Wet dog (Crazy 8's)
Count fast down from 8 to 1 while shaking each body limb as a group
by Erica MarxGoal
raise the energy level
Materials
Instructions
Together everyone shakes out their limbs – right arm, left arm, right leg, left leg – in descending counts starting at 8 each and ending with 1 each.
KEY – Everyone commits to having their heads up, and to making eye contact with every other player at least once during the warm-up.
You can’t be in your head – or looking at your feet – worried about looking silly. If we’re all committed and playing without shame, what happens? We’ll smile at each other. We’ll laugh.
Improv is mutually assured embarrassment! But the only person who looks “silly” is the person who’s not committing to the group.
Variation: Next round in a new language – exciting to people because they experience themselves as being able to speak a new language. Go around and do all the languages in the room. Also fun for the people to hear their language spoken.
Also called "crazy 8's"
Background
https://improvdoesbest.com/2013/02/27/crazy-eights-warmup-exercise/
Bobbi Block shared (via Nicola) the version of using different languages
Author
I help teams connect, collaborate, and perform at their best in both virtual and in-person environments. As an executive and leadership coach, I design highly engaging experiences where people can think together, navigate challenges, and strengthen the way they work. With a background in leadership coaching, facilitation, and applied improvisation, I create interactive retreats, conferences, and networking events that energize participants and create lasting impact. My work creates the conditions for psychological safety, honest communication, and deep collaboration, allowing teams to build trust, navigate challenges, and achieve meaningful results together. I am deeply committed to mission-driven organizations. As a board member of the International Applied Improvisation Network, I partner with nonprofit and social justice leaders to help their teams thrive in fast-changing environments.
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