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.
Structure
Setup
Players stand in a circle with enough space to extend their arms fully in all directions. The facilitator demonstrates the sequence: players will shake their right hand while counting to eight, then the left hand for eight, then the right foot for eight, then the left foot for eight. The counting is done aloud together.
Progression
The group performs the full sequence: right hand eight counts, left hand eight counts, right foot eight counts, left foot eight counts. Each count is accompanied by a vigorous shake or movement of the designated limb.
After completing the eights, the group repeats the sequence counting down to seven, then six, then five, all the way down to one. As the counts get shorter, the transitions between limbs become faster and more frenetic. The energy increases naturally with the accelerating pace.
By the time the group reaches ones, the sequence is a rapid-fire blur of shaking limbs and shouted numbers. The exercise typically ends with a collective shout or celebration at the completion of the final round.
Variations
A "rubber chicken" version replaces the shaking with a floppy, boneless movement quality, as if each limb were a rubber chicken being waved. Some versions start at four instead of eight for a shorter warm-up. A competitive version challenges pairs or small groups to complete the sequence fastest without losing count.
How to Teach It
Objectives
Rubber Chicken/Crazy Eights serves as a physical energizer that warms up the body, builds group synchronization, and gives everyone permission to be loud and silly. It breaks through the self-consciousness that can inhibit early rehearsal or workshop energy.
How to Explain It
"We will shake our right hand and count to eight together. Then left hand, eight counts. Right foot, eight counts. Left foot, eight counts. Then we do it all again, counting to seven. Then six. All the way down to one. Get loud. Get physical."
Scaffolding
Demonstrate the first round at moderate energy, then encourage the group to increase intensity with each descending round. The facilitator should model full commitment to the physicality and volume. Energy is contagious in this exercise.
Common Pitfalls
Players sometimes lose count during the faster rounds, skipping numbers or switching limbs at the wrong time. This is acceptable and even desirable. The exercise is about energy, not precision. If the group becomes too concerned with accuracy, the warm-up quality is lost. A second issue is players holding back physically. Encourage full-body involvement rather than polite, restrained movements.
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Related Exercises
Crazy 8s
Crazy 8s is a physical energizer exercise in which participants shake each of their four limbs in sequence, counting down from eight shakes per limb to one. The exercise begins with eight shakes of the right hand, eight of the left hand, eight of the right foot, eight of the left foot, then repeats the sequence at seven, six, five, and so on down to a single shake of each, finishing with a full-body shake. It is used as a fast, accessible warm-up to raise physical energy and group focus.
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.
One Duck
One Duck is a rhythmic counting exercise in which the group recites a structured chant that accumulates complexity with each round. The chant follows a fixed verbal pattern that grows longer and more demanding as the count increases, training group rhythm, sustained focus, and the ability to maintain a shared vocal pattern under increasing cognitive load.
Five Four Three Two One
Five Four Three Two One is a countdown exercise in which players perform five repetitions of one activity, then four of another, then three, two, and one -- each at a progressively different pace, size, or intensity. The structure trains rapid shifting between activities, physical awareness of the number count, and the discipline of stopping precisely on the last repetition rather than continuing past it.
Bunny
Bunny is a high-energy circle exercise in which players pass a rhythmic pattern around the group through a combination of chanted sounds and synchronized gestures. The player designated as the bunny performs a central action, typically holding both hands beside the head like ears while chanting "bunny bunny," while the two players on either side perform complementary supporting gestures. The bunny then passes to another player across the circle, and the pattern repeats with increasing speed. The exercise builds group rhythm, peripheral awareness, and comfort with looking foolish. It is widely used as a warm-up in both theatrical and corporate training contexts, valued for its ability to lower inhibitions, demand focus, and generate collective energy through structured silliness.
Shriner's Warm-Up
Shriner's Warm-Up is an energetic full-body warm-up in which players perform a series of exaggerated physical and vocal exercises in unison, building group energy and breaking down self-consciousness through shared silliness.
How to Reference This Page
The Improv Archive. (2026). Rubber Chicken/crazy Eights. Retrieved September 28, 2026, from https://improvarchive.org/exercises/rubber-chickencrazy-eights
The Improv Archive. "Rubber Chicken/crazy Eights." The Improv Archive, 2026. https://improvarchive.org/exercises/rubber-chickencrazy-eights.
The Improv Archive. "Rubber Chicken/crazy Eights." The Improv Archive, 2026, https://improvarchive.org/exercises/rubber-chickencrazy-eights. Accessed September 28, 2026.
The Improv Archive is a systemically maintained repository. The archive itself acts as the corporate author.