What are some fun games I can play with children that will teach them to project their voices?

Question

I am teaching at a creative writing camp for kids6th and 7th graders and need to get them to project their voice. Any ideas?

Answer 1

Voice Projection

These exercises demonstrate to children how important it is to project their voices. They're taken from a "Drama Activities" thread...

BEAN BAG

Place three bean bags in front of a row of children. One about 10 feet away from them - the second about 20 feet away, the third about 35-40 feet away (this can obviously be changed to suit the physical environment of the class).

1. Ask each participant to look directly at the first bean bag, say their name and the name of their favorite animal. (or whatever)

2. Instruct them to say the exact same things to the second bean bag.

3. Would they speak with the same volume? Of course not - the "person" is further away.

4. When asked to address the third bean bag, they obviously should be projecting their voices as loud as they can.

5. This is for drama practice---and with drama---after the entire group has addressed the bean bags, let them know they were really acting in a play just then - reaching the first three rows, the middle rows, and the back rows of the theater. (You'll adjust what you say/do at this point based on your lesson)

CAN YOU HEAR ME?!

Choose text from a book or magazine that has plenty of dialogue for every participant. Or… write your own scene with speaking parts for all participants. Give copies to each student. Divide the youth into small groups and ask one group to read through the piece in a “normal” voice. Then have a different group perform the piece by yelling the words, then another group in a whisper, or have members change volume in the middle.

Variations: Ask one group to read it very softly—to the extent that the listeners can barely hear the players speaking and must watch their lips and actions to follow the sketch. ---- Ask the group to use highly exaggerated actions and tone and perform the piece in slow motion. Have them start so softly that the words can just be heard, and then gradually increase in volume.

Both variations use a considerable amount of concentration but are fun to do and interesting to listen to.

THERE IS ALSO A GOOD PROJECTION EXCERCISE AT

http://www.planetesme.com/storytelling.h...

under Session one: storytelling, loud and clear...