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DOWNLOAD BY: MARIA MACIAS
AUDITORY ACTIVITIES
Active answering
To review particular question patterns, have the students listen to a question, then run to designated areas in the classroom. For example, one wall can be the "yes" wall and the other the "no" wall. When the students reach the wall, they answer the question in a full sentence (as a group). To encourage all students to answer, the teacher can line everyone up and ask each student the question one by one. If it is not possible to move around the class, the students can stand up and sit down or hold up Yes or No cards.
Pronunciation game
Choose a list of words or phrases that contain sounds that you want to review. Draw 12 boxes on a piece of paper and write one of the words or phrases in each box. Photocopy the page. Put students in pairs and give each pair a copy of the page. Then have the students cut out the words and make flashcards. In pairs, students spread the cards on their desks. Call out a sound, e.g. M! Pairs race to find the word with that sound. The first pair in the class to pick up the correct card and say the word earns one point.
Listen and draw!
Have the students draw six boxes on a piece of paper. The teacher dictates a sentence, e.g. There is a pencil on the table. and the students draw a picture in Box 1 to match the sentence. The teacher circulates around the classroom to see how the students are doing. The teacher continues to dictate individual words or short sentences until the students fill in all of the boxes.
Listen carefully!
This activity is appropriate for the Do you know...? or Bonus pages. Choose an illustration with lots of things happening in it. Show the students the picture and point to various items in it and name them. The students repeat. The teacher then says Listen. Am I right or wrong? If the teacher is wrong, the students say the correct word. For example, the teacher points to a book and says It's a table. The students say No, it's a book. Students can then play this game in small groups, with one student in each group taking the teacher's role.
Mystery guest
Demonstrate this game with a group of students first. Ask for five volunteers to leave the classroom. Out of the students who are left, choose one student to be the "Mystery Guest". The teacher can teach this extra vocabulary. Hang up a large bed sheet and have the Mystery Guest sit behind the sheet so that the students cannot see him/ her. The teacher calls the five students back into the room and has them sit at the front of the classroom with their backs to the class so they can't see who is missing. The five students take turns asking the Mystery Guest questions, e.g. Do you like (English)? The Mystery Guest answers truthfully Yes, I do./ No, I don't. he/she tries to disguise his/her voice. After the five students ask one question each, they guess who the Mystery Guest is, based on the answers. Reveal the guest. Then play another round with a new group of students.
Seven up
Ask seven volunteers to stand at the front of the classroom. Go to six of the volunteers and whisper a word with the same sound, e.g. an initial b, a final t, etc. The teacher gives the seventh volunteer a word with a different sound. All the other students put their heads down on their desks so they can't see. Each of the volunteers quickly and quietly goes to one of the students and whispers his/ her word into that student's ear. Then the volunteers return to the front. The other students raise their heads. The students say what word they heard and guess who whispered it to them. If a student guesses correctly, he/she replaces the volunteer at the front. When all the words have been said, the teacher asks the class to identify the common sound and the word that doesn't belong. The teacher then whispers new words and sounds to the new students at the front and the activity continues.
Hear the difference!
Prepare various sentences, some with final g sounds and some with -ing sounds (see below). Have students listen carefully. The students raise their hands whenever they hear a g sound in the sentences. Some suggested sentences: I am standing on one leg./ I drink my coffee from a big mug in the morning./ I have a cat, but I don't have a dog./ My bag is heavy and my back hurts./ I like exercising in the evening.
Listening circle
This game helps students to review the past-tense form of regular verbs. The teacher and students sit in a circle. The teacher asks the class to listen carefully and has each student make a statement, e.g. I baked a cake (last Monday). After the students have finished making their statements, the teacher asks students questions, e.g. What did (Student 1's name) do (last Monday)? Students answer, e.g. (Student 1's name) baked a cake (last Monday). The teacher checks to see how well students remember what everyone said.
What's that sound?
To review a group of nouns, gather realia, e.g. a tube of toothpaste, a bag of chips, etc. Tell students Close your eyes and listen! Drop one of the items on the floor. Students raise their hands when they want to guess what the item is, e.g. It's a (bag of chips). Then a volunteer can take over the teacher's role. When students have heard each item drop once, a volunteer can try dropping two or three items at the same time for the rest of the class to guess.
