Warm-ups

3 X Different

Two players face each other. Round 1 They alternately count 'one', 'two', 'three' back and forth. The starting number naturally switche...

Alien, Tiger, Cow

Synonym Rock paper scissors Description A simple warm-up game to intuitively harmonize the group with one another and to learn about t...

Alliterative Names

A name game for new groups to get to know each other. Players stand in a circle. One steps forward, makes a gesture or movement, and say...

Balloons

Which group has the most breath? Find out which group has the strongest lungs by trying to keep your balloon in the air longer than the o...

Bang

Two players face each other. Both bend their arms with fists touching (thumbs pointing up, like pistols). They find a shared rhythm, mov...

Barney

A silly but nice little warmup game which requires quick reaction and a group rhythm. All players form a circle. One player stands in th...

Be my fan

The players walk through the room and play rock-paper-scissors with the first person they meet. Whoever loses becomes a fan of the winner...

Bippity Bippity Bop

One player stands in the center of a circle. They point at someone and say 'Bippity Bippity Bop'. The person being pointed at must say '...

Block of Ice

A gentle warm-up exercise for the beginning of a rehearsal. Players stand completely stiff and motionless, as if frozen inside a block o...

Bunny Bunny

A rhythmic warm-up game played in a circle — the more players, the more fun. Minimum five players. Players stand in a circle. There are ...

Buzz

A concentration warm-up. All players stand in a circle and count upward, one number per player: '1', '2', '3', etc. Whenever a number c...

Call and Response

All players form a circle and establish a shared rhythm with a step-clap pattern. One player sings a line in gibberish. The whole group ...

Car Wash

This is less of a warm-up and more of a cool-down to enjoy at the end of a training session. Players stand in two rows facing each other...

Catch Me If You Can

A classic running game for larger groups. One player is the catcher, standing on one side of the room. All other players stand on the op...

Charades - Misunderstand

This warm-up works like the classic party game Charades. A player receives a simple, easy-to-guess term from the facilitator (ideally a ...

Clapping Circle

Various warm-up games where players stand in a circle and pass a signal — usually a clap — according to a fixed pattern or randomly. Bas...

Click Bang

Two players face each other, moving in sync — slapping their thighs simultaneously on each beat. On the next beat, each player simultane...

Counting Together

Players stand in a tight circle with closed eyes or looking at the floor. The group must count to 21 together. Any player can spontaneou...

Counting with Gestures

Players form a circle. Player 1 starts by calling '1' while tapping either their left or right shoulder. Tapping the left shoulder passe...

Drill Sergeant

Similar to 'Yes, Let's!' and 'Simon Says.' All players stand in a straight line as if in the army. The facilitator picks one person to b...

Endless Snake

The more players, the better. The first player offers their right or left hand. Another player takes that hand and offers their free hand...

Escalation

Players stand in a circle. One player makes a subtle gesture or movement to their neighbor, possibly accompanied by a word or sound. The ...

Finger Snap Duel

All players hold both hands in a finger-snapping position (like pistols). As soon as you make eye contact with someone, you must snap you...

Fire - Water - Wind

All players walk through the room in a rhythm set by clapping. When the facilitator calls out a command, everyone must react instantly: ...

Five Things

All players stand in a circle. One player turns to their neighbor and says: 'Name five things that...' followed by a category (e.g. '...y...

Follow the king

This exercise is called "Follow the King" or "Academy of silly walks" (based on Monty Python): The players run in a chain through the ro...

Forest Circle

Players stand in a circle. Four actions are passed around in sequence: Bunny ears: Thumbs at temples, fingers spread toward the next pl...

Forming Molecules

Everybody runs around the room until the game leader shouts a number. Instantly, everybody forms groups with the same number of players a...

Four Corners

A name-learning and ice-breaker game. Players draw four pictures on a card divided into quadrants: favorite food, dream vacation, hidden ...

Fred Schneider

This warm-up is named after Fred Schneider, the singer of the B52s music group. Fred Schneider has a very distinctive way of performing h...

Fruit Circle

Players stand in a circle. Each person thinks of an emotion and a type of fruit (duplicates are fine). One player starts by walking to a...

Fruit Insults

Players form pairs and stand at a distance from each other. They slowly walk toward each other while hurling 'insults' using only fruit a...

