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.
Worth Reading
See all books →
Business Improv
Experiential Learning Exercises to Train Employees
Val Gee
You Can Teach Improv (Yes, You!)
The Ultimate Guide to Class Planning, Skill Building, and Helping Every Student Leave With a Win
Andrew Berkowitz
Improv Ideas
A Book of Games and Lists
Mary Ann Kelley; Justine Jones
Group Improvisation
The Manual of Ensemble Improv Games
Peter Campbell Gwinn; Charna Halpern
Drama Games and Improvs
Games for the Classroom and Beyond
Justine Jones; Mary Ann Kelley
When I Say This, Do You Mean That?
Enhancing Communication
Cherie Kerr; Julia Sweeney
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.
You Are My Best Friend
You Are My Best Friend is a warm-up exercise in which players greet each other with the enthusiasm of reuniting with a long-lost best friend. The exercise practices heightened emotional connection and teaches performers to bring genuine warmth and excitement to their interactions. It sets a supportive, high-energy tone for the session.
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.
Silly Stinky Sexy
Silly Stinky Sexy is a warm-up exercise in which players walk around the space and a facilitator calls out one of the three adjectives, prompting everyone to immediately adopt the physicality, voice, and attitude of that quality. The rapid shifting between modes loosens inhibition and expands physical range. The exercise is particularly effective at breaking through self-consciousness.
Everybody Touch Someone Who...
Everybody Touch Someone Who... is a physical warm-up exercise in which a caller names a characteristic or experience and all participants who match it must immediately move to touch at least one other person who also matches. The resulting movement creates visible social maps of the group -- who shares which experiences -- while generating physical energy and a sense of collective discovery through quick, full-body engagement.
Back Dancing
Back Dancing is a physical warm-up in which two players stand back to back and move together, each responding to the pressure and rhythm of the other's body. Without visual cues, players must rely on physical sensitivity to stay connected. The exercise builds nonverbal communication and physical trust.
How to Reference This Page
The Improv Archive. (2026). Good Morning!. Retrieved March 17, 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 March 17, 2026.
The Improv Archive is a systemically maintained repository. The archive itself acts as the corporate author.