The Over the Counter workshop incorporates fun interactive games to help students with listening skills ( active versus passive), energy, quick thinking skills, and self-confidence. The cornerstone of the program is to explain a few easy science concepts ( to kids in 5th grade and up) and help each student nurture the right side of the brain to start their journey toward leadership, humility, empathy, and humor.

“I serve on the board and the experience with your improv was one of the best moments in my year”  –  Hank, Ronald McDonald House.

Here are examples of a few games covered which are in line with the essential standards include:

Mirror in the circle  (1.C.1.1; 2.C.1.1; 3.C.1.1;  4.C.1.1;  5.C.1.1)  The Mirror game allows all the students to participate at the same time and use non-verbal and movement skills to communicate.  First, we get into a large circle and I show them how to be a mirror. Basically, all the kids repeat my movements in unison. The kids are thrilled to imitate funny gestures and quirky faces. Once the kids are comfortable with this game, I select students to go out of the room and when they come back in all of us will be imitating each other and they must observe us and decide which ONE student is actually leading the mirror game.

Taxicab  (1.C.2.1;  2.C.2.1; 3.C.2.1;  4.C.2.1;  5.C.2.1) We have the kids pretend they are talking pets or characters and play a fun game called taxicab. This game emphasizes communicating ideas and feelings in a performance. The kids use movements and voice as an animal, an old man, etc, to get their point across to the group on stage.

Dubbing Game   Two students come on “stage” and a teacher and I talk for the students. They move their mouths really wide to exaggerate what is being said. The students must listen closely to our dialogue because they will handle all the nonverbal communication skills too. The students will also use mime if the dialogue calls for it. Most importantly, a voice is created for the student and their unique interpretation of that voice helps them create their own personal character. It’s an absolutely hilarious game and extremely successful all the time. At the end of each scene we always give constructive criticism to the children. And I usually have two teachers play this game as well so the kids can watch their teachers in action.

The reason for this exercise is to help the students to understand active listening and to communicate their ideas on stage through object work and movement.  OTC follows up this exercise with the kids by finding out from them if they actually listened to the teacher and to their scene partner and if they didn’t what could they have done to make this game more enjoyable and truthful to the moment.

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