Genetically Modified Mouse

Players stand in a circle with the facilitator. The facilitator places an invisible mouse on the ground. The mouse now scurries under the...

Gesture Chain

Players stand in a wide circle with enough space for big movements. In the first round, each player performs an exaggerated household ges...

Gordian Knot

Players form a tight circle, close their eyes, and stretch their arms forward. Everyone grabs two different hands — not their neighbor's....

Go - Stop - Turn - Jump - Clap

Players walk freely around the room. The facilitator gives commands: Stop: Everyone freezes Go: Everyone walks After a while, Turn is...

Greeting Rituals

Players walk around the room. Whenever two players meet, they develop a greeting ritual together. When they meet again later, they greet ...

Groovelicious

The group forms a circle and passes impulses using three different moves: Wush: Swing both arms upward toward your neighbor (like throw...

Group formation

The game master determines the criteria according to which the people in the room should form groups. It says for example: Everyone wil...

Group Sorting

The facilitator calls out criteria by which players must quickly form groups: Everyone with the same eye color Everyone born in the sam...

Hand Snake

In this fast warm-up, the rule is that a maximum of three players' flat palms may touch at the same time. Players are spread around the r...

Hey and Ho

Players stand in a circle with two objects. Object one ('Hey') is passed to the right, object two ('Ho') is passed to the left. The pass...

Hide the Body

An excellent exercise for getting to know each other and building trust. Five volunteers: four must hide the fifth person using nothing ...

House - Resident - Flood

This warm-up requires a larger group — at least 13 people. Players form groups of three. Two players face each other and form a 'house' ...

I Am a Star

All players line up in a row. One by one, each player steps forward and announces: 'I am [name] and I am a star!' The rest of the group ...

I Am Here Now

Players walk around the room, all speaking simultaneously in a quiet voice, narrating their day chronologically — from waking up to arriv...

I Have a Mango

Players stand in a circle. The facilitator leads and the group repeats each line as loudly as possible, accompanied by rhythmic body move...

I Pack My Suitcase

The group stands in a circle. The first player says: 'I pack my suitcase and bring...' adding an item. The item doesn't need to be someth...

Johannes

This is a warmup game, for players getting to know each other and practicing reaction and concentration. All players form a circle. Pl...

King of Siam

Players sit or stand in a circle. One is the King, the others are numbered in order. The last player has no number — they are simply 'the...

Kitty wants a corner

Synonyms Pussy wants a corner, pussy in the corner Description At least eight players are standing in a big circle, one of them is in ...

Knights, Horses and Cavaliers

Players move around the room. When the facilitator calls one of three words, players must quickly form pairs and strike a pose: Knights...

Laughter Parade

Four or five players stand in a row, all facing forward. The first player (A) starts laughing loudly. After a few seconds, A turns to loo...

Love - Hate - Fear

All players walk through the room. When the facilitator says 'Love', everyone quickly finds a partner and expresses 'love' — without tou...

Mr. Hit me

All players stand in a circle. One player runs off and touches another one on the shoulder. The one tapped says the name of a third perso...

Name Slap

Players form a circle with one hand extended toward the center. Player Z stands in the middle. A player in the circle calls out the name...

Name Syllables

A great name-learning game that helps everyone remember participants' names. Players form a circle. The first person says their name and...

Nightingale

A singing warm-up for rhythm and vocal energy. Players split into two equal groups. Both groups sing the same simple song as a choir, bu...

Online Room Walk

An adaptation of the classic room walk for online/video rehearsals. Each participant thinks of a signal — a gesture or facial expression...

Palm Touch

Two players participate. One leads, the other follows. The leader keeps stopping and placing one palm in a specific position and height. ...

Partner Relaxation

A relaxation and loosening exercise, perfect for long improv training days. Also recommended for singing workshops. Players form pairs o...

Pass the Face

All players stand in a circle facing each other. One person starts by pulling a grimace and showing it only to the person on their left. ...

Pattern Weave

Players stand in a circle. A category is chosen (e.g. professions). One player says a word from that category to any other player — both ...

People, Hands, Feet

Players walk around the room. The facilitator calls 'Stop!' followed by three numbers. The first number indicates how many players must f...

Playback Show

This warm-up and play practice have to be prepared. First of all short musical pieces in as many different styles and periods as possible...

Prisoner Walk

All players walk in a circle, one behind the other, like prisoners in a yard. They walk in a rhythmic lockstep. When anyone in the circl...

