Trait Plate – Improv Game Teaching Character / Relationship, Team Building

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Category: Storytelling, Character, Listening, Acceptance

How To Play Trait Plate

Here’s how to lead “Trait Plate” in your classroom:

• Setup: Have students stand in a circle.
• Game Play:
  1. The first player starts a story by introducing their character with a detail or two (e.g., “I’m a grumpy old wizard named Elara who lives in a swamp.”).
  2. The first player then “passes the plate” (the story) to the next player by introducing the next player’s character (e.g., “Elara’s new apprentice is a clumsy but eager young man named Finn.”).
  3. The second player immediately adapts to the new information (they are Finn, who is clumsy but eager) and adds something new about their own character (e.g., “I’m Finn, and my shoelaces are always untied.”), and then they introduce the next character.
  4. The story continues in this way around the circle. Each time it’s a player’s turn, they add a new detail about their own character and then introduce the next player’s character with a new trait.
  5. Encourage players to make a new choice about relationships, personality, mood, job, physical status, props, or costume.
  6. The core of the game is for players to immediately accept and adapt to any new information that is given to their character by the person before them.

Tricks & Variations

Here are some tips and variations for teachers leading “Trait Plate”:

• Stay in Character: Remind students to deliver their lines as their character and to fully embody the traits that are given to them.
• Keep It Moving: The game’s success relies on a quick pace. Encourage players to accept the new information and pass the plate without hesitation.
• Emphasize Listening: The most important skill in this game is active listening. You can even pause after a round to ask players to recall what new traits were added to their character to check for understanding.

Benefits

“Trait Plate” offers several key benefits for students:

• Enhances Focus and Presence: Demands intense listening and quick adaptation, keeping every player engaged in the moment.
• Boosts Communication and Connection: Promotes clear verbal communication and a strong collaborative connection as players build a story and characters together.
• Fosters a Lighthearted Atmosphere: The spontaneous and often absurd character traits that emerge create a fun, low-pressure, and hilarious environment.
• Develops Character Skills: Trains players to create and embody characters quickly and to fully commit to unexpected choices.
• Encourages Acceptance: Reinforces the foundational improv principle of “Yes, And” by requiring players to accept and immediately adapt to any new information given to their character.

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