The Pantomime Obstacle Course is a fun way to familiarize actors with pantomiming. It organizes a set of introductory pantomime activities for pairs of students to complete in a set amount of time. These pantomime activities are really great for teaching non-verbal communication as well. You can substitute or add any other pantomime activities that might work well for you; these are just some simple ones that worked well for my troupe.
For the pantomime activities, you will need the following
Post It Notes, put on the floor in the pattern for double hop scotch (see station 4 picture below)
Instructions
Participants will have an instruction sheet that will guide them through each of the four pantomime activity stations. As each group finishes the four stations, I have them tag the next group to get started. We continue this until everyone has gone. We multitask and work on other assignments as each group goes about the stations. Here’s how it works:
Participants, in pairs of two, have a total of four minutes to complete the four stations. They should take no more than one minute at each of the four stations.
One partner will guide the other through each set of instructions for the four stations using non-verbal communication (with one exception when they get to Station 3). They are not show their partner the instruction sheet, write anything for them, or mouth any words.
Pantomime Activity Stations
Below are the instructions that are given on the instruction sheet for each of the pantomime activity stations. Before beginning, I make sure that all participants know where all of the stations are located. I don’t explain any of the station instructions to them aside from making sure that they know that they can’t talk except for the 1 exception at Station 3. I also tell them that once they’ve finished, they are not to discuss the activities with anyone who hasn’t gone yet.
Station 1: Construction Paper Rings/Chain)
Staple together strips of construction paper into a chain.You and your partner make only ONE chain. Work together.
The Only rule is to make sure the chain is as long as it can possibly be in the amount of time given. Don’t try to be creative. Just go FAST.
Station 2: Dry Erase Board
You and your partner make ONE drawing. Work together.
WITH your partner as best as you can, draw a detailed picture of your favorite animal. Get creative!
Randomly choose one slip of paper from the cup/basket and act out what it says.
Tell your partner (non-verbally) to guess what is on your slip of paper. – They can give their answer verbally.
Station 4: Post-It Activity
Link arms with your partner
Play Hopscotch along the post it notes as fast as you can. See how many times you can get through in the allotted time.
Conclusion
It’s a blast watching students complete these pantomime activities. When my advanced Theatre students come in and see my room set up with the mime stations, I hear them reminisce about how much fun they had the previous year doing the Pantomime Obstacle Course. If you do this activity around Christmas, you can use green or red paper for the paper chains from Station 1, and once everyone is finished, put all of the chains together to decorate your Christmas tree! I hope you and your troupe of actors enjoy these pantomime activities as much as we do.
I’m not familiar with pantomiming but this actually looks like something fun that I’d love to do with a couple friends! Some of these activities look like a fun way to spend during a family game night too!
This was big fun for us in the 60s’ when we were growing up. I think my grandkids would love to play this
I’m not familiar with pantomiming but this actually looks like something fun that I’d love to do with a couple friends! Some of these activities look like a fun way to spend during a family game night too!
I love all of these ideas, so fun! My husband is an actor and takes improv classes – I’ll share this with him, it’s right up his street!