12 May 2014

What am I doing? Miming with Role Cards


To train pupils in

1.       Close observation

2.       Eye – hand coordination

3.       Signing

Start with a Magic bag of objects. A child reaches into the bag and feels an object.



 S/he must describe the object for her partner and partner must guess what it is. The objects name may not be used in the description. The chooser of the object may be further constrained by only being able to answer yes or No. a variation is where the pupils can’t say either yes or no.

Sitting in their desks, pupils do a sense memory exercise used by Stanislavsky to train his actors in close observation and memory recall. Pupils close their eyes in pairs. Now they think of a game they played. What was used in the game? A ball, a hurley, a racquet? Ask them to imagine that they are holding the object in their two hands. Feel its texture, slowly. Then as they do this their partner has to guess whether it is a hurly, a racket or a ball? Reverse role.

In desks one pupil thinks of present. Hand it to the other pupil who must react as if they are receiving real object.  Weight, size and texture are important. They receive the present , realise that it is something they do not want. However the y have to show respect for the  giver and not offend them .

Using an object (pencil) as a pencil- what is the person doing? Reverse role. Use the object as something else (e.g. the pencil could become a lollipop.) This should be modelled for each group regardless of age. This will set the standard of expectation. Pupils will take it seriously if teacher does it well initially.

When these exercises have been completed well in class, they may be repeated in the Hall in a circle with each person working with the person beside them. The object can be passed on from pupil to pupil and it should change each time it changes hands.

A passes a mimed object (a gift) to B. B does not know what it is. B must react to what a passes to him or her and receive the present with good grace, even though it is the last thing s/he wanted. Both must save face and not be embarrassed.

A goes in to circle centre and mimes working with an object. S/he continues for s few moments. Another person comes into the circle and asks them “What are you doing?” TO which A replies with the absolute opposite of what s/he is actual y doing. B then Immediately c begins to mime what A has said and then A leaves the circle. Now C comes in and asks B “What are you doing? “To which B replies the opposite of what s/he is doing. C immediately starts doing that activity. Clarify if it should be an indoor or outdoor activity.

Connecting objects

Take any two objects. In Pairs.

Using two random objects the pupil sin pairs mime the two activities in sequence. The other pupils have to guess the connection and possible story.

Variation: One activity can be a good one and the other a bad one. Hard/ Easy/ quiet/loud and any other opposites suggested by the pupils.

Add a character:

Interrupting Object

Here the pupils select an object- say a suitcase. Then a character (say a child and a  suitacse ) this may suggest  a journey -   the child is interrupted by  a pupil in role as a Garda who has a problem and needs her to do something for him, to help him with this problem.The pupils decide together what hte problem is.Then try t find  asolution that  fits well.

Hide an object on your person. A is stopped by policeman B.  Suspects As object is stolen. B has to explain to suspicious B that is not and give lists of reasons why it is theirs.  If the explanation is not good enough then they will be arrested.

ABC. A must pass something belong to B to C without B knowing.

Policeman/ Criminal, Soldier/Prisoner

etc