Good Morning!
Good Morning is a greeting warm-up in which players walk freely through the space and greet each other with increasing enthusiasm, variety of character, or specific emotional quality. The exercise breaks down social distance, establishes a culture of openness, and creates physical and vocal warm-up at the start of a rehearsal or workshop. Variations may specify a greeting style, an emotional tone, or a relationship context that the group explores through successive rounds.
Structure
Setup
All players spread out in the room and begin walking through the space in neutral, making eye contact as they pass one another.
Round One: Neutral Greeting
As players pass each other, they greet each other simply -- a nod, a "good morning," a brief acknowledgment. The focus is on genuine eye contact and genuine presence with each person encountered.
Round Two: Escalation
The facilitator calls a new instruction that shifts the quality of the greeting: more warmth, a specific emotional state, a relationship context (old friends reuniting, strangers at a formal event, people who are secretly in love), or a specific character type. Players adjust their greetings accordingly.
Subsequent Rounds
Rounds continue with new instructions, each shifting the emotional register, energy level, or relational context. The exercise can escalate toward very high energy or move through a range of contrasting qualities.
Conclusion
The exercise ends when the group returns to neutral -- a simple, genuine greeting -- or when the facilitator signals closure. The final return to neutral grounds the warm-up and transitions the group toward the session's work.
How to Teach It
Objectives
Good Morning develops the habit of genuine physical acknowledgment of other people, breaks down social distance at the start of a session, and trains responsiveness to changing instructions across rounds.
How to Explain It
"Walk through the space. When you pass someone, greet them -- really greet them. Make contact. Acknowledge the person in front of you."
Scaffolding
Begin with neutral greetings before introducing variation. This allows even a reserved group to make contact before the activity asks anything more complicated. Introduce relationship contexts before emotional states, since relationship gives players something specific to play.
Common Pitfalls
Players sometimes greet the room rather than specific people -- moving through the space with general energy but no actual contact with individuals. The coaching note is that each greeting is between two people: eye contact, acknowledgment, and genuine presence with that specific person before moving on.
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Related Exercises
Greetings
Greetings is a warm-up exercise in which players walk through the space greeting each other in various styles, emotions, or character types. The facilitator calls out different modes of greeting (formally, shyly, aggressively, lovingly, as royalty, as old friends) and the group adjusts their interactions accordingly. The exercise loosens social inhibitions, generates quick character choices, and establishes a playful, physically engaged atmosphere at the start of a session. Greetings gets every participant moving, making eye contact, and interacting within the first minutes of a workshop.
Hello
Hello is a simple greeting exercise in which players practice making contact through the single word "hello," varying their delivery to express different emotions, characters, and relationships. The exercise demonstrates the range of meaning a single word can carry. It builds vocal variety and the ability to communicate intention through tone.
Hello I Am Hello I Am Hello I Am
Hello I Am is a rapid introduction exercise in which participants introduce themselves to multiple people in quick succession, using an escalating or repeated format that builds energy and comfort with self-presentation. Each round typically adds a layer: name, then name and role, then name, role, and something unexpected, then all three with increasing speed. The exercise reduces the anxiety of formal introductions, builds presence, and creates early positive connection between group members.
Meet & Greet Walkabout
Meet, Greet, Walkabout is a physical warm-up and ensemble-building exercise in which participants walk through the space and meet each other in a series of brief, structured encounters. Each encounter follows a format set by the facilitator -- a specific greeting, a specific question, or a specific physical acknowledgment -- and participants move from person to person at a pace set by the facilitator. The exercise builds early ensemble connection and reduces the social distance between participants before more demanding group work begins.
Thank You
Thank You is an applied exercise in which participants practice expressing genuine gratitude to one another in a structured group setting. The exercise builds appreciation habits, strengthens interpersonal connection, and creates psychological safety through the ritual acknowledgment of positive contributions.
Introduce Yourself!
Introduce Yourself is an applied exercise in which participants introduce themselves to partners using structured prompts that go beyond typical professional introductions. Rather than name, title, and organization, participants share something genuine -- a current challenge, a formative experience, an aspiration, or an unexpected fact -- that builds real connection rather than the surface-level familiarity of conventional introductions. The exercise establishes genuine knowledge of colleagues as people rather than as professional roles.
How to Reference This Page
The Improv Archive. (2026). Good Morning!. Retrieved September 28, 2026, from https://improvarchive.org/exercises/good-morning
The Improv Archive. "Good Morning!." The Improv Archive, 2026. https://improvarchive.org/exercises/good-morning.
The Improv Archive. "Good Morning!." The Improv Archive, 2026, https://improvarchive.org/exercises/good-morning. Accessed September 28, 2026.
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