Resource: Tons of Animal-Related Prompts!

We’ve got another prompt collection here for you! These prompts are all animal-related — thinking about unusual animals, moving like animals, speaking like animals, encountering animals, and more! Use them to inspire playwriting scenes, improv scenes, devised scenes, or whatever you like. There are 50 prompts here and 50 more at the bottom of this page to get your brains and bodies moving.

1. What does an IBEX do/look like/sound like? (If you don’t know, make it up!)
2. What does a YAK do/look like/sound like?
3. What does an ARMADILLO do/look like/sound like?
4. What does a FLYING FISH do/look like/sound like?
5. What does an AXOLOTL do/look like/sound like?
6. What does an EMU do/look like/sound like?
7. What does a DUGONG do/look like/sound like?
8. What does an ECHIDNA do/look like/sound like?
9. What does a BILBY do/look like/sound like?
10. What does a BLOBFISH do/look like/sound like?
11. Slither like a…
12. Fly like a…
13. Prance like a…
14. Gallop like a…
15. Plod like a…
16. Play like a…
17. Sneak like a…
18. Swim like a…
19. Glide like a…
20. Hop like a…
21. Speak like an animal: Purring (Don’t make the literal animal noise — rather, think about how a person would say their lines like the animal and do that.)
22. Speak like an animal: Barking
23. Speak like an animal: Honking
24. Speak like an animal: Grunting
25. Speak like an animal: Spitting
26. Speak like an animal: Burbling
27. Speak like an animal: Harrumphing
28. Speak like an animal: Tweeting
29. Speak like an animal: Screeching
30. Speak like an animal: Growling
31. If your pet started talking to you, what would you do?
32. If your pet could talk, what would they say to you?
33. If your pet could talk, would you tell everyone or keep it a secret?
34. What does your pet think when you take them to the pet park?
35. What does your pet think when you take them to the groomer?
36. What does your pet think when you bring home a second pet?
37. What would your two different pets say to each other?
38. What does your pet think when you serve them different food than usual?
39. What does your pet think when you dress them up?
40. What does your pet think when you throw them a birthday party?
41. What would you do if you encountered an insect you’re afraid of?
42. What would you do if a black cat crossed your path?
43. What would you do if you were swimming and noticed a shark fin moving towards you?
44. What would you do if you were camping and encountered a wild animal?
45. What would you do if you were not a pet person and suddenly had to pet sit?
46. What would you do if you encountered an animal you’re afraid of?
47. What would you do if you encountered an animal you love?
48. What would you do if you got stuck in an animal pen at the zoo?
49. What would you do if you woke up and discovered you had turned into an animal?
50. What would you do if all the animals in the world suddenly disappeared?

Bonus Exercises:

• Elephant Walk 
• Thinking of Your Character as an Animal