Hoopla have been running improv classes online this year and their next improv courses start in early January.
Hoopla’s classes are fun & friendly and a great way to have some fun and meet new people. We help make improv open and accessible to everyone, with a playful and supportive environment.
Here’s a collection of our favourite zoom games from the year that you could play with your family online this Christmas:
1. The Race
Everyone stands close to their screens. The host shouts out an object and the winner is the first one to run off and come back with that object and show it on screen. They race the second the object is said.
For instance:
“Racers ready. At your screens please. The winner will be the first one to come back with…….an egg!”
2. Dance Leader
The host shares music from their laptop over zoom (click share screen at the bottom of zoom >> advanced >> music or computer sound only >> share).
As the music plays everyone dances. The host can pause the music at any time and say anyone’s name and then the rest of the group copy that person’s dancing. After a while they pause again and say someone else’s name and everyone copies them. Continue until everyone has had a turn in leading the group dance.
Remember to turn off sharing sound afterwards.
3. Hide and Seek
Someone is nominated to be on and they don’t look at their screen while counting to 20. Everyone else hides in their rooms, but within the visible frame of zoom. For instance you can’t be hiding behind the camera, it has to be within frame for instance behind a bed in the background. Seeker takes guesses on where people are and when they are correct that person jumps up from their hiding spot!
4. Chirades
Works just like normal chirades really, except you can use the chat function of Zoom (bottom of screen) to send private message to the person whose turn it is with the name of a film or book.
5. Pictionary
On zoom have it enabled in settings for everyone to be able to share screen. Then on each person’s turn they have to communicate a film/tv show/book through a drawing using the whiteboard feature on Zoom and everyone else guessing what it is. Go to share screen >> basic >> Whiteboard >> Share.
6. What Happens Next
People share clips of their favourite You Tube clips to the rest of the group but pause them before the funny bit happens. The group have to try and guess what happens next before the rest of the clip is played. To show a clip get youtube set up first and then on zoom go to share screen >> basic >> click on the youtube window shown >> click on share sound (bottom left option) >> Share.
7. Story Swap
One person starts improvising a story starting with “Once upon a time”. At any point the host can move on to someone else and they have to take over from where the other person left off and carry on the story. The host keeps moving from person to person until each person has said a couple of lines of the story.
The host can pass from person to person by just saying your name or by using the zoom spotlight function by right clicking on the person you want to spotlight.
8. Household Olympics
The host gives three family members a household task to do. They carry it out on camera, for instance by carrying the laptop with them. 2-3 other members of the family play the role of sports commentators who comment on the household tasks as if they were an incredibly exciting Olympic sport.
Lots more improv games at Hoopla!
Hoopla have been running improv classes online this year and their next improv courses start in early January.
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