Dramatic Activities

SENSORY WALK

·        Set out dishpans or tubs of water, sand, and canned spinach (pretend seaweed).

·        Have the children step into the tubs one at a time with their bare feet.

·        At the end of the walk have a beach towel for them to step on.

·        Add marbles to the sand and let them dig for the pearls with their toes.

·        Have them do the walk again this time imagining stepping on hot sand, cold sea water, sharp sea shells, round stones, wooden piers, jelly fish, wet sticky seaweed, knee-deep in the ocean with fish swimming all around, being chased and bitten by a crab, etc. 

NAME FIVE

 

·        Have players stand or sit in a circle.

·        Pass around a soft object. (Beanies are perfect!) Use the object as a ‘timer’.

·        Give a player a category centred on the theme of oceans.

·        The player must name as many names in the category as possible as the timer goes around the circle.

·        When the object makes its way back to the player – he/she must stop naming. 

·        Start again with a different player.  They can name as many as possible with the same category or change the category.  For example: Category is towns around the Lough.  The player names as many as possible and must stop when the timer is back to them. 

·        Award the student who can name the most.

 

Possible Categories:

 

Types of fish

Types of birds

Types of sea animals

Things you can do at the beach

Things that you can find washed ashore

Towns around the Lough

T.M.A.T.T.Y- Tell Me About the Time You….

Explanation:  To encourage the students to make up a story off the top of their heads using their imagination about the topic given.  Can be played with a one-minute time limit.  If students run out of things to say within the time limit have them count out loud until something enters their mind – this will help to keep them occupied instead of embarrassed.  Can also be used as a game where the best storyteller wins a prize judged by the class.

·        Fell into the freezing Lough

·        Found a pearl in a oyster

·        Sailed on the Titanic

·        Heard a seagull speaking to you

·        Helped to clean up the Lough

·        You saw a strange creature in the Lough

·        You heard Sammy the Seal singing

·        You escaped from a huge tidal wave

·        Caught a Mermaid by the toe

Give Line of Dialogue

Prepare different lines of dialogue that are centred on the ocean theme. Cut those lines into strips of paper and place in a bag or hat. Break class into groups of no more than four. Have one person from the group pick one strip from the bag. Have the group either write or improvise a scene starting off with the line of dialogue that they chose. Act out the scene with the rest of the class.

Variation:  Use one line of Dialogue with all the groups to see how many different scenes can be produced from the one line.  Alternatively, you could have the students come out with the lines of dialogue.

Possible Lines of Dialogue:

·        Look at all of this rubbish!

·        Is that an Oystercatcher?

·        How long is the Belfast Lough?

·        What is that in the Lough?

·        I caught a fish!

·        Yesterday, I was in Carrick Castle.

·        Let’s swim across the Lough.

·        Ouch! A Crab!

·        Look what I found here in the sand!

·        Look out! Tidal wave!

 

 

 

 

 

From ‘Exploring the Lough: Creative Activities for the Primary School Classroom

Written & Complied by Molly Freeman, Edited by Adrian Rice