List of Improv Games for Kids

Improv is a common way to break the ice before any new sessions, workshops, or group classes. It is a fun way to encourage people to interact and get comfortable. While improv is great for adults, it is also an excellent tool to help children learn, express, and think creatively. Because of the unpredictable nature of improv games and the high level of involvement needed, the game holds children’s attention.

In addition to keeping the kids engaged, improv also builds communication skills, social skills, and wit. Whether you are indoors or outdoors with a group of kids, improv can be a great source of education and entertainment. It can work great for teachers to interact with young kids.

So, if you are a parent or a teacher or just about anyone who has to keep a group of kids engaged, here is a list of easy improv games that you can use.

Fun Improv Games for Kids 

We have put together a list of group improv games that you can use with kids.

1. Same Circle

Group size – 2 or more 

How to play 

• All the participants will start by sitting in a circle.
• Any child or the game conductor can start with a hand gesture.
• This gesture must be repeated until it reaches the end of the circle
• The aim is to maintain identical gestures till the end. This game can also be played with sound.

2. Active Audience 

Group size – 3 or more 

How to play

This is one of the storytelling improv games. Here is how you play it:

• This game is played with 1-3 people acting as “storytellers,” with the rest of the group assisting when the storytellers seek innovative ideas from the public. 
• For example, the storyteller may remark, “I like Italian food.” The audience at this point may yell out, “But my all-time favorite food is…,” “filthy socks,” or “beach towel,” thereby prompting the storyteller to continue, “I adore Italian food, but my favorite food of all time is dirty socks,” or “When I’m hungry, dirty socks just hit the spot.”
• This is a fantastic improv game that encourages storytellers to use their imagination. It also leads to some hilarious jokes that can be used in the future.
• In rare cases, the game can last for hours without being interrupted. When we have an interactive game like this one, this is the amount of fun we’re talking about.

3. Follow the Leader

Group size – 6 or more

How to play 

In Follow the Leader, the game is about listening and following the leader’s directions. Here is how you play it:

• All the kids will be up on the floor and moving (running, jumping, walking, etc.)
• Indicate one of the kids by tapping on the shoulder or winking. 
• The kid must come to a halt.
• Others in the group must also come to a halt, but they must do it in the same way as the first individual who was stopped.

4. Slow Motion Movement 

Group size – 8 or more 

How to play 

• Props aren’t required, although they can add to the enjoyment. You’ll divide the children into groups of four to six. They’ll have to assemble in a small group if they don’t discuss beforehand.
• When you call out a student’s name, they will make a slow, deliberate movement toward a group mate, such as gently stroking their shoulder or pretending to slap their face.
• The next individual will react to the slow-motion touch by doing something different to another group member.
• Everyone should think about their moves and include the rest of the group in a cohesive skit. This may be a Three Stooges-style comic routine, a Samurai fight scenario, and many more.

5. Alien, Tiger, Cow 

Group size – 3 to 5 

How to play 

• This is one of the quick improv games that encourage kids to develop observational skills and work in a team. 
• The game is about getting every player to be the same character, that is, an alien or a tiger, or a cow
• Alien: Hold index fingers against head and say, “Bleeb, Bleeb.”
• Tiger: Hold hands out like a claw and roar
• Cow: Bend over, hold one hand on the stomach, and make the ‘moo’ sound
• Every player chooses a character to imitate. 
• The game is played until all players choose the same character.

6. Popcorn 

Group size – Between 5 and 10 

How to play 

• This is a quick improv game to get the kids up and going and get them warmed-up
• Everyone starts by laying down or squatting. 
• The conductor of the game instructs the children on what is going on during the exercise. 
• The floor is the pan, and everyone starts as a kernel of popcorn.
• The popcorn will begin to pop as the pan heats up. 
• When the corn “pops,” children will be urged to leap up and clap their hands as a group, progressively escalating as the pan warms up more and more.

7. Group Mime 

Group size – 5 or more

How to play 

• Drama improv games such as this require group collaboration to imitate a group action.
• For example- Tug-of-war, rowing a boat, peddling a ten-person bike, and so forth.
• This game emphasizes audience participation and teamwork among the players. 
• If there isn’t an audience, ask any participant for a miming idea. 
• Given that the kids and the friends are young and full of enthusiasm, it can last for hours.

8. Everybody Smile 

Group size – 6 to 10 

How to play 

You’ve all seen those dreadful family portraits, and now you’re going to try to persuade pupils to make their own. This mobile game could be fun for kids of all ages because it gets them moving and warms them up. It also improves problem-solving skills and abstract thinking. Here is how to play it:

• You’ll need a hat with portrait ideas on it, or you can come up with them on the spot. These can be simple, such as a family picnic portrait, or more complex, such as a cheerleading tryouts portrait.
• Make a prompt announcement.
• Students will endeavor to form a group as rapidly as possible to represent the photo.
• They should all come to a halt and gaze at the fictitious camera when you say grin.

9. Animal Scenes 

Group size – 3 or more 

How to play 

• This can be an improv acting lesson, which doubles as a fun game. 
• One person is designated as the leader, while the remainder of the players is divided into pairs. 
• The leader presents the players with various animal settings, such as a monkey in a tree. 
• Each pair must act out the scenario. One person may be the branch, and the other could be the monkey perched on the other’s shoulder.

10. Energy 1 to 10 

Group size – 2 or more 

How to play

• Everyone has to squat down in a circle. 
• All players count 1 to 10 in unison — moving up slowly with increasing energy levels. 
• 1 must be barely audible, while 10 as loud as possible. At the count of 10, all players must stand straight, with hands reaching up. 
• Players must watch each other to ensure the same energy level.
• You can also transform this into one of the musical improv games by making the kids sing the numbers in increasing musical notes and increasing volume and energy.

Whether you are a parent, activity supervisor, or teacher, you can use these improv games for small groups to develop kids’ attention, communication, and fine motor skills. These group games can help the children communicate and play as a team, making them much better than solo improv games. So, enjoy!

Also Read:

Hand Games for Kids
Card Games for Children
Brain Games for Children