Clowning Around

Time to get down to business… funny business! Explore the world of clowning with your students by playing with physical comedy and characterization!

First, introduce the concept of a clown to your classroom by asking questions like:

• Have you ever seen a clown?
• What makes them silly?

Explain that many clowns are larger than life and use exaggeration to find comedy.

Have your class practice doing everyday activities in exaggerated ways—the more ridiculous and over-the-top, the better! They can play with their physicality, like the way they stand, walk or wave, and with their emotions, reacting in surprising and dramatic ways to regular events.

With these elements under their belts, have each student brainstorm their very own clown character, picking a few characteristics that they explored earlier to be the basis of their clown’s identity.

Then, have them pick out an absurd outfit to accompany their new character, like wearing all their clothes backwards or a ball of yarn as a wig—bonus points if they craft it themselves!

Finally, host a clown parade for another class so your students can show off their physical comedy skills, and make ’em laugh!

To support this unit, use the Two Peas in a Pod Activity.