IMAGINATION GAMES
YOU ARE
WALKING ON.......?
The children form a large circle in the playground or yard.
The teacher should also join in to help them picture the scene. The children
and teacher start walking in that circle. (Instruct them which way to go to
avoid collisions!). The children walk normally, until the teacher changes the
scene. The teacher does this by saying, “You are walking through thick, sticky
mud!” Immediately the children’s movements should change. They should be
visibly having trouble lifting their feet off the ground, or shining through
the mud. The children’s facial expressions should also change, to one that
shows struggling and maybe a little uncertainty. The teacher should identify
some of the students who are doing it well.
After a lap of the circle, change the scene again, for example, “You are
walking on ice!” The children will start slipping and sliding all over the
place. Arms will be flying around and facial expressions will, be very comical.
Change the scene again. Below are some possible scenes you may wish to create:
You are walking on the moon.
You are walking through thick grass.
You are walking on hot coals.
You are walking on quick sand.
You are walking on clouds.
You are walking on hot sand.
You are walking on bubble gum.
You are walking on a tightrope.
CHANGING SHAPES
Children are given a pretend shape to hold, ex: a square, which turns into a cylinder, circle, etc.
PUPPET ON A STRING
Standing in a
circle, stretch your bodies upwards, segment by segment as though you are
attached by a string. When your bodies are fully extended the string is cut and
you all fall down totally limp and relaxed and then raise yourselves up again
slowly, vertebrae by vertebrae.
COPY CAT
Going around in a circle a child creates a sound and movement which is then repeated by everyone else in the circle one at a time. Then the next child creates a sound and movement. Continue until everyone has had a turn.
MIRROR ME
One child is the leader and one is the mirror. The mirror must copy what the leader is doing (They can move only from the waist up). For younger children this can be done as a group.
ANYTHING BUT
Pass an ordinary object around the room. The actors must use the object as something other than what it really is (for ex: open a stapler up and use it as a telephone).
Have the children choose a location to create. Ex: Playground, kitchen, park, etc. Ask what sorts of things can be found in the place. Give each child the opportunity to choose something to be in the scene and then add them in (objects only, no people). It’s okay if there are nine slides, the important thing is that the children are participating. After everyone is ready announce that it is time to make the scene come to life!
On a clear day have the kids lie out underneath the sky and watch the clouds. What can they see in them?
