Move around the room

This warm-up encourages movement and explores storytelling through motion, highlighting the impact of nonverbal communication.

Duration: 10-15 minutes.

Preparation

1. A decently sized space for all participants to walk around.

2. Ensure that all participants can engage meaningfully by offering alternative ways to express movement, such as facial expressions, hand gestures, or adjusted pacing for those with mobility challenges.

3. Provide clear, flexible instructions that allow participants to interpret movements in ways that suit their abilities.

4. For those with cognitive disabilities, break down instructions into simple steps and demonstrate movements when needed

5. Encourage creativity and multiple forms of participation to make everyone feel included and valued in the exercise.

Introduction

Everyone begins by moving around the room. The facilitator then gives instructions on how the participants should move next.

Instructions

1. Everyone is invited to begin moving as themselves, imagining that they are on their way to an appointment.

2. After a short time, the facilitator instructs the group that they are still moving, but now they are running 10 minutes late.

3. Next, they realize they have missed their bus, but decide to keep striving.

4. Participants are congratulated on making it to their appointment and asked to move as themselves again, at their normal pace.

5. Participants are invited to move like a chicken.

6. Participants are invited to move like an elephant.

7. Participants are invited to move as if they were slogging through a heavy rain without an umbrella.

8. Participants are instructed to move as if gravity suddenly increased dramatically.

9. Participants are invited to move as if there was no gravity and they need to find a way to keep themselves on the ground.

Important things to note

1. Just because you are pretending to be something, that does not make you that thing. For example, if you move as a chicken, that doesn’t mean you are a chicken.

2. Stress that participants should be aware of the people around them and keep safety in mind.

3. While this activity should mostly be silent, some noises are okay, just not telling a verbal story.

4. Body language matters. As participants move around, give them pointers like how the rain is cold, or their bus is pulling away just in front of them.

Wrap-up

After the group is finished on their moves they all gather to discuss. 

• What concept was most difficult to convey? 

• What was easiest? 

• How can this impact our stories? 

• What do we convey to the people around us in the outside world?