One-Word Story Improv Game
Create a titillating tale, one word at a time!
Submitted by
Sonam Adinolf
Sonam Adinolf
For this game, each player contributes one word at a time to make a ridiculous tale. Your kid will need to listen carefully, pay attention (ha!) and be creative and impulsive (well, at least he's got those last two down). The final product is a silly, often nonsensical story that'll make you laugh your butts off.
- Storytellers:You, your kid and anyone else who wants to join in. The more the merrier (and the more complicated and difficult the storytelling).
- Video camera (optional):If you can set something up, it's hysterical to go back and look at your stories on tape. Bust out the popcorn and make a night of it!
Sit in a circle, or if there are just two of you, sit facing each other.
Have everyone be very, very quiet. You'll need to listen carefully to the other storytellers so you can all follow the thread of the tale. Keep an ear out for names of people and places especially. Have the first storyteller start by saying one word, like "Once." The next storyteller will then pick up the thread and spit out his word without missing a beat. The key is to make the story sound seamless, like one person is telling it, for example, "Once upon ..."
Keep going back and forth until the story has reached its natural conclusion or completely disintegrated into total nonsense. The latter may be the more common outcome, but that's all part of the fun!
- Try this game with full sentences. Have each storyteller state a whole phrase before the next storyteller talks. This works best if one person acts as a "conductor" pointing to each person when it's his or her turn to talk.
Submit!