LOGICAL ACTIVITIES
Alphabet code
To review the letters A-I, write them on the board and under each letter write the numbers 1-9, e.g. A=1, B=2, etc. Clap quickly a number of times. The students listen and count the claps. Then, they raise their hands and say the letter and sound that corresponds with the number of claps they have heard. If possible, students can also say a word that begins with that letter. If students have trouble remembering their words, the teacher can write them on the board.
Concentration
To review vocabulary, make a flashcard for each word. Write the word on one side of the card and leave the other side blank. Photocopy one set of cards for each student. Demonstrate this activity with one pair of students first. The students put their cards together, shuffle them and spread them out face down. Student 1 turns over two cards. If they match, Student 1 keeps the cards. If they don't match, he/she turns the cards face down again. Then Student 2 takes a turn. Students try to memorize the locations of the different cards. They can play in pairs or small groups.
Word unscramble
This activity can be used to review the days of the week, months or numbers. Give each student a piece of paper and have them write down the days of the week (or whatever group of words you want to review). Then, the students cut apart the words, word by word and letter by letter. The students can either keep each day of the week separate, or to make it more interesting, mix all the letters together. Put students in teams and have them race to see which team can put the words together and back in order the fastest.
Whose is it?
To review possessive pronouns, have students get into small groups. Each group member should put one of their personal items on a table. As students take turns putting their belongings on the table, they tell the class, e.g. It's (my book). It's mine. Everybody tries to remember to whom the items belong. After everything is on the table, Student 1 picks up an item and asks a question, e.g. Whose (book) is this? All the other students answer It's (Student 2's name)'s (book)./ It's his/ hers. The real owner then identifies himself/ herself by saying It's mine. That student then takes a turn choosing an object and asking a question.
Stickman
This is a variation of the popular Hangman game. Choose one word that the students know. Draw the same number of blanks as there are letters in the word on the board. For example, if the word is reading, draw seven blanks. Have one student write the alphabet on the board. Ask another student to choose a letter of the alphabet. If the student chooses a letter that is in the word, the teacher replaces the appropriate blank(s) with the letter and erases the letter from the alphabet list. If the student chooses a letter that is not in the word, the teacher draws one part of a stickman, i.e. the head, the body, the left arm, the right arm, the left leg and finally, the right leg. Then, the next student guesses a letter. The aim is for the students to guess the word before the teacher completes a drawing of a stickman.
I don't believe you
This game reviews the months of the year. Each student needs 12 blank flashcards. Have students write the months, i.e. January to December, on the cards. One side of each card should be blank. Put students in small groups. Each group chooses a dealer who shuffles all the group members' cards together and deals them out so that each student has 12 cards. The students in each group sit in a circle. Student 1 starts the game by laying a card face down and saying January. Student 2, the student on Student 1's right, lays a card face down and says February. The students take turns around the circle laying cards face down, each saying the name of a month in order. If a student doesn't have the correct card, he/she "bluffs" by putting any card face down, then saying the correct month. If any student in the circle thinks another student is bluffing, he/she says I don't believe you. The student who put the card down must turn it face up for everyone to see. If the student told the truth, the student who said I don't believe you. must take the whole pile of cards. If the student was bluffing, he/she must take the whole pile of cards. Play continues until one student runs out of cards.
Variation: This game can also be used to review numbers or days of the week.
Find the rule!
Choose a group of words before the game starts, e.g. family words; countable or uncountable nouns; weather words; final t sound, etc. Have students sit in a circle. The teacher starts the game by saying, e.g. (for the final t sound) I'm going to the park and I'm going to take my (bat). Write the word on the board. Then a student has a turn, e.g. I'm going to the park and I'm going to take... then says a word. The teacher shows whether he/she accepts the student's word by putting a thumb up or down. If the word is accepted, the teacher adds it to the list on the board. Then the teacher takes a turn again, e.g. I'm going to the park and I'm going to take my (parrot). Then he/she adds the word to the list. The teacher doesn't say why, so the students try to guess the rule. When students catch on to what the rule is, they should not say it out loud. The teacher reveals the rule when most students appear to have caught on.
