Theatre Education: A Resource of Practical and Project-Based Warm-ups/Theatre Games for K-12

Fast shake down

Where we learned it: National High School Institute at NU
Ages: 3rd grade and up
Materials: None

Process:

1. Have the students get into a circle.  Explain the entire warm-up before beginning.
2. This is a fast physical, energizing warm-up.  Using each hand up in the air and each foot stretched out in front, everyone will shake out each hand or foot one at a time.  Beginning with the right hand you will “shake it out” for 10 seconds, then the left hand, then the right foot, then the left foot. 
3. The counting is fast and each hand and foot is shaken out separately.  For each round (hand, hand, foot, foot) the countdown gets shorter.  First 10 seconds, then 8, then 6, then 4, then 2, then 1. 
4. So it would go:  Right hand – 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1; Left hand - 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1; Right foot - 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1; Left foot - 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1; Right hand – 8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1….and all the way down to 1 count for each.