Back-to-school season is an ideal season to ignite your EFL classroom with connection-establishing, confidence-boosting drama activities. If your students are just being introduced to one another or returning from a long break, drama-inspired warm-ups are awesome icebreakers for getting the language rolling, establishing a sense of belonging, and fostering a relaxed environment. These exercises are more than the typical "What did you do over the summer?" and urge learners to stand up, talk, and collaborate without anxiety.
Here are some of the drama warm-ups that are most effectively employed in the first week of school with primary or lower secondary EFL students (A1–A2 level). For each activity, we give a brief description, compact learning objectives, and facilitation guidelines.
- Name & Movement Circle
Level: A1
Focus: Names, common verbs, classroom community
How to:
Stand in a circle. The first student says their name with a simple action (e.g., “I’m Anna” + claps hands). The group repeats the name and action: “You’re Anna” + claps hands. Go around the circle until everyone has had a turn.
Language aim: Repeating names, using subject pronouns (“I’m/You’re”), verbs of movement (jump, wave, spin).
Drama tip: Use your body dramatically and make a big fuss about your own name-action pair to show how creative and silly they can be! - Yes, Let's!
Level: A1–A2
Focus: Verb vocabulary, agreement structures, group cohesion
How to:
Say to another student, "Let's [do something]!" (e.g., "Let's swim like fish!") and all shout, "Yes, let's!" and do it. Take turns suggesting new actions.
Language focus: Using "Let's…" to suggest and "Yes, let's" to agree; exercising action verbs.
Drama tip: Use quick changes and imaginative suggestions ("Let's roar like lions!") to keep the tension. - The Magic Box
Level: A1
Topic: Imagination, object vocabulary, mime
How to:
Have a make-believe box. Pull out an imaginary item and perform playing with it (e.g., washing hair, guitar playing). Ask students to attempt to guess: "What is it?" Then pass the box to the next student.
Language target: "What is it?", "It's a…", object vocabulary (toothbrush, umbrella, balloon, etc.)
Drama tip: Encourage creative guesses and elicit mime rather than speech from quieter students. Theme the box (e.g., summer, school equipment) to target specific vocabulary. - Emotion Freeze
Level: A1–A2
Focus: Emotions, body language, adjectives
How to:
State an emotion (e.g., happy, angry, tired) and say "3-2-1-FREEZE!" Students freeze with a matching expression and posture. Then move around asking: "How do you feel?"
Language focus: "I feel…" + adjectives (scared, excited, bored); interpreting body language.
Drama tip: Encourage students to brainstorm their own emotion ideas. Add a mini role-play element (e.g., "You're excited because you've discovered chocolate!"). - Find Someone Who (with a Twist!)
Level: Any
Topic: Icebreaker, basic question forms
How to:
Give students cards with questions like "Find someone who has a dog / likes ice cream / can dance." They have to interview other students in whole questions ("Do you have a dog?"). When they have found a match, the two do a brief mime together (e.g., wave tails like dogs).
Language target: Yes/No questions, third person ("She has a dog"), building simple conversation starters.
Drama tip: Keep the mime element lighthearted- it disperses tension energy and builds shared ground on the basis of silliness. - Teacher in Role: The Lost Backpack
Level: A1–A2
Focus: Listening, question formation, group problem-solving
How to:
Enter the room in character as a teacher or student who's lost their backpack. Describe what's in it with hints ("It has a huge red notebook and a green pencil case"). Let students use yes/no or wh-questions to try to find it.
Language target: Questions ("What's in your backpack?", "Where did you see it?"), prepositions of place, school object vocabulary.
Drama tip: Keep character going for a few minutes- this adds the element of mystery and drama and involves the class in cooperative play. You can "discover" the backpack at the end and have them applaud! - Sound Ball
Level: A1–A2
Focus: Listening, turn-taking, imagination
How to:
Gather in a circle and pretend to hold an invisible ball. As you “throw” it to another student, make a fun sound like “boing!”, “zoom!”, or “plop!”. The student who catches the sound ball repeats the sound, then comes up with a new one to throw to someone else.
Language aim: This game helps with listening for sounds, enhances focus in the classroom, and builds confidence in vocal expression.
Drama tip: Encourage everyone to make silly and creative sounds- this helps break the ice and energizes the group. For an added challenge, try incorporating a matching gesture or facial expression!
Why Drama-Based Warm-Ups Work So Well
They lower the affective filter: Drama games allow students to try out language in a less stressful way, lowering their anxiety about making mistakes.
They involve the whole learner: Body, voice, face, and imagination are all involved- important for kinesthetic and young learners.
They build classroom community: Drama warm-ups encourage cooperation, humor, and support among students. Students develop the habit of perceiving the class as an environment where they can express themselves without fear.
They creep in by nature: Beginners also may communicate meaningfully with English through gesture, repetition, and simple structures, all in context.
Success Tips
Set the tone: Show enthusiasm, but clarity. Brief instructions and demos welcome non-native learners to begin.
Adjust to your group: You're most familiar with your students. Some activities are suitable for standing up, others for sitting down. Some are perfect for two, others for big groups.
Keep it short and sweet: Warm-ups should energize and captivate within 5–10 minutes. You can always build on them later in the lesson.
Final Thought
Back-to-school season is more than new notebooks and timetables- it’s about creating an atmosphere where learners feel ready to speak, move, and grow. Drama-based warm-ups turn ordinary language practice into shared adventures. When students start the year laughing, pretending, and connecting in English, you’re setting the stage for a joyful learning journey ahead.
