Mime out a Silent Story
Create and perform a short silent story using gestures, facial expressions, simple props, and clear scene changes to practice nonverbal communication and storytelling.
Step-by-step guide to mime out a silent story
"Master the Art of Mime: Silent Storytelling 🎭✨ LOVE HIGH SCHOOL MIME.
Step 1
Clear a small performance area so you can move safely.
Step 2
Put on comfortable clothes you can move in.
Step 3
Place your three props where you can reach them easily.
Step 4
Do a one-minute warm-up of big arm stretches and silly faces.
Step 5
Write a one-sentence idea for your silent story on the paper.
Step 6
Write one sentence for the beginning of the story on the paper.
Step 7
Write one sentence for the middle of the story on the paper.
Step 8
Write one sentence for the end of the story on the paper.
Step 9
Pick one prop and one clear gesture to represent Scene 1 and make them ready.
Step 10
Pick one prop and one clear gesture to represent Scene 2 and make them ready.
Step 11
Pick one prop and one clear gesture to represent Scene 3 and make them ready.
Step 12
Practice your scene changes by moving to a new spot or switching a prop between scenes.
Step 13
Perform your full silent story without speaking so the beginning middle and end are clear.
Step 14
Share your finished creation on DIY.org
Final steps
You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!
Help!?
What can we use if we don't have three props or paper for the activity?
Use household items like a scarf, wooden spoon, and rolled sock as your three props and write your one-sentence idea and the beginning/middle/end sentences on a notebook page or in your phone's notes instead of loose paper.
I'm having trouble making the beginning, middle, and end clear—what should I do?
Follow the instruction to 'Pick one prop and one clear gesture' for each scene and rehearse the 'Practice your scene changes' step slowly while marking floor spots with tape so your gestures and prop switches clearly show the beginning, middle, and end.
How can I adapt this silent story for different ages?
For preschoolers do one prop and draw the beginning/middle/end on the paper with an adult helping movement, for elementary kids use three props and full one-sentence story parts, and for teens add longer warm-ups, more detailed one-sentence ideas, and choreographed scene changes.
How can we enhance or personalize our silent story before sharing it on DIY.org?
Personalize by making a simple costume piece from household clothes, inventing unique gestures tied to each prop, using a lamp for dramatic lighting during 'Perform your full silent story', and recording the performance to upload to DIY.org.
Watch videos on how to mime out a silent story
Creative Arts Theatre - Let's Play - Mime Basics
4 Videos
Creative Arts Theatre - Let's Play - Mime Basics
How Does Mime Use Facial Expressions? - Art Across Cultures
Mime and Pantomime with Keith Berger and Sharon Diskin
What Are Modern Mime Techniques? - Art Across Cultures
Facts about mime and nonverbal communication
🎭 Mime is one of the oldest performing arts — actors in Ancient Greece and Rome performed silent scenes for audiences.
🎬 Charlie Chaplin starred in over 80 films and helped make silent storytelling famous worldwide with his character "The Tramp."
🤡 Marcel Marceau created the iconic mime character Bip and is credited with reviving modern mime in the 20th century.
🧠 Popular studies often cite the 55/38/7 rule: in some face-to-face emotional messages, about 55% is body language, 38% tone, and 7% words.
🤸 Physical theatre and mime use gestures and facial expressions so audiences can follow a whole story without any spoken lines.
