Trapped! - Vocabulary and Warmup Activity

This short activity is one that is good for exploring sounds and the muscularity of words. It also builds vocabulary. It’s a good quick warm-up and should be done together with lots of repetition of the key words, interjection of new words and playing the contrasts of quiet and loud, fast and slow and with lots of dramatic tension.

• Trapped! In a prison cell.
• Take your tin cup and run it across the bars Clang! clang! clang! Silence. No one responds.
• Grab the bars. Pull on them once. Twice. Puuuull! them apart. Sliiiiide! Your arm between the bars, then Squeeeeze! your body through..
• Peer Right. Peer left. Run run run run…up to a wall.
• Guard coming! Crouch! down. Shhhh... Clack, clack clack of the guard’s boots.
• Jump up! Punch! with your right! Punch! with your left! And Kick!
• Watch him Drop!
• Climb! up the ladder! Swing! Legs over the wall.
• Push! Away from the wall and faaaalll! Thud! To the ground.
• Stagger! To your feet.
• Give yourself a Shake!
• Sneak away into the darkness.

This activity is part of the drama games and activities that were shared over the airwaves of Symphony 92.4 2 by is SDEA Committee Members. The segment was called 'Benefits of Arts' and was broadcast Mon- Fri, 7-7.30 am. The presenters were keen to share quick drama bytes with parents sending their kids to school, teachers and people who drove to work during the early morning drive time. Many of these games and exercises can be used on their own or can be applied to various forms of learning to bring focus, encourage team work, get players to use their bodies and to open up language.