Create Obstacles

Choose this exercise

Purpose: Practice observational awareness, physical communication, and spontaneous problem-solving through mimed movement.

Use it when: Use as an active energizer before brainstorming or during an improv-based workshop on communication and reaction.

Skip it when: Skip when participants have limited mobility, when physical space is crowded or uneven, or during serious analytical working sessions.

Group arrangement: Pairs moving across a shared clear space, either one pair at a time or staggered in small lanes

Timing: UWT facilitation plan based on 5 to 15 minute improv warm-up conventions

Materials and tools

• Visual timer or stopwatch
• Floor tape to mark boundaries if space is tight

Before participants arrive

1. Clear furniture to ensure an open floor space free of tripping hazards.
2. Establish clear boundaries or walking lanes.

Say this to open

In this exercise, you will work in pairs on a slow-motion imaginary chase. The person in front invents imaginary terrain and obstacles by miming actions like stepping over a wide puddle, climbing a steep wall, or ducking under a low beam. The person following watches closely and navigates that exact same obstacle. We will keep movements slow and safe.

How to run it

1. Demonstrate the mechanic 2 minutes

   Explain the safety guidelines: no running, maintain at least two meters between people, and keep movements measured. Model one short sequence with a volunteer. The leader pretends to haul open a heavy gate, squeeze through, and latch it. The follower mirrors the action to pass through the same gate.

2. First round of movement 3 minutes

   Divide the room into pairs. Assign Player A as the leader and Player B as the follower. Stagger pairs into lanes across the room. Player A moves at a controlled walking pace, creating mimed obstacles every few steps. Player B observes, navigates each obstacle as defined, and keeps pursuit. Run for two minutes, then pause.

3. Reverse roles 3 minutes

   Have pairs switch roles so Player B leads and Player A follows. Encourage leaders to vary levels, such as crawling under an imaginary fence, balancing across a narrow beam, or hopping across stepping stones. Keep physical contact prohibited.

4. Reflect on physical communication 2 minutes

   Gather the whole group. Take two or three quick observations about what made an obstacle clear or challenging to interpret.

Debrief questions

• What specific physical cues made an imaginary obstacle easy to recognize and copy?
• How did the leader balance creativity with keeping the follower successfully in the scene?
• Where did ambiguity show up, and how did the follower resolve it without speaking?

Finished output: Completion of two active physical movement rounds with shared reflection on non-verbal cues.

Remote

Run in gallery view with all cameras turned on. Instead of moving through physical space, pairs perform at their desks. Player A mimes an object or barrier within their webcam frame (e.g., ducking below the camera lens, pushing against an invisible pane of glass, or lifting a heavy virtual rock). Player B replicates the exact physical challenge on their own screen. The facilitator spotlights one pair at a time for 45-second turns.

Hybrid

Pair in-room participants with in-room partners, and remote participants with remote partners. In-room pairs use the open floor space while remote pairs pin each other on camera. Have one remote pair and one in-person pair demonstrate to the full group.

Access and participation choices

• Participants may use upper-body or seated gestures instead of standing, walking, or floor-based movements.
• Anyone may choose the role of designated spotter and coach, offering descriptive commentary or observing without miming.

If the session gets stuck

Participants move too fast or risk collisions in a tight room.

Enforce a slow-motion or controlled-walking rule. Have only two or three pairs move simultaneously while others observe.

Followers cannot tell what obstacle the leader is miming.

Remind leaders to establish the size, weight, and boundaries of their object before moving past it.

Terms used here

• Mime: Using physical movement and body language without speech or physical props to portray objects, environments, and actions.