A warm-up game in which rhyme is played quickly.

All players line up in a circle and slowly flip a rhythm with their fingers. Player A then begins with a phrase in the form: "What is a what, without what?", e. g.:

  • "What is a child without its mother?"
The next player B in the circle is now trying to rhyme an equally constructed sentence on it, e. g.:

  • "What's a loaf of bread without a cutter?"

Then it's the next player's turn and he tries to rhyme a phrase on "cutter" again. It is rhymed until a player no longer comes up with anything, makes a mistake, or he comes out of the flick of a finger. Then the whole group calls:

  • "Oooohh. What is a What is a What is a What is a What?"..."

The next player in the circle now starts with a new sentence, which is also rebuilt in the form, e. g.: "What is a barrel without the rum? "What's the stick without a drum?" etc.


  • Keep sentences as simple as possible, so that the words can be rhymed at the end of the sentence (rhymes are possible).
  • On some words at the end there are few or sometimes almost no rhymes, then for example work with half-rhymes or similar rhymes, or start over.
  • Sentences and rhymes don't necessarily have to make sense, the exercise is first and foremost about fast reactions and the group rhythm.
  • The sentences can also be used in an extended version as defaults to play small scenes from it.
  • avatar improwiki
  • avatar madmaddi
last update: 2019-02-27
by Guido Boyke
