Teacher Background

In this resource, Sam Marsden will introduce you to improvisation with an Improv Toolbox of activities. You can use this Improv Toolbox to build student focus, boost confidence, and foster authentic peer connections.

Sam describes the value of improvisation and defines the art form, offering practical strategies for creating a safe space for creative exploration. She highlights SEL connections and key skills developed through improv. Sam finishes with three engaging activities designed for students of all ages who are ready to explore the world of improvisation.

Recommended Student Materials

Editable Documents: Before sharing these resources with students, you must first save them to your Google account by opening them, and selecting “Make a copy” from the File menu. Check out Sharing Tips or Instructional Benefits when implementing Google Docs and Google Slides with students.

• Improv Activity 1: “Yet…”
• Improv Activity 2: “Taxi Driver with Given Circumstances”
• Improv Activity 3: “Making a Commercial”

About Drama Games with Sam Marsden

Sam Marsden is a seasoned drama educator and author who has spent her career helping students discover the power of performance. With years of classroom experience, she now writes practical guides on how to weave drama into everyday learning, making lessons more engaging, expressive, and meaningful across subjects. You can explore more of Sam's books and works on her website.

Why improvisation?

Improvisation asks us to be present, to feel, to imagine, to collaborate, and to respond—not with preprogrammed answers, but with instinct. In a time when we’re bombarded with noise, division, and digital distractions, improvisation returns us to something essential: our shared humanity. It reminds us how to listen, how to adapt, and how to connect. Teaching improv is teaching students how to be fully alive in the world—and that is a skill we all need now more than ever.

You don’t need to be a theater teacher or even have any experience with improvisation or theater to use the tools in this resource. Any teacher from any discipline can benefit from and teach improv. There’s growing recognition that introducing improvisation into classrooms across the curriculum can lead to better outcomes in other subjects, too. From improvising communication in group work to deepening engagement with learning material, improvisation can help students become more confident, curious, and connected learners in all areas.

In this resource, you’ll find three improvisation games, practical tips to help you teach improv, and tips for creating a safe, creative space where students can thrive. 

What is improvisation?

Improvisation is the art of making something from nothing. It’s about responding in the moment—without a script, a plan, or even a clear sense of where things are going. You don’t need costumes or a stage. All you need is a willingness to listen, to trust your instincts, and to build something collaboratively with others.

At its heart, improvisation is built on a simple idea: don’t block. This means saying yes to the ideas offered by others (so long as they are nonviolent in speech or action). It means accepting, adding to, and building on ideas with generosity, openness, and imagination. One of the best ways to teach this fundamental principle of improvisation is through the game “Yes, Let’s”—often referred to as the ultimate introduction to improvisation.

To play “Yes, Let’s,” the teacher begins by calling out an imaginative action, such as, “Let’s all bake a cake!” The group responds, in unison, “Yes, let’s!” and immediately jumps into miming the action of baking. After a few rounds—perhaps of casting spells, climbing mountains, washing giraffes—the teacher invites students to contribute their own ideas. Hands shoot up, and the teacher chooses someone. That student may say, “Let’s all ride a dragon!” and the group will respond, “Yes, let’s!” The game continues this way, each new suggestion being welcomed with action. 

The beauty of “Yes, Let’s” is that it sets the tone for the entire improvisation class. It says, “All ideas are welcome here. Nothing is too silly. We are here to support each other. We are here to say yes.” It breaks the ice, reduces fear, and invites students into the magic of group imagination.

Improvisation can be scary, especially if it’s taught in a way that forces. I was terrified of improv as a teenager. Like many students, I believed that improv was about being the funniest, the smartest, and the loudest. I thought it was about performing and impressing others. But real improvisation is the opposite. It’s about being, not performing. It’s about quiet, internal shifts that may not even show externally. It’s about listening so deeply that you act before you even think. Improvisation is about intuition, and with the rise of artificial intelligence and screen time, we need to nurture our intuition more than ever.

Improvisation offers students a chance to take creative risks in a low-stakes environment. It invites them to surprise themselves, to explore new aspects of who they are, and to realize that their ideas matter. There are no wrong answers in improv, only possibilities waiting to be explored.

