Welcome to My Zoo

Name and Purpose

Welcome to My Zoo is a creative drama warm-up where players invent hybrid animals and bring them to life through movement and sound.
Builds imagination, performance confidence, and group play in a low-stakes, no-elimination format.

a.k.a.

Age / Group / Time / Space

Ages 7-14 | 8-25 players | 10-20 minutes | Open indoor space or stage; audience seating area plus a clear performance space of at least 3m x 3m

Materials

No materials required
Optional: a box of simple costume pieces (hats, scarves, tails) players may choose from when given their animal
Optional: a list of animal mashup ideas for the Zookeeper if they get stuck

Quick-Run Card

One or two players volunteer as Zookeepers in the centre.
Zookeeper calls a player by name and creates a hybrid animal (e.g., “a shark-bunny”).
That player joins the zoo and invents a movement and sound for their animal.
Continue until most players have joined the zoo.
End with a whole-zoo parade: every animal moves and sounds at the same time for 30 seconds.

Setup and Boundaries

Mark a clear performance area with tape or cones so the zoo has a defined “stage”
Signal: one clap = pause the zoo parade; two claps = end of round, gather
Check the space for furniture or obstacles players might back into while performing
Keep audience seated in a defined arc so performers have a clear sightline

How to Play

One or two players volunteer to be Zookeepers. Everyone else sits in the audience.
The Zookeeper walks to the centre of the performance space. They say: “I am kind of bored. I know: I will build a zoo!”
Zookeeper calls a player’s name and invites them in: “Hey [name], want to be in my zoo?”
The invited player says “Sure! What should I be?” The Zookeeper invents a hybrid animal (e.g., “a wolf-monkey,” “a chicken-dolphin,” “a hamster-whale”).
The player enters the performance space and invents a movement and sound for that animal. They keep doing it.
The Zookeeper keeps calling players until most of the group is in the zoo (leave 1-3 players in the audience for the finale).
Finale: the Zookeeper says “Come visit the zoo!” The last 1-3 audience members enter and react with delight or surprise at each animal.
End with a 30-second whole-zoo parade: everyone moves and sounds at once.
Swap Zookeepers and play another round if time allows.

I-OPt Options

Start:
- A (Active): Volunteer to be Zookeeper in the first round
- S (Support): Sit in the audience and react enthusiastically as animals enter
- Q (Quiet): Join the zoo with a soft, small movement and a quiet sound
- O (Observer): Watch round one; choose a role for round two
Mid:
- A (Active): Make your animal move around the full performance space
- S (Support): Encourage a nervous performer with a big smile and cheer
- Q (Quiet): Hold one spot in the zoo and use your movement without a sound
- O (Observer): Notice which hybrid animal is the most creative; share at the end
Late:
- A (Active): Interact with another animal in the zoo (e.g., your animals sniff each other)
- S (Support): Help the Zookeeper think of a hybrid animal name if they are stuck
- Q (Quiet): Participate in the parade at your own pace and volume
- O (Observer): Join the finale audience moment if you have not yet
End:
- A (Active): Lead the whole-zoo parade call
- S (Support): Cheer the loudest for the full-zoo parade
- Q (Quiet): Watch the parade and join if you feel ready
- O (Observer): Name your favourite hybrid animal from the round

Inclusion Adaptations

No-sound option: players who are non-verbal or prefer not to make sounds can use movement only; the Zookeeper introduces them as “a very quiet [animal]” and the group accepts this as part of the story
Seated role: players who cannot stand can perform their animal from a chair; the animal’s movement is in the upper body, face, and voice
Zookeeper role for quieter players: the Zookeeper calls names and invents animals but does not perform; this is a full and creative role for players who prefer not to be on stage

Stewardship Moment

No materials means no waste; this game leaves the space exactly as it found it
Prompt: “We just created a whole zoo with nothing but our imaginations and our bodies. What can you create with just what you have?”

Consent

Pre-brief: “This game is about inventing animals and bringing them to life. You get to choose how big or small your performance is. For those not comfortable performing in front of the group, the audience role and the Zookeeper role are equally important parts of the game.”
Mid-game check: before the finale, pause. “How is the energy? Is everyone ready for the big parade, or do we want one more quiet round first?”
Opt-out/re-entry: any player may stay in the audience for a full round without explanation; they can join the zoo at any point by raising their hand

Risks and Mitigation

Zookeeper excludes certain players: staff watch the call pattern; if someone is consistently not called, the staff member nudges the Zookeeper (“I think [name] has a great animal idea”)
Hybrid animal name feels unkind: Zookeeper names are animals only, no character traits or physical descriptions of people; staff model this from the start
Parade gets chaotic and unsafe: give a clear boundary for the parade path (e.g., one loop around the performance space); keep it 30 seconds

Warm-Up Suggestions

“Animal Alphabet”: go around the circle; each person names an animal that starts with the next letter of the alphabet; builds animal vocabulary for the Zookeeper
“Move Like”: leader calls an animal; everyone moves like that animal for 10 seconds, then freezes; previews the performance mechanic

Debrief Questions

What? “Which hybrid animal was the hardest to invent a movement for?”
So What? “What did it feel like to perform in front of the group, even for a short moment?”
Now What? “Where do you use your imagination to solve a problem or make something new?”

Cleanup and Reset