• 120 pantomime scenes

Pantomime Suggestions

Whole scenes to act without a word or a prop, each with a beginning, a problem and an end.

Pantomime Suggestions

Push a heavy box up a hill. It slides back down. Start again.

Act the whole scene without a word or a prop.

Next step Single actions to act outOne-word charades for kids

All 120 pantomime scenes

One actor 50

  • Bite a slice of lemon. Pucker. Go back for another. Taste: the sour shows in your whole face.
  • Blow bubbles. Chase one. It lands on your nose and pops. Lightness: follow the bubble with your eyes, slowly.
  • Blow up a balloon. It grows too big. It pops and you jump. Size: your hands move apart with every breath.
  • Build a tower of blocks. It wobbles. Steady it. It falls anyway. Size: every block is as big as the last one.
  • Carry a full bucket. Water slops over the side. Pour the rest on a flower. Weight: one shoulder drops and your steps get short.
  • Carry a sleeping kitten across a squeaky floor. One board creaks. Freeze. Quiet: slow feet and a still upper body.
  • Carry a stack of plates. They wobble. Set them down. One more slides off. Balance: lean back as the stack grows.
  • Carry a tall cake to the table. Trip. Save the cake, lose your shoe. Balance: the cake stays level whatever your feet do.
  • Cast a fishing line. Wait. Reel in a tiny fish and let it go. Waiting: do less, and the room will lean in.
  • Chew gum. Blow a big bubble. It pops over your face. Peel it off. Stickiness: it stretches before it lets go.
  • Climb a ladder. Unscrew a light bulb. It is hot. Juggle it. Heat: quick hands and a sharp breath in.
  • Cross hot sand to the sea. The water is freezing. Run back. Heat and cold: fast feet one way, stiff shoulders the other.
  • Dig a hole. Hit something hard. Lift out a treasure chest. Weight: the shovel is light and the chest is not.
  • Feel along a dark wall for the light switch. Touch something furry. It is the cat. Darkness: your hands lead and your eyes stay wide.
  • Find a tiny box. Open it. Pull out something far bigger than the box. Size: keep the box small while the thing keeps coming.
  • Fly a kite. The wind takes it high. The string snaps. Wave goodbye. Focus: your eyes stay on the kite the whole time.
  • Hold out a crumb. A bird lands on your hand. Stay still until it flies. Lightness: your hand barely dips when it lands.
  • Lift a bar that is too heavy. Take a weight off. Lift it with one finger. Weight: the same bar, heavy first and then light.
  • Open a letter. Read good news. Read on to the bad news. Feeling: two faces from one page.
  • Open an umbrella in the wind. It flips inside out. Give up and get wet. Wind: lean into it with your whole body.
  • Paddle a canoe. Hit a rock. Bail out the water with your hat. Rhythm: one stroke on each side, then the jolt.
  • Paint a wall. Step back to look. You painted over the window. Space: the wall stays in one place.
  • Peel a banana. Take a bite. Slip on the peel you dropped. Small objects: three strips of peel, one at a time.
  • Pet a small dog. It grows as you pet it. Now you look up at it. Size: your hand rises a little with each stroke.
  • Pick up a suitcase that will hardly move. Open it. Inside is one feather. Weight: a heavy case, then the lightest thing there is.
  • Pull a rope. Something pulls back. You win and sit down hard. Force: lean back as far as you pull.
  • Pull on a rain boot. Something is inside. Tip it out: a frog hops away. Surprise: freeze before you look inside.
  • Push a door that sticks. Push harder. It flies open and you stumble through. Resistance: your feet slide back as you push.
  • Push a heavy box up a hill. It slides back down. Start again. Weight: bend your knees and push with your shoulder.
  • Reach for a cookie jar on a high shelf. It slips. Catch it just in time. Weight: the jar is heavy when it lands in your arms.
  • Reach for an apple on a high branch. Bite it. Find a worm. Put it back. Height: go up on your toes and stretch one arm.
  • Read a book. A fly lands on the page. Shut the book too late. Focus: your eyes follow the fly, your head stays still.
  • Roll a ball of clay. Shape it into a bird. It flies off your hand. Change: show the moment the clay comes alive.
  • Roll a snowball. Throw it far. It comes back and hits you. Cold: blow on your fingers between each move.
  • Shake the cereal box. One piece falls out. Eat it very slowly. Lightness: an empty box weighs almost nothing.
  • Sit in a quiet library. Feel a sneeze coming. Hold it in. Lose. Tension: the holding is the scene.
  • Squeeze toothpaste. It squirts onto the mirror. Wipe it off with your sleeve. Small objects: show the size of the tube in your fist.
  • Step into an elevator. It shoots up too fast. Step out dizzy. Motion: knees bend as it rises and lift when it stops.
  • Thread a needle. Miss three times. Get it, then prick your finger. Small objects: bring your hands close to your eyes.
  • Tie your shoe. The lace snaps. Tuck it in and walk on. Small objects: tiny, exact fingers.
  • Try a hat that is too small, then one too big, then one just right. Size: three hats, three different shapes in your hands.
  • Twist a stuck jar lid. It pops off and jam flies. Lick it off your nose. Resistance: let the lid fight back before it gives.
  • Wait for a bus. Check the time. Watch the bus drive past without stopping. Waiting: small moves, then one big turn of the head.
  • Walk a big dog. It sees a squirrel and pulls. Get dragged, then hug it. Force: the arm with the leash goes first.
  • Walk a tightrope. Wobble in the middle. Reach the end and bow. Balance: arms out, one foot straight in front of the other.
  • Walk down cellar stairs, step by step. Miss the last step. Levels: sink a little lower on every step.
  • Walk into a strong wind. Lose your hat. Chase it backward. Wind: it pushes your chest first.
  • Walk through deep mud. Lose a boot. Hop back to get it. Resistance: every step pulls at your foot.
  • Wrap a present. The tape sticks to your fingers. Put the bow on your head. Stickiness: your fingers will not come apart.
  • You are in a glass box. Find the four walls. Find the door handle. Walls: flat hands, in the same place every time.

