Buddhist Drama For Fun

A C T I V I T I E S 렁 D R A M A

Just Fun

a balanced pair

Fun! and Religion aren't always found together. However, my general maxim is (to try and): 'Be responsible but never serious'. The two masks of drama are a good representation of the extremes - take it too seriously and life becomes a tragedy - too frivolously and it is reduced to a joke. Fun lies somewhere between the two.
Sometimes group situations can get a bit heavy - especially in relation to 'self' investigation and 'personal growth' encounters. We tend to have more gremlins of the dour and depressed variety than of the impish, airy bent and having fun can appear to many as irreverent. However, too much 'digging deep' can just mean that the energy of the group ends up sitting at the bottom of a hole in the dark. There is a special time when to be able to all just leap up in the air and shout Yeee HaH! is very refreshing and can clear the air and put things in a light(er) perspective.
The activities here are nothing special - there are masses of similar to be found in Scout books, hobbies and games books, web sites, etc, - they are just a random sample of some that I have regularly used (mostly with young people) and which come readily to mind. They generally involve some activity.

DRESS ME

Dress one person in an oversize shirt. They hold both hands of another person and the rest of the group turn the shirt inside out so the second person is now wearing it. Hand must be held until the shirt is fully on the second person. Continue this so the whole group has had a turn. Doing it with two or more groups to see who are the quickest dressers makes it a lot more fun.

OCTOPUS

One person in the middle. The others run from one end of the room, field, to the other and those caught hold hands to become the octopus tentacles - the ends of which catch more 'fish'.

SCULPTURES

Most members of the group are the clay and a few are the artists who can work together or singly. The clay could be blindfolded. A group sculpture is fun.
It can be fun or serious when some members of the group are 'art critics' who watch the sculpting and then comment on what feelings or emotions they have when looking at the sculpture - they could ask the artist what he was trying to express and his feelings about the result.

SNAKE SKIN

A single line with all facing the same way holding hands over the top of heads - one hand in front, another behind. The person at the front of the line goes between the legs of the person behind them - still holding their hand. The whole line has to turn itself inside out so the person that began is again at the front of the line. Wrists could be lightly tied with soft cloth. Wacky!

KNOTS

Standing all together in a clump more or less facing inwards. Each person reaches across and takes the hand of two other people - i.e. they hold two hands but not of the same person. Stepping, climbing, crawling over and under and around each other - WITHOUT letting go of each others hands - until you are all standing in a circle. Hands often need to slide within each other - or your arms will twist off. This is high contact and clothing and gender and such might need to be considered.

JUGGLING

Get a book, find a friend or a teacher or a group and do it with balls, scarves, bean bags, fruit, stones, enthusiasm, concentration. Yeee HaH!

TREASURE HUNT

A lot of variations here - indoors, outdoors, many things, a few things, with clues, in small groups, individually, psychic, telepathic, physical. And what is being hunted? Something for everyone? All the elements which when brought together will build a shrine? Things to eat - and share? Words to make a sentence - predetermined or made up on the spot by the group?
• It could be an un-nature hunt with a range of obviously not natural things placed about which are not taken away when found but written on a list which can be compared with others - did you see the red plastic ring? the gold Buddha?
• It could be hunting for things to make up a given list - a feather, something hard, 100 of something, a big smile. It is interesting the things people choose to fit categories.

BLIND TRAIL

This can be done:
• in pairs with the sighted leading the blind(folded). Using a set course means the experience can be shared later with others who have been the same way. It can be laid out in nature or using boxes, ropes, ladders, etc. A random course is perhaps best done outside in the woods or very varied terrain. Those leading need to take care of their friends, helping them over this and under that.
• individually, following a set course of string, textures, sounds (in relatively open spaces), etc.

SOCK TOSS

You need a sheet and a soft ball or bean bag or stuffed sock. Everyone stands holding the edge of the sheet with the ball in the middle. Toss the ball and catch it. No instruction required - the ball finds a way of going crazy on its own. This can be done in teams tossing the ball back and forth over a net. Another variation is to have a hole in the middle of the sheet and the aim is to have the ball drop through the hole (for one point?).

BODY TOSS

A large blanket or canvas sheet. As above but a body instead of a ball. Some care is needed but as long as there are enough people to hold it the weight of the body keeps the toss moderate. The net ball variation is not recommended! The reverse of this is parachute games with bodies in, around and under a parachute. Great outside on a sunny day with a multi-coloured parachute.

A large sheet of paper - you may need to stick several together (newsprint is good). Someone lays gently on the paper with their arms and legs slightly spread and everyone traces around the outline. They stand up and the piece can be decorated as a whole; adding clothing, facial features, sun, moon, objects related to that character. If there is time several people can be traced or if the group meets regularly a gallery can gradually be created.

NIGHT WALK

Variations - groups, silence, torches, forest, city, as part of a treasure hunt, etc......

WHISPERING

Find your partner:
The leader gives each person a colour (whispering it to them or using cards) - with two people having the same one. When everyone has their colour they go about all (on the floor?) whispering their colour and listening out for their match. Do it too loud and you can't hear anything, too soft ... It can be done with animals - two pigs, two ducks, etc.