anything down. As you listen, think about what kind of story would happen with that music. What kind of characters, animals go with that music? Use the “short play” worksheet (above) to fill in your play. Listen to the music again to see if you have new ideas to add to your play. Then act it out! You can rehearse it a few times without the music, and then put the music in softly in the background when you are getting ready to perform it for your friends or family!
Skits-for two or more players. Use the characters and situations below to make up your own short plays. To make sure your story has a beginning, middle and an end, answer these questions while you make up the play!
What happens first?
What problems do the characters face?
How do the characters solve the problem?
- Fortune teller and client-the fortune teller has bad news, but she doesn’t want to say so.
- Hairdresser and customer-the customer really hates the haircut.
- Police officer and driver about to get a ticket-the driver tries to talk the police officer out of it.
- Married couple watching TV – they argue about which show to watch.
- Two hobos argue over box/newspaper/bench.
- Boss and job applicant in a job interview-the person who wants the job has NO experience.
- Parent and teenager – teenager three hours late, parent waiting up.
- Two cars meet coming from opposite directions down a narrow country lane. One belongs to farmer, other a wealthy businessman – who moves?
- Boyfriend proposing to girlfriend – she’s trying to dump him.
- Student sent to principal for bad behavior-student tries to talk his/her way out of it. (The principal decides what the “crime” was!)
- Doctor and patient, patient is hypochondriac (thinks he has every disease there is!)
Pet Show-two or more players. One person is the pet owner. The other person is the pet. The person who is the “pet” decides what animal the pet will be. She also comes up with a name and a trick. The “owner” leads the pet on, introduces her and lets the animal perform her trick. Then take turns! If you have one extra person, he can play the judge. He could judge the show, ask the owners questions about their pets and decide which pet is the winner.
Scripts-Put on your own show! Here are some scripts to print out and act out with your friends. Click on each blue link to print out the scripts! Print out one copy for each player. Decide who will play each character. Use a highlighter on your script to show which lines are yours. Rehearse your play until everyone has their lines memorized. Make your own simple costumes from things you find around the house and put on your play in a place where you can make a “stage.” If you want another script, write us an e-mail and we’ll send you one!
