These games and exercises are meant to get every student in a cheery mood, to establish trust among them, and also to open concentration.
Can't Say Yes or No
In this game everyone is given a certain number of coins or squares of paper (about 10). Everyone moves around the room starting conversations and asking each other questions. The only rule is that you cannot say the words YES or NO. If you accidentally say one of these words, you have to give a coin or square to the person who you said it to. Try to trick each other by asking questions that you would almost always answer with a yes or no. Think of other ways to trick your friends. Sometimes asking two quick questions in a row works well. (Especially tag questions: Are you new here? This is your first time in America, isn't it?). This game is a great way to practise using small talk and to add variety to your vocabulary. It also makes everyone laugh.
In this game everyone is given a certain number of coins or squares of paper (about 10). Everyone moves around the room starting conversations and asking each other questions. The only rule is that you cannot say the words YES or NO. If you accidentally say one of these words, you have to give a coin or square to the person who you said it to. Try to trick each other by asking questions that you would almost always answer with a yes or no. Think of other ways to trick your friends. Sometimes asking two quick questions in a row works well. (Especially tag questions: Are you new here? This is your first time in America, isn't it?). This game is a great way to practise using small talk and to add variety to your vocabulary. It also makes everyone laugh.
Broken Telephone
This is a listening and pronunciation activity that always gets people laughing. The leader first must think of a sentence or phrase and whisper it to the person beside her. That person will then whisper what she heard to the next person. Each person can only say, "Can you please repeat that?" one time. When the message reaches the end of the chain that person must speak out loud. Oftentimes the message will be completely different when it reaches the end. Try to find out where the chain broke! In a big group you can send the message two ways and find out which team comes closest to the real message. (A famous example is the army message that started as "Send reinforcements, we're going to advance" and ended as "Send three and four pence, we're going to a dance.")
This is a listening and pronunciation activity that always gets people laughing. The leader first must think of a sentence or phrase and whisper it to the person beside her. That person will then whisper what she heard to the next person. Each person can only say, "Can you please repeat that?" one time. When the message reaches the end of the chain that person must speak out loud. Oftentimes the message will be completely different when it reaches the end. Try to find out where the chain broke! In a big group you can send the message two ways and find out which team comes closest to the real message. (A famous example is the army message that started as "Send reinforcements, we're going to advance" and ended as "Send three and four pence, we're going to a dance.")
Change places if...
Desks should be arranged in a horseshoe for this. The teacher should start by saying something like "Change places if you like chocolate". All students who would answer 'yes' must get up and run to a new chair. The teacher should attempt to sit down in one of the empty chairs. The last student standing must now say "Change places if ..." and attempt to get a seat. Repeat until almost everyone has participated.
Desks should be arranged in a horseshoe for this. The teacher should start by saying something like "Change places if you like chocolate". All students who would answer 'yes' must get up and run to a new chair. The teacher should attempt to sit down in one of the empty chairs. The last student standing must now say "Change places if ..." and attempt to get a seat. Repeat until almost everyone has participated.
Guess the song
In this game, the students will be formed into two groups. Each group will have a representative. Then, the teacher will play a song that will be guessed as quickly as possible by one of the two groups. And while the teacher plays the song, both representatives will run to the board, and the first who touch the board and say the correct name of the song will get a point.
In this game, the students will be formed into two groups. Each group will have a representative. Then, the teacher will play a song that will be guessed as quickly as possible by one of the two groups. And while the teacher plays the song, both representatives will run to the board, and the first who touch the board and say the correct name of the song will get a point.
Do what I do, no what I say
The students must form a circle and the teacher will be in the center performing some actions; but as the game is called, the students will have to do what the teacher does, for instance, if the teacher says "touch your knees", students will have to touch their knees even if the teacher is touching his shoulders. The winner will be the one who make less mistakes.
The students must form a circle and the teacher will be in the center performing some actions; but as the game is called, the students will have to do what the teacher does, for instance, if the teacher says "touch your knees", students will have to touch their knees even if the teacher is touching his shoulders. The winner will be the one who make less mistakes.
Stop the bus
This is a category game in which the students will fill each category according to a letter the teacher will say. The most common categories are: names, last names, animals, fruits, countries, colors, and so on. The students who finish first filling all the categories with such letter, have to say aloud "stop the bus" and will get a point.
This is a category game in which the students will fill each category according to a letter the teacher will say. The most common categories are: names, last names, animals, fruits, countries, colors, and so on. The students who finish first filling all the categories with such letter, have to say aloud "stop the bus" and will get a point.