Go Stop Clap Jump is a very energetic drama game which will quickly get you warmed up and listening to directions.

For this game, you'll need a Leader who is good at remembering instructions.  It's a perfect exercise to play with a teacher in a drama class, or before a rehearsal or a performance.

To start, all players (except the Leader) spread out so they have room to move.

Stage 1

  When the Leader says, "GO", all the players walk around, filling the space in the room.

  When the Leader says, "STOP", all the players must freeze.

Try this a few times until everyone is used to it.

Stage 2

Then add two more instructions ...

  When the Leader says, "CLAP", all the players should clap.

  When the Leader says, "JUMP", all the players should jump.

The Leader should mix up the instructions - GO, STOP, CLAP, JUMP - for a while until at least most of the players are doing it correctly.

Stage 3

Now two more instructions can be added ...

  When the Leader says, "SKY", all the players should reach up towards the sky.

  When the Leader says, "KNEES", all the players should bend down and touch their knees.

Continue now with all six instructions until pretty much everyone get it right.

Stage 4

Now, to make it tricky, the Leader announces that everything is now opposite ...

• GO now means STOP
• STOP now means GO
• CLAP now means JUMP
• JUMP now means CLAP
• SKY now means KNEES
• KNEES now means SKY

The Leaders mixes up all the instructions and does the opposite actions along with the players.

Stage 5

Finally, in the most challenging stage, the Leader calls out the actions, and does what the action says, while the players have to keep doing the opposite actions.

You really have to listen and concentrate hard to get the actions right.

At the end of the game you will be warmed up and focused for whatever you are doing next.

You could also make up any new instructions you like ... what ideas can you come up with?