Clingy Penguin
Clingy Penguin is a physical warm-up in which one player waddling in penguin style tries to attach themselves to another player, who must escape without breaking their own penguin walk. The absurd physical constraint makes flight and pursuit equally comic, releasing physical inhibition while building spatial awareness and commitment to an unlikely form.
Structure
Setup
Players spread across the room and adopt the penguin walk: upright posture, arms pressed against their sides, taking short shuffled steps. One player is designated the Clingy Penguin.
The Chase
The Clingy Penguin's goal is to waddle alongside another player and attach at the elbow, gently pressing their arm against the other player's arm. The other players must escape before contact is made, but only by penguin-walking. Running, large steps, and breaking posture are out of bounds.
Transfer
Once a player is successfully attached, they become the new Clingy Penguin and the original joins the general waddle. The exercise runs for five to ten minutes with multiple transfers.
Conclusion
The coach calls the exercise when physical energy is sufficiently raised or when the group has fully committed to the physical constraint.
How to Teach It
Objectives
Clingy Penguin targets physical commitment, spatial awareness, and the release of physical inhibition through absurdity. The exercise is a gateway warm-up: the ridiculous constraint gives players permission to move freely because they are too busy being penguins to be self-conscious.
How to Explain It
"Penguin walk: arms down, short steps, fully committed. One of us is the Clingy Penguin -- that person wants to attach their arm to yours by waddling up next to you. Your job is to escape, but only by waddling. No running. Stay in your penguin the whole time."
Scaffolding
Demonstrate the penguin walk clearly before beginning, and demonstrate the "attach" gesture so players understand what contact means. With groups new to physical work, the coach can be the first Clingy Penguin to model the energy level.
Common Sidocoaching
- "Stay in the penguin walk."
- "Full penguin, even when you're escaping."
- "The fun is in the form, not the outcome."
Common Pitfalls
Players break posture to escape, which both defeats the physical objective and turns the exercise into competitive chasing rather than absurdist play. The comedy and the learning both come from full physical commitment to the constraint. Keep energy light and playful rather than strategic; the moment a player starts actually trying to win, the exercise loses its warmth.
Worth Reading
See all books →
Pirate Robot Ninja
An Improv Fable
Billy Merritt; Will Hines
Playing Along
37 Group Learning Activities Borrowed from Improvisational Theater
Izzy Gesell
Improvisation for the Theater
A Handbook of Teaching and Directing Techniques
Viola Spolin
Group Improvisation
The Manual of Ensemble Improv Games
Peter Campbell Gwinn; Charna Halpern
Acting Through Improv
Improv Through Theatresports
Lynda Belt; Rebecca Stockley
Business Improv
Experiential Learning Exercises to Train Employees
Val Gee
Related Exercises
Barney
Barney is an energy and movement warm-up exercise in which players adopt an exaggerated, lumbering physical character and interact with the group through simple, playful commands. The exercise asks participants to embody a large, slow, friendly creature (often described as a dinosaur or monster) and move through the space with maximum physical commitment and minimum self-consciousness. The inherent silliness of the character lowers inhibitions quickly, making Barney effective as an early warm-up for groups that are new to physical work or uncomfortable with large physical choices. The exercise builds comfort with exaggerated movement, vocal projection, and the willingness to look ridiculous in front of others, all foundational skills for improv performance.
Duck Duck Goose
Duck Duck Goose is a classic children's circle game adapted as an improv warm-up. One player circles the group, tapping heads and calling out "duck" until choosing a "goose" who must chase them around the circle before they can claim the vacated spot. In improv contexts the game is used to raise physical energy quickly, lower inhibitions through familiar childhood play, and establish a physical permission structure early in a session.
Ahab and the Whale
Ahab and the Whale is a physical group exercise in which players enact the dramatic pursuit and capture of a whale, using synchronized movement and vocal sound effects. The exercise demands full physical commitment and ensemble coordination. It builds group energy and breaks down inhibitions through collective absurdity.
Bobsledding Bodies
Bobsledding Bodies is a physical warm-up exercise in which players form a tight line and navigate the space together, shifting direction and speed as a unit. The exercise builds group awareness, physical coordination, and the ability to respond as an ensemble to subtle changes in momentum.
Rubber Chicken/crazy Eights
Rubber Chicken/Crazy Eights is a high-energy warm-up exercise in which players perform a sequence of increasingly intense physical movements while counting down from eight. The exercise combines vocal projection, full-body movement, and group synchronization to energize the ensemble and break through physical inhibitions.
How to Reference This Page
The Improv Archive. (2026). Clingy Penguin. Retrieved September 28, 2026, from https://improvarchive.org/exercises/clingy-penguin
The Improv Archive. "Clingy Penguin." The Improv Archive, 2026. https://improvarchive.org/exercises/clingy-penguin.
The Improv Archive. "Clingy Penguin." The Improv Archive, 2026, https://improvarchive.org/exercises/clingy-penguin. Accessed September 28, 2026.
The Improv Archive is a systemically maintained repository. The archive itself acts as the corporate author.