One Two Blue Taco Five Six

Hi! Here’s one of my favorite improv group warm up exercises. It’s a silly counting game to shake off the outside world, get out of your head and connect as a group in a very fun and playful way!

I just call it One Two Three Four Five Six, because unfortunately I forgot the name and who taught it to me.

Where the fun is!

The tl;dr is the group count from one up to six, one number per person, then down to one, before counting up to six and so on. When everyone got the basic counting rule down you start replacing numbers with categories.

How to play One Two Three Four Five Six:

1. Stand in a circle. Practice the first rule, counting up and down: Start by sending “One” to the person beside you. They send “Two” to the next person and so it goes up till six. From six you start counting down, so after six comes “Five”, “Four” etc. When you’re back to one you start counting up again. 1–2–3–4–5–6–5–4–3–2–1–2–3–4–5–6–5–4–3… and so on, one number per person. It only goes one direction.
2. When, not if, someone makes a mistake by saying the wrong number you say “Nope” in a happy way, everyone cheers, and that person get to start the next round. They decide which way they want to send it.
3. Always start with “One” to help avoid confusion, because then everyone knows what the next number is (it’s two!).
4. (Taking too long could also be a “Nope” or “Too slow”, as long it’s followed by a celebration of the mistake)
5. When everyone got the basic counting rule down you start replacing numbers with categories. For instance, the number three is now a color. So it would go 1–2–blue–4–5–6–5–4–red–2–1–2–green etc.
6. For added fun no. 5 can not be the last color said. So 1–2–blue–4–5–6–5–4–red–2–1–2–red would be a mistake, because of two red in a row. So 1–2–blue–4–5–6–5–4–red–2–1–2–green-4–5–6–5–4-red would not be a mistake, because green was the last color said before red.
7. Repeat no.1–6 until people are starting to almost get it right, then replace another number with a new category, let’s say number four and food: 1–2–blue–taco–5–6–5–pizza–red–2–1–2–green-carrots-5 etc.
8. Repeat no. 7 with new categories that you’ve either planned or made up. Five is now your name. Or a movie title. Or a made up movie title. Or the name of the person to their left, their name, their parent’s name etc. Implement no. 6 at will.

Things that might make it easier and more fun to play

1. Always start counting from one and make it clear to your partners that you’re sending it to your left or right.
2. Make eye contact to the person you’re sending it to when sending it.
3. Don’t allow for discussion of who did what when there’s a mistake, pick up the ball and keep playing. Play it harder, faster, SCOOTER!!! (This a popular culture references for older people)
4. Have them move to a new spot in the circle before starting the next round.
5. Take suggestions for new categories from the players.
6. Speak up
7. Count up to other numbers. Depending on the group size sometimes the same person always gets the same number. If so, count to five, seven etc.
8. Break the patterns. If 3 is color and 4 is your name, now 3 is your name and 4 is color.

This game is like micro-cosmos of improv: we never have to get it right, whatever that is, we just need to try our best, fail graciously then try again.

Have fun!

Terje Brevik is the founder of Tøyen Impro and the former director of Impro Neuf, Norway’s biggest and most inclusive improv community. He’s a teacher and performer of improvised theater on and off stage, and he loves to travel. Check out his stuff and connect at terjebrevik.com