Pantomime is a special historical part of the theatre community. It is vital that youth Pantomime activities live on! There’s no doubt that everyone loves a good mime skit. Your kids will love learning how to act out a Realistic Pantomime act, almost as much as they’ll love the game that helped them get there!
Finding games that can help your kiddos learn when to be quiet and what bodily movements to perform can be quite the task. Asking kids to be quiet and engaged?? It’s almost unheard of. But then again, thankfully, the experts have fun coming full force with this list.
Here is a list of 20 fun Patnmime Ideas that are sure to keep any Drama class engaged and learning while also providing the space to grasp a better understanding of the history and beauty of the Pantomime over the years.
1. Breaking the Barricade
If there’s one thing known about a Pantomine, it’s that silence is a critical aspect. Breaking the barricade is a perfect way to give kiddos the floors to practice exactly that . . . silence. Simple activities like this are the reason your kids will fall in love with the drama club.
Learn More: Albert Hill Theatre
2. Creative Scenes
If you haven’t already added this game to your Pantomime activities, you and your students are missing out! Creative scenes are comprised of random scenes that students can form out of different body movements.
Learn More: Drama Kids Soc
3. Guess the Mime
This is considered to be quite the classic pantomime game, but it always varies with different ages. This can be played with partners or teams. One student acts something out and the other has to guess what they’re miming.
Learn More: YouTube
4. Why Are You Late?
Getting the hang of pantomime isn’t always easy through words. BUT through body movements? It’s quite simple! Have “the boss” guess why a worker was late simply through falling and guessing the entire movement.
Learn More: American Eagle Shows
5. Sleeping Lions
Sleeping Lions is a great game to practice working with a dreamy expression. Have your little ones lay down and pretend to be asleep; if anyone moves, they’re out! Who will stay still and quiet for the longest and win? This game is a perfect cool down for the end of an exciting drama session!
Learn More: Silly Fish Learning
6. What’s On TV?
This team-building exercise is perfect for experienced players and nonexperienced players. Your students will love both guessing what’s on TV and BEING on TV. One student will be acting out something on the TV while the other has to guess. A twist could be that students have to laugh and act like they’re watching something entertaining.
Learn More: Taught in the Act
7. Ninja
Ninja is no doubt a classic game filled with bodily movements. This game will help students to gain quicker reflexes, while also using facial expressions to trick students into thinking they’re coming for them!
Learn More: Mount Players
8. Detective
Can the detective (student in the middle) find the leader of the gang? The leader must change up the dance moves and the gang members must follow! The detective gets 3 guesses to guess the leader!
Learn More: IES Theatre
9. Statues
Statues are great for games in an afternoon of circle pantomime. If you’re struggling to come up with ideas, try statues! This game is great because it can be tailored to having students practice facial movements of famous people from the past, and even to give them a better understanding of the definition of Pantomime.
Learn More: Baby Mama Drama Playtime Fun
10. Drama Vocabulary
If you’ve got a school that expects you to be able to tie together various curricula, then you’re probably constantly looking for different ideas. This is a great way for students to learn and understand vocabulary words through realistic movements or crazy movements.
Learn More: 2 See the Planet
11. Act Out Games
This video will help students be able to describe games through different types of movement! Giving your students an overall idea of how to act with an imaginary object will help them to develop their own fun Pantomime Ideas.
Learn More: Punchomime – Mime 4 Kids
12. Action Names
Circle Pantomime Games can be difficult to come up with, considering Mimes don’t really involve talking. Therefore, making them engaging can be a bit more challenging. But something simple like this is a great choice to practice movement.
Learn More: Drama Menu
13. Mime Walk
Help your kiddos learn how to walk like a mime and then play a game using the actual movement! Giving students the space to learn will help them to bring quick movement to life. Always make the lessons fun by incorporating an exciting game that uses the student’s new and improves mime knowledge.
Learn More: Punchomime – Mime 4 Kids
14. Frog in the Pond
Work with your students to create a deliberate body movement that spreads energy throughout the circle. This helps all students to work with pretend objects, while also working with fluid movements.
Learn More: Drama Menu
15. Telephone Charades
A spin on the classic telephone game, this game uses movement cards to spread one thing through a string of people. By showing a card to one student, allow that student to act it out and spread it through the line.
Learn More: Movement Church
16. Copy Me
This is a fairly classic Pantomime Exercise that students will always be excited about! It should definitely be added to your collection of Pantomime games. Simply have students mirror each other’s actions. Spice it up by having them mirror your actions and they’re out if they can’t keep up.
Learn More: Singapore Repertory Theatre
17. Splat
Circle Pantomime games like Splat are crucial to have in your little basket of ideas. This game can be quickly taught and students will love working off of each other. Teach your children this game at the beginning of the year and use it during free times or transitions.
Learn More: Singapore Repertory Theatre
18. Tableaux
Tableaux is super fun and exciting! Students will love acting out different statues and characters! You could even have your kiddos actually take pictures and decide on who had the best expressions and talk about it.
Learn More: Singapore Repertory Theatre
19. This is not a…
Using different objects in the classroom, students will get to work with various skills. By acting with their realistic Pantmime skills and their context clue skills, your kiddos will quickly come up with different ideas and movements for each object!
Learn More: Drama-Based Instruction
20. Pass the Noise
Help your students learn the art of expression with onomatopoeia! This game will help students to learn onomatopoeia and incorporate different movements and expressions to deliberately show the show. Pass the noise around the circle and give all of your kiddos a chance to express themselves.
Learn More: Beat by Beat
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