Explore practical drama games and video exercises for teachers, facilitators, trainers, and group leaders. These activities help groups build trust, focus, communication, confidence, and active participation.
Start Here
Choose a guide based on what your group or class needs right now. These hub pages organize the activities by teaching goal, facilitation problem, and group readiness.
- Drama games for teachers – classroom-safe activities for participation, trust, listening, focus, and group energy.
- Psychological safety exercises for groups – low-pressure activities for trust, connection, and safer participation.
- Activities for quiet groups – practical exercises for classes and workshops that stay silent or guarded.
Choose a Drama Game by Group Need
The best drama game depends on what is blocking participation. Use this quick map to choose an activity by the group need you see in front of you.
- For quiet or guarded groups: start with activities for quiet groups that lower pressure before asking for performance.
- For psychological safety: use psychological safety exercises that build trust, choice, and connection.
- For listening and memory: try Throwing Information, a low-pressure game based on personal details and recall.
- For trust and openness: use If You Knew Me Better to help pairs share safely before speaking to the whole group.
- For nonverbal teamwork: try Find Your Pair, a playful deduction exercise for movement, observation, and group connection.
- For communication and active listening: use communication and active listening exercises that develop clearer speech, tone awareness, empathy, and precise instructions.
Phase 01: Psychological Safety & Group Connection
Phase 01 exercises are designed to help participants feel safer, more seen, and more connected before moving into deeper participation. They are especially useful for quiet groups, new groups, and classes that need a gentle way into interaction.
- Throwing Information – a memory and listening exercise for group connection.
- If You Knew Me Better – a paired trust-building exercise for openness and empathy.
- Find Your Pair – a nonverbal teamwork exercise based on famous pairs.
Phase 02: Communication & Active Listening
Phase 02 exercises help participants listen more carefully, speak more clearly, and notice how tone, body, and relationship shape meaning. Use these after the group has enough safety to work more directly with communication.
- Communication and active listening exercises – the full Phase 02 guide.
- Yes-No – a paired exercise for tone, meaning, and emotional shifts in simple dialogue.
- I Accept You, I Do Not Accept You – a direct-contact exercise for acceptance, rejection, empathy, and body awareness.
- Make The Person Do – a verbal communication exercise for precise instructions, listening, and team coordination.
What These Drama Games Help Develop
- Psychological safety and group trust
- Classroom participation and confidence
- Listening, memory, and attention
- Nonverbal communication and teamwork
- Focus, presence, and readiness for deeper discussion
Who Created These Drama Games?
These exercises and the 5+1 Participation System were created by drama educators Sonja Leštar and Maja Grgić, drawing on their work in applied theatre, directing, drama pedagogy and group facilitation. Meet the educators behind 222 Drama Games.
Want the full 30-day system?
These public exercises are part of the 30-Day Participation System, a video-based course for moving groups from quiet observation to active participation.