Quick Death

A slightly macabre but energizing exercise. Players stand in a circle. One by one, each player steps into the center, shouts 'Massacre!'...

Rename Things

Players walk around the room and name objects they see, touching them as they do: 'Wall.' 'Corner.' 'Heater.' Continue for one to two min...

Rhythm Exercises

Rhythm exercises are warm-ups that contain a rhythmic element. Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves Players form a circle and create a shared rh...

Room Walk

Room Walk is a collective term for warm-up games where players walk around the room or stage. Some variations are quiet and relaxed, othe...

Rumors

All players stand in a circle. A fast warm-up to practice making offers, accepting them, and building on them. Player A asks their neigh...

Sex with me...

The game is played by choosing a subject of comparison. The players get the prompt "sex with me is like ..." followed by what is chosen t...

Simultaneous Stories

An exercise for two players. Both begin simultaneously with the first sentence of their own story. Then Player 1 continues Player 2's st...

Sound Ball

Players stand in a circle and throw an imaginary ball to each other. Each throw is accompanied by a sound made by the thrower. The catch...

Sword of the Samurai

A slow-motion exercise. Players' arms are swords with poisonous tips. If a player is touched anywhere other than their arms, they die a s...

syllables

Great game to get to know each other and remember the names of the participants. The participants form a circle. The first person says h...

Sympathy - Antipathy

All players walk through the room. Each secretly picks one person they find 'sympathetic' and one they 'can't stand.' On the facilitator...

Tag Games

Tag games are great for the beginning of a practice session or as an energizer in between. Some tag games also help new groups overcome t...

Ten Fingers

It's a nice icebreaker game. The participants form a circle and hold all ten fingers high in the air. Now the participants ask questions,...

The Monster

Player A stands in the middle of a large circle. A is the monster — arms outstretched, making terrible noises and scary faces, slowly adv...

Three Balls

This exercise requires three small balls of different colors. Players walk freely around the room. Three of them hold a ball and pass it...

Tongue Twisters

Three tongue-twisting words are the key to this game: 'Whiskey Mixer', 'Wax Mask', and 'Mesh Changer' (or similar tongue twisters in your...

Triangle

Each player secretly picks two other players as reference points — without revealing their choice. The task is to continuously move throu...

Truth and lie

A game (also a name game) to get to know each other. All players line up in a circle. Then everyone tells their names and two things. One...

Two Circles

A simple name-learning game. First, all players form one circle and go around saying their names. Then the circle splits into two concen...

Walk and Freeze on Names

Everyone walks around the room simultaneously. When a walking player says the name of another walking player, the named person must freez...

Walking with Body Tension

Players walk around the room. The facilitator calls out numbers from -2 to +2, each representing a different level of body tension: 0: ...

Walking with Speed Levels

Players are spread around the room. The task is to walk at increasing speeds. The facilitator calls out levels: Level 1: Extremely slow...

Water Plant

Two players participate. One stands firmly with eyes closed. The facilitator describes the image of a water plant — rooted firmly in the ...

What Is a What?

A fast rhyming warm-up. All players stand in a circle, snapping a slow rhythm. Player A starts with: 'What is a [word] without a [rhymin...

Wink Swap

One player (A) stands in the middle of a large circle formed by all other players. The players in the circle try to make eye contact with...

Write Your Name with Your Body

Write your name in the air using different body parts. Start with your nose, then your belly button, your elbow, your ear, your knee. Yo...

Yes, Let's!

All players walk around the room. One player suggests an activity, for example: 'Let's hop on one leg!' Everyone shouts 'Yes, let's!' an...

Yes Yes - No No

Players stand in a circle. Clockwise, each player passes the word 'yes' to their neighbor. If a player wants to reverse direction, they s...

You

This game is more or less a variation of Begriffskreis but it actually is 10 times more complicated. than Begriffkreis itself. :) The pl...

Zip Zap Zoop

This warm-up gets our brains acting without thinking. Everyone into a circle. This is another motion around the circle warm-up. In this ...

Zip Zap Zop

Players stand in a circle. One player starts by clapping and pointing to either their left or right neighbor: Clap left: say 'Zip' Clap...

ZoomSchwatzMakeafakeliano

A warmup and concentration exercise for at least 3 players. The group forms a circle. There are three impulses: - Zoom: A "Zoom" can be ...