3 Ways to Improv Thanksgiving
If there’s any year that we’ve needed to improvise our Thanksgiving, 2020 sure is the year. Whether you’re celebrating with loved ones virtually or in person, or not at all, there are ways to bring some connection and fun into our unique Thanksgiving plans. Here are three improv comedy games to play to improv, I mean, improve, your Thanksgiving celebration this year.
First Word Last Word.
Improves communication, connection, adaptability, and fun!
This exercise can be done virtually or in person. It’s fairly simple. Have a conversation, with a twist. Use the other person’s last word as your first word. You can also do this in a group, keeping with the rules, and using the last word someone says as the first word of what you say next. It’s fun and you may find that your conversation mimics a decent impression of Baby Yoda. And it improves listening and connection. I mean, how often do we start thinking about what we’re going to say next while someone else is still talking? Nodding your head? So are most people.
A fun variation of this exercise is to start playing it without telling anyone what you’re doing. Just start taking the last word of what someone says and using it as your first word. See how long it takes for them to notice!
What’s On Your T-Shirt?
Improves creativity, connection, collaboration, and fun!
During this virtual or in person game, one person thinks of an image that might go on a t-shirt (for example: a dinosaur, frog eating a pizza, or the poop emoji,). Once that person has thought of an image, they raise their hand and then the other person shares a slogan that might be on a t-shirt (for example: Life is Good, You can do it, I’m with Him). Once the slogan is revealed, the person who thought of the image reveals the image, so we can picture the entire t-shirt. So we’re creating a t-shirt together without co-conspiring what it will be. Letting it be what it will be by both creating part of the t-shirt.
In addition to the fun, in this game we’re creating something together without attachment to the end result. We have the same goal — to create a t-shirt. We each have our role and are contributing, without pushing all our ideas or overtaking responsibility for something that is not ours. And still, we trust that the outcome will be great.
Convergence.
Improves connection, adaptability & resilience, collaboration, and fun!
If you’re celebrating with others in person, try the game Convergence. The goal of this game is for two people to say the same word at the same time, i.e. “converge”. To start, two people face each other (remember, if you’re doing this with people outside of your bubble to keep that six feet of distance between you :) When one of you thinks of a word to say, say “one”. This will show that you’re ready and when the other of you is ready with a word, say “two”. Then, together say “three” followed by your word. If the words are not the same, in the next round, we’re trying to find a word that brings those two words together. For instance, if in round one, one person said “Cat” and the other said “Toy”, we’re looking for a word that brings those two words together. Maybe like “Catnip” or “Yarn”. In the next round, if the two people don’t say the same word, we continue with trying to find the word that brings the two words from the last round together. Until we hit on the same word! Let me tell you, this game is fun and quite magical when you get the same words at the same time.
In addition to the fun you’ll have you’ll be connecting with someone by getting on the same page, making eye contact, and working together to achieve a common goal. When you work to figure something out together, adapt together when we don’t initially reach our goal, and keep going anyway, that brings us together.
Say “yes, and” incorporate these games into your day to improve joy, connection, and humor, which we can all use a little more of this year.
☺️
________________________________________________________
Improve improves people’s lives using techniques inspired by improv comedy and behavioral research. Learn more at www.chooseimprove.com