Two actors 35

  • A barber cuts hair. Cuts too much. Hides it under a hat. Small objects: scissors in one hand, comb in the other.
  • A painter and a model. The model cannot hold still. Stillness: the model freezes only while watched.
  • A photographer and a model. The camera will not click, then clicks too soon. Timing: the pose and the click never meet.
  • A puppet and a puppeteer. One string snaps. One arm goes limp. Strings: the puppet moves only when pulled.
  • A sculptor and a statue. The sculptor moves an arm. The statue moves it back. Stillness: the statue moves only when unseen.
  • A seesaw. One goes up as one goes down. One hops off. Opposites: when one bends, the other stretches.
  • A shadow copies its owner. The shadow gets bored and does its own thing. Mirroring: copy exactly, then break it on purpose.
  • A tailor measures a customer. The tape tickles. The customer cannot stand still. Small objects: the tape keeps its length.
  • A tug of war. Nobody wins. Both let go at once. Force: lean back as far as you pull.
  • Carry a full fish tank down the stairs. The water tilts. Go step by step. Shared weight: sink a little together on each step.
  • Carry a long ladder. Turn a corner. The back end forgets to turn. Shared object: the ladder never bends.
  • Carry a sheet of glass across a busy street. Someone waves hello. Shared object: the glass keeps its size, corner to corner.
  • Meet in a narrow hallway, both carrying boxes. Pass without dropping one. Space: the walls are close on both sides.
  • One blows up a balloon. The other holds it. It lifts them both off the ground. Lightness: rise onto your toes together.
  • One brushes their hair, one is the mirror. The mirror gets it wrong on purpose. Mirroring: slow moves are easier to copy.
  • One gives a gift. The other dislikes it and must not show it. Feeling: a smile on top, the truth underneath.
  • One teaches the other to ride a bike. Let go. Watch the wobble. Balance: the rider's hands grip and steer.
  • One walks an invisible dog. The other is scared of it. The dog likes them best. Shared object: both look at the same spot on the floor.
  • Play catch. The ball gets heavier with every throw. Shared object: agree on its size with your hands.
  • Push a stalled car. It starts. It drives off without you. Weight: push low, with straight arms.
  • Row one boat together. One rows the wrong way. Go in circles. Rhythm: pull on the same beat.
  • Sew a button on a friend's sleeve. Sew the sleeve to your own. Small objects: the thread pulls tight at the end.
  • Share one long scarf on a cold day. Walk in step. One turns to look at something. Shared object: the scarf tugs the other player.
  • Share one small umbrella in the rain. Take turns getting wet. Space: stay close enough to fit under it.
  • Two astronauts float in space. Pass a tool. It drifts away slowly. Slow motion: nothing in space moves fast.
  • Two builders lay a wall brick by brick. They are on opposite sides. No door. Walls: the wall is as high as you both say.
  • Two climbers on one rope. One slips. The other hauls them up. Force: the pull travels along the rope.
  • Two cooks toss a pizza back and forth. It lands on one cook's head. Shared object: eyes follow the dough up and down.
  • Two explorers cross a rope bridge. One plank breaks. Get both across. Balance: the bridge sways for both of you.
  • Two fishers in one boat. Both hook the same giant fish. Force: both rods bend the same way.
  • Two movers carry a sofa. It will not fit through the door. Turn it every way. Shared weight: both ends stay the same distance apart.
  • Two people fold a big sheet. They walk together and bump heads. Shared object: keep the sheet tight between you.
  • Two strangers on a bench. One is sad. The other finds a way to cheer them up. Feeling: no objects, only faces and distance.
  • Two waiters carry one huge tray. A fly lands on it. Drop nothing. Balance: the tray stays level between you.
  • Wash a big window, one on each side. Chase the same spot. Walls: two flat hands meet on one pane.

