Pantomime games, whether played solo or in teams, teach kids to use expression and movement to convey information without relying on words. A pantomime game may begin with children pulling an activity out of a hat. Activity examples are "climbing a ladder" and "walking the dog." The child or children mimes the activity, and the rest of the children try to guess what he's doing. As the children increase in skill, the pantomime games can be correspondingly more difficult.
The Creative Drama and Resource site suggests a drama game called "The Emotion Party." In this game, the student chosen as the "host" answers the door to admit a party guest. Each guest will come into the room in the grip of some strong emotion -- joy, fear, anger -- and the host immediately "catches" it. As the host interacts with his guests, he transmits the latest emotion, and guests interact with one another, transmitting a variety of emotions around. As each new guest enters, the host "catches" the new emotion, but the guests who have already arrived try not to look at the new arrivals in order to let that new emotion spread its way around the room.
The Pro Teacher website suggests teaching drama students about how tone affects the meanings of lines by giving them each a simple line to memorize. Then the teacher instructs the children to deliver the lines in three or four different tones of voice to convey different emotions. A game that challenges children to say tongue twisters fast is also a useful exercise for clear diction.
Concentration games help drama students grasp concepts like script rhythm and timing. The Creative Drama and Resource site suggests a game called "This is a watch" in which students must pass objects around a circle, with the giver and receiver each sticking to a simple script: "This is a watch. A what? A watch." The item gets passed all the way around the circle, with each giver and receiver repeating the same phrases -- hopefully, without missing their lines. A second or third object can simultaneously be added to increase the level of difficulty.