Creating a safe space for creativity

Before starting any improvisation work, the facilitator needs to create a safe space. Students need to know that they can safely share ideas, explore, perform, and fail without fear of judgment. Here are some tips:

• Never put students on the spot. Encouragement is welcome, but forcing will shut down creativity, especially among more vulnerable students.
• Define boundaries. Prohibit violent content, real names, impressions of people (especially classmates), and humor at someone else’s expense.
• Create rituals to shed shame. You can start the class with humor or visual metaphors (e.g., “Leave your shame in this imaginary box”).
• Normalize failure. Let students know that if something flops, it’s not only okay, it’s a sign that they’re pushing boundaries and exploring new territory.
• Maintain a judgment-free zone. Remind students to withhold judgment of themselves and others.
• Focus on intuition. Encourage students to “let go and trust themselves.” Comments like “Don’t think, just do,” can help quiet overthinking.
• Maintain zero tolerance for unkindness. Even subtle negativity, like an eye –roll, can really hurt. Establish early on that bullying and mockery, verbal or nonverbal, won’t be tolerated.
• Encourage kindness. Praise kind comments and foster a culture of support and mutual respect.
• Set simple, clear expectations—for example, “Be kind. Listen well.”
• Offer feedback with care. Ensure that students are ready to receive it, especially if it’s their first time performing. Make sure to give plenty of positive feedback on students’ strengths.
• Use age-appropriate clarity. With younger students, explain slowly, model clearly, and keep instructions simple.
• Model vulnerability. Join in where appropriate; your example sets the tone.
• Discourage blocking. Teach the “Yes, and…” mindset. Blocking often begins with “but” or other comments that shut down a partner’s idea.
• Support group belonging. Break up cliques if necessary, and remind students that everyone deserves to feel safe, seen, and supported.
• Promote listening and authenticity. Deep listening fuels strong improv. Help students relax and be real; true connection is more compelling than forced performance.

How improvisation can support social and emotional learning (SEL)

Teaching improvisation is teaching life. It provides a playground for scenarios and characters we might encounter, not just on stage, but in the world around us. It isn’t just for actors; it’s for all of us.

Social and emotional learning (SEL) is the process through which students develop the skills to understand and manage emotions, build healthy relationships, show empathy, make responsible decisions, and handle challenging situations effectively. Improvisation naturally aligns with and supports SEL by giving students embodied, experiential practice in these exact areas.

When students engage in improvisation, they practice collaboration, flexibility, creative problem-solving, listening, being in the moment, and emotional awareness. They learn how to work together, how to compromise, and how to stay open to new ideas. In a world that feels increasingly divided and polarized, these are not just theatrical tools—they are essential human ones.

Here are some of the SEL skills students can strengthen through improvisation. 

Focus: Improv asks students to stay in the moment. When they’re truly engaged, distractions fall away. Whether they’re miming a task, reacting to a partner, or creating a scene, they’re practicing mindful attention.

Listening: Improv only works if students are really listening and responding. They must track tone, gesture, emotion, and language. This builds deeper awareness of others and encourages empathy in action.

Intuition: In improv, students don’t have time to overthink. They learn to trust their intuition, follow their impulses, and discover how much wisdom lives in them. Over time, they begin to believe in their own voices.

Empathy: As students embody different characters, they begin to see the world from other perspectives. They experience a range of emotions and learn to express them safely, creatively, and with support.

Confidence and connection: Even shy students can thrive in improv. When the stakes are low and the space is safe, students begin to stretch. They take creative risks, laugh together, and feel the power of being seen and heard just as they are. This is how real, long-lasting confidence is built. 

Improv Toolbox  

• Improv Activity 1: “Yet…”
• Improv Activity 2: “Taxi Driver with Given Circumstances”
• Improv Activity 3: “Making a Commercial”

Roundup

Improvisation is more than just a drama activity, it’s a powerful tool for building focus, confidence, and connection. Improv invites students to take chances and discover the power of presence, play, and possibility. By creating a safe space and embracing the joy of not knowing what comes next, we’re teaching not only creativity, but courage, empathy, and trust. In a world that often values perfection and performance, improvisation reminds us that connection matters more. And sometimes, one of the most important things we can teach is how to say, “Yes, let’s!”