A group 35

  • A bus ride. The bus turns left, turns right, hits a bump and stops hard. Moving together: everyone leans with the driver.
  • A circus parade. The juggler drops a ball, and the whole parade slips on it. Moving together: each act keeps its own walk.
  • A clock. Some are gears, one is the pendulum, one is the cuckoo. Strike twelve. Rhythm: the pendulum sets the beat for all.
  • A crowd waits at a crosswalk. The light never changes. One person finally crosses. Waiting: everyone shows it a different way.
  • A crowd watches a tennis match. Heads turn together. The ball flies into the crowd. Focus: every head turns on the same beat.
  • A dinner table. Pass a hot dish around. Nobody can hold it for long. Heat: the dish is just as hot in every hand.
  • A family squeezes into a small tent. The last one in brings it down. Space: the tent shrinks with each person.
  • A flock of birds flies in a V. The leader tires. A new leader takes over. Moving together: the shape holds as the leader changes.
  • A forest in the wind. A storm builds, then passes. One last leaf falls. Slow change: the wind moves through the group like a wave.
  • A hall of statues. A guard walks through. The statues move when the guard looks away. Stillness: freeze the instant the guard turns.
  • A kitchen crew builds one giant sandwich, layer by layer. It is too tall to bite. Size: the sandwich grows the same for everyone.
  • A line passes buckets to put out a fire. The last bucket is empty. Shared weight: the bucket is as heavy for each player.
  • A machine. Each person is one moving part. One part jams and the machine stops. Rhythm: every part keeps its own beat.
  • A picnic. Rain starts. Hold the blanket overhead and walk off together. Shared object: the blanket stays stretched.
  • A relay race. Pass the baton down the line. The last runner goes the wrong way. Small objects: the baton keeps its size from hand to hand.
  • A roller coaster. Climb slowly. Drop. Lean into every turn. Moving together: the front row leads.
  • A ship in a storm. The deck tilts left, then right. Everyone leans together. Moving together: no leader, only the sea.
  • A soccer game in slow motion. A goal. A slow-motion cheer. Slow motion: even the cheer takes its time.
  • A surprise party hides. The lights come on. It is the wrong person. Feeling: one shared change, at the same moment.
  • A tug of war, team against team. The rope snaps. Force: both teams lean away from the middle.
  • An elevator fills one person at a time. It gets tight. All get out at one floor. Space: the box does not grow.
  • An orchestra. Each player has an instrument. The conductor loses the place. Small objects: every instrument has its own shape.
  • Astronauts walk on the moon. Plant a flag. Bounce back to the ship. Slow motion: land softly from every step.
  • Build a house in the air: walls, a roof, a door. Everyone enters by the same door. Walls: the door stays where it was built.
  • Build two snow forts. Throw snowballs. One giant snowball ends it. Cold: stiff fingers and puffs of breath.
  • Carry a long canoe to the lake. Step in one by one. It tips. Shared weight: the canoe rests on every shoulder.
  • Lift a giant parachute together. Run under it. It floats down on everyone. Lightness: arms rise slowly and fall slowly.
  • Lift a sleeping giant's hand off the path without waking him. Weight and quiet: heavy arms, soft feet.
  • Line up for a photo. The photographer moves everyone. Somebody blinks. Stillness: hold the smile a moment too long.
  • One by one, join a frozen picture of a goal being scored. Stillness: each player adds one clear shape.
  • Paint a huge wall together. Step back to look. You painted each other. Space: the wall stays where the first brush put it.
  • Push a van out of the mud. It pops free. Everyone stumbles forward. Weight: push together on a silent count.
  • Rowers in one long boat find the rhythm. One rower loses the beat. Rhythm: watch the back of the player in front.
  • Start as seeds. Grow into a garden. Turn toward the sun. Slow change: nobody grows faster than the rest.
  • The whole group is inside one glass box. Find the walls. Find the way out. Walls: everyone agrees where the glass is.

How it works

These pantomime suggestions are whole scenes with no words or props: Twist a stuck jar lid. It pops off and jam flies. Lick it off your nose. Fifty suit one actor, 35 two and 35 a group.

Read the full guide

Pantomime scenes for one, two or a group

One actor starts with small troubles a room reads at once: a balloon that grows too big, a rain boot with a frog inside. In Two actors the pair share one invisible thing, such as a sofa that will not fit through the door. A group moves as one: a bus ride, a tug of war, a ship in a storm.

What each pantomime scene trains

In the list, the line under a scene names its skill. Weight: one shoulder drops and your steps get short. Walls: flat hands, in the same place every time. Stillness: the statue moves only when unseen. For a lesson, choose scenes that share a skill.

  • Keep every object the size it started. A jar that was two hands wide stays two hands wide.
  • Falls, trips and drops are acted slowly and on the spot.

Questions and answers

What is pantomime for kids?

Acting a story with the body and face alone. In Britain the word also names a Christmas stage show; elsewhere it often means miming. Easy scenes use things a young child knows: a kite, a snowball, a cookie jar.

What is a good pantomime scene for beginners?

One with a thing to hold and a clear surprise: Pull on a rain boot. Something is inside. Tip it out: a frog hops away. The room can name the boot, the frog and the ending.

What are pantomime ideas for a whole class?

Scenes where everyone shares one motion: A roller coaster. Climb slowly. Drop. Lean into every turn. Or A machine, where each person is one moving part until one part jams and the machine stops.

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