Introduction
Improvisation games can be a powerful and engaging way to promote creativity, communication, critical thinking, and collaboration in any content area. By getting students up on their feet and interacting, improv exercises can encourage them to think on their toes, adapt ideas quickly, and stay present in the moment. Here are five improv games that can be adapted for any subject area, making them an excellent addition to your teaching toolkit.
1. Freeze Tag
In this classic improv game, two students begin a scene using physical movement and dialogue based on a given prompt. At any point during the scene, another student calls out “freeze,” the actors stop in place, and the student taps one of the frozen actors on the shoulder before taking their place and starting an entirely new scene inspired by their current frozen position. This game encourages creativity and quick thinking as students must adapt to unexpected changes.
Possible adaptations: Give prompts related to a specific content area or have students incorporate vocabulary or concepts from a lesson into their scenes.
2. Expert Panel
Three or more students sit in a row as “experts” in a specific field (e.g., science, history), while another student acts as the host. The host asks questions relating to the content learned in class, and each expert must answer differently from the others — either with factual information, creative elaboration or humorous exaggeration. This game helps increase critical thinking skills by requiring students to showcase their knowledge while also thinking creatively.
Possible adaptations: Have experts represent different periods or perspectives within the content area (e.g., Ancient Egypt vs. Modern Egypt) or use this game as a review activity before an assessment.
3. Word at a Time
Two or more students stand facing each other and create a story — one word at a time, with each person adding one word per turn. Encourage students to build off one another’s words and keep the story moving forward. This game fosters listening, collaboration and fluid thinking as students must adapt to changes in the direction of the narrative.
Possible adaptations: Give students content-specific vocabulary words to incorporate into their stories or require them to create stories within a specific theme or subject area.
4. Silent Line-Up
Students are challenged to line up in a predetermined order without speaking — such as by height, birthday, or alphabetically by first name. To add a content-specific twist, provide prompts related to your lesson (e.g., arrangement based on historical events happening from earliest to latest). This physical game promotes non-verbal communication and teamwork.
Possible adaptations: Use key terms, formulas, or concepts from the lesson for the predetermined order.
5. One-Minute Speech
Students are given 60 seconds to speak about a specific topic from the lesson without pausing, backtracking or using filler words like “umm” or “like.” This game trains them in concise communication and critical thinking as they recall information and articulate it clearly under time pressure.
Possible adaptations: Use questions from quizzes or tests as the topics for one-minute speeches, or assign students different angles of debate on an issue studied in class for added complexity.
Conclusion
Improv games can serve as a versatile way to energize classroom learning while fostering essential skills like creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration. By adapting classic improv activities to fit your subject area, you can offer students new perspectives on curriculum material and build their understanding in an engaging and memorable way.
