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.
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How to Reference This Page
The Improv Archive. (2026). Clingy Penguin. Retrieved March 17, 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 March 17, 2026.
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