The Activity Bank

The GIVE Activity Bank is a resource bank of short activities or skill-based tasks that already include supports and accommodations to meet a range of students’ needs. These activities can be easily added to your lesson—with small adjustments for your unique students and classroom—to make it more inclusive.

These activities have been submitted as is by New York City Teaching Artists from New Victory Theater, ArtsConnection, and Community-Word Project.

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  • A Thank You Just For You

    Ages: Early Childhood (PK-2), Upper Elementary (3-5)
    Art Forms: Theater, Visual Arts, Music, Media Arts, Literary Arts, Dance

    This activity uses a ritual of gratitude to foster community and recognize individual achievement. It also serves as a session ending transition and can be a t…

  • Animal Monologues

    Ages: Early Childhood (PK-2), Upper Elementary (3-5), Middle School (6-8)
    Art Forms: Theater, Literary Arts

    This playful skill-building activity introduces character development by creating monologues using students’ favorite animals.

  • Blow Wind Blow

    Ages: Early Childhood (PK-2), Upper Elementary (3-5), Middle School (6-8)
    Art Forms: Dance, Theater

    This activity is a quick and easy way to take a general “class temperature check” using movement and gestures to elicit non-vocal responses from students.

  • Creating Community Agreements

    Ages: Early Childhood (PK-2), Upper Elementary (3-5), Middle School (6-8), High School (9-12)
    Art Forms: Theater, Visual Arts, All Art Forms, Music, Dance, Literary Arts, Media Arts

    In this activity, students and Classroom Professionals co-create community guidelines, fostering a liberated learning environment, and building community and a…

  • Creativity Key

    Ages: Early Childhood (PK-2), Upper Elementary (3-5)
    Art Forms: Dance, Media Arts, Music, Theater, Visual Arts, All Art Forms, Literary Arts

    This playful warm-up activity introduces the word creativity and the concept of unlocking it. Students will use their imagination and artist’s tools to unlock …

  • Crescendo

    Ages: Early Childhood (PK-2), Upper Elementary (3-5)
    Art Forms: Dance, Music, Theater

    In this playful activity, students will warm up their bodies and voices and get to know each other, building skills centered on dynamics and crescendo.  

  • Exploring Movement Opposites

    Ages: Early Childhood (PK-2), Upper Elementary (3-5), Middle School (6-8)
    Art Forms: Dance

    This activity will introduce and explore the concept of opposites through movement. 

  • Finding a Partner or Small Group

    Ages: Early Childhood (PK-2), Upper Elementary (3-5), Middle School (6-8), High School (9-12)
    Art Forms: Dance, Media Arts, Music, Theater

    This transition or skill-building activity provides strategies and techniques to create pairs/small groups in intentional and fun ways that build classroom com…