A selection of games for young learners

By Alison Lyall English Language Coordinator Sabah Ph:0129141959 Hints: As yoursel! "hy you are #laying a #arti$ular ga%e Plan your $lassroo% layout be!ore you begin &e%e%ber you $an ta e the $hildren outside 'odel the ga%e

Games that use circles (or% students into $ir$les o! around 12 #er $ir$le) *e%onstrate the ga%e "ith one $ir$le !irst) 1) Hello game. (o$us: 'y na%e is+) ,-%+) .$an be used "ith %any language stru$tures/ Students sit on $hairs "ith tea$her in the %iddle 0ea$her goes u# to one $hild1 sha es his2her hand and says 3Hello1 %y na%e is+4 Child res#onds 0ea$her and $hild no" stand u# and introdu$e the%sel5es to so%eone else) 0hese t"o no" stand u# and introdu$e the%sel5es to so%eone else "ho is sitting) 6a%e $ontinues until e5eryone is standing u#) 0ea$her blo"s a "histle or shouts 3Sit74 8ne student "ill be le!t standing) 0hat student $ontinues the ga%e) 2) Zip zap game (o$us: His2her na%e is+) 0ea$her stands in %iddle and #oints to a $hild and says either 9:i#4 or 3:a#4 ;hen the tea$her says 3:i#4 the $hild %ust say the na%e o! the $hild sitting on his2her le!t eg 3Her na%e is Ati<ah4);hen the tea$her says 3:a#4 it should be the $hild on his2her right) ;hen the tea$her says 3:i# =a#41 e5eryone should $hange seats) >) Fruit salad game (o$us: Any 5o$abulary ite%s eg !ruit 2 o##osites2 $olours2ani%als 0ea$her gi5es t"o in ea$h grou# the sa%e "ord) ;hen tea$her shouts the "ord1 the students "ith that "ord %ust stand u# and run to $hange #la$es) ,! the to#i$ is !ruit1 !or e?a%#le1 "hen the tea$her shouts 3 !ruit salad41 e5eryone %ust $hange #la$es).;ith ani%als 3@ungle4) "ith $olours 3rainbo"4 "ith o##osites 3#eo#le4)/ ,! #laying "ith o##osites1 i! you shout 3tall41 3tall4 and 3short4 $hange #la$es)

4) Duck duck goose (o$us: any 5o$abulary ite%s 8ne $hild is standing "hile the rest are sitting .on the !loor is ideal/ Child "al s round the $ir$le1 ta##ing ea$h $hild on the shoulder and saying 3du$ 4) ;ith one student the $hild says 3goose4 6oose %ust stand u# and ra$e round the $ir$le1 both $hildren running in o##osite dire$tions (irst to get ba$ to the e%#ty #la$e sits do"n and student standing $ontinues the ga%e Games that use teams/groups 5) Fruit and preposition relay (o$us: #re#ositions and na%es o! !ruits Arrange students into lines 8n a table1 ha5e identi$al #iles o! !ruit1 one !or ea$h tea% Shout an instru$tion ie Put the orange under the table) 0he !irst tea% %e%ber %ust run u# and !ollo" the instru$tion then run ba$ and tou$h the ne?t tea% %e%ber "ho %ust run u# and !ollo" the ne?t instru$tion A) Word list (or% students into s%all grou#s2 tea%s .about 4 B A/ (o$us: 5o$abulary retention Eli$it so%e o! the 5o$abulary to#i$s $o5ered in $lass eg !a%ily1 ani%als et$) ;rite these $ategories on sli#s o! #a#er and #ut the% in a hat 8ne %e%ber o! ea$h tea% $o%es out and sele$ts a $ategory) 0he tea%s ha5e t"o %inutes to "rite do"n as %any "ords as they $an thin o! in that $ategory on a #ie$e o! %ahCong #a#er) A!ter t"o %inutes1 ea$h tea% sho"s its list and tea% gets one #oint !or ea$h $orre$tly s#elt "ord) Co%#etition $an $ontinue o5er se5eral rounds D) Pictionary Students in s%all grou#s2 tea%s .4 EA/

(o$us: 5o$abulary 8ne %e%ber !ro% ea$h grou# $o%es !or"ard and the tea$her sho"s hi%2her a "ord Students %ust run ba$ to their tea% and dra" the "ord) Fo "riting allo"ed and no s#ea ing !ro% that student) ,! they $annot get the "ord "ith dra"ing alone1 the student $an also %i%e the "ord (irst tea% to guess the "ord gets a #oint G) hallenge (o$us: 5o$abulary1 reading and s#elling Students in t"o or %ore tea%s 0ea$her $hooses a "ord and "rites it on the board gi5ing the !irst letter but using dashes instead o! letters !or the rest o! the "ord) 0he tea%s ta e turns) ,! a student thin s they no" the "ord1 they shout 9Challenge4) ,! they guess $orre$tly1 the tea% gets 10 #oints and the ga%e begins again) ,! they guess "rongly1 the tea% loses 5 #oints) &ound by round1 one %ore letter is gi5en by the tea$her) Whole class games 9) What!s the time" #r Wolf$ (o$us: nu%bers and ti%e 0ea$her is "ol! and !a$es the "all eyes $losed) All the students stand at the ba$ o! the roo% Students %ust $all out together 3;hat-s the ti%e 'r ;ol!H4 ;ol! ans"ers !or e?a%#le 3,t-s t"o o-$lo$ 4 Students %o5e to"ards the "ol! by one ste# 6a%e $ontinues until "ol! re#lies 3,t-s dinner ti%e4 and turns round and tries to $at$h his2her 3dinner4 0he student "ho gets $aught be$o%es 'r ;ol! 10) Word chain (o$us: Io$abulary and s#elling Student one says a "ord eg $at) Student t"o %ust say a "ord beginning "ith the last letter o! $at eg train)

 A "ord %ust not be re#eated

A##le A##le @a$ !ruit

orange orange Ca$ !ruit

banana banana

gra#es gra#es

ra%butan ra%butan dragon !ruit

durian durian

dragon !ruit

"ater %elon

"ater %elon

'on ey %on ey Sun bear 8rang utan

tiger tiger gira!!e "ol!

ele#hant ele#hant gira!!e $i5et $at "ol! otter

sun bear

lion lion

$i5et $at otter

orang utan

0all

short

!at thin shy

$le5er stu#id ha##y sad bra5e $o"ardly

!riendly ugly

Jn!riendly 8ld young

outgoing %ean

beauti!ul

generous

Brea !ast @ungle

s$hool uni!or% o$$u#ation

train

%arriage tsuna%i

!a%ily

earth<ua e