Expensive train
Ask a volunteer to write expensive train on the board in large letters. Then point to the letters s, e and e on the board and say I found "see". Repeat with the word ten. Put students into small groups and give each group paper. Then say How many words can you make in five minutes? Write them down. Give students five minutes to work. Then have each group count the number of words they found. Ask each group to say some of the words on their lists. The teacher or a volunteer can write the words on the board.
VISUAL ACTIVITIES
The real me
Young children will really enjoy this art project that reviews the structure I like... and food words. Have the students draw a picture of themselves showing the foods they like, e.g. noodles for hair, candy for earrings, a strawberry for the nose, etc. The students share their pictures with the class and make sentences about what they like, e.g. I like noodles. I like candy. The students can write what they like under their pictures and hang them in the classroom.
Body poster
To review body parts, divide the class into two groups and give each a large piece of paper. Have one boy and one girl lie down on a paper and have the rest of the students draw around their bodies to make posters. The groups label their posters, e.g. This is (Student 1's name)'s mouth. These are (Student 1's name)'s feet., etc. The groups can decorate their posters by coloring in the body parts and clothes. When the students are finished, display the posters on the walls around the classroom. The teacher can use them to ask questions, e.g. What color are (Student 2's name)'s eyes? Is (Student 1's name)'s hair long or short?, etc.
Silent movie
Show a short segment of a cartoon video with the sound turned down. Students should guess what the characters are saying, using their imaginations and the visual cues. The teacher writes the student's ideas on the board, then replays the video segment so students can hear the actual dialog. The teacher then plays another short segment and progresses through the whole video this way.
True or false?
This game works with the Do you know...? and Bonus pages. Prepare a list of true and false statements about things happening in the pictures. The students stand up and look at the picture. The teacher makes true and false statements, e.g. Two girls are playing the guitar. If the statement is true, students say It's true. and sit down. If it's false, students say It's false. and remain standing. Explain that sometimes students stay standing or sitting according to the previous statement. When students get used to the activity, the teacher speeds up.
Photo dictionary
Divide the class into small groups and assign each group a word. Give each group paper and crayons/markers. The groups draw pictures to illustrate their words and then write the word underneath in large letters. Then they cut out their drawings. The teacher has each group pose with their drawings and encourages them to pantomime the word meaning also. For example, for the word farmer, students might pose as if they are digging with shovels or picking vegetables from the ground. The teacher takes photos of each group. The photos can then be put into a photo album to form a picture dictionary and/or laminated and used as flash cards. Keep adding to the dictionary and flash cards as students learn new vocabulary.
Face collage
After introducing emotion words to students, bring old newspapers/magazines and hang eight large pieces of paper on the wall/board. Have volunteers label each one with a feeling word: tired, scared, excited, happy, upset, angry, nervous and sad. Tell the students Let's make a collage for each word. Find as many faces as you can for these words and glue them to the poster! Distribute the magazines and newspapers to the students. They cut out faces, then glue them onto the appropriate paper. While they are working, the teacher circulates around the class and asks questions, e.g. Is he (angry)? Why do you thinks he's (happy)? When the collages are finished, students can use the posters as game boards: they take turns tossing a coin onto a poster. Then they make sentences about the face where the coin landed, e.g. He's (angry) because he (lost his homework). The teacher can then hang up the posters on the wall.
Send me a postcard!
This game helps students to review past-tense verbs. Distribute paper to students. Students make postcards of places they have visited. On one side of a piece of card or paper, they write a sentence, e.g. I went to (Paris). On the other side of the card, they draw some pictures representing what they did on their trip and write sentences, e.g. I painted a picture., I helped a friend., I listened to music., etc. The teacher can provide extra vocabulary if necessary. When students are finished, they stand in a circle, holding their postcards. Play some music. While students are chanting, they pass the postcards around the circle. When the music stops, ask several students Where did you go? Each student answers according to the information on the postcard he/she's holding, e.g. I went to (England). I (painted a picture). Play the music again. Continue until all students have had a chance to speak.
Pass the timer
Choose a picture with lots of things happening in it and show it to the class. Each student should name two items in the illustration. The teacher brings in a timer that ticks and sets it to 30 seconds. Students pass the timer around the class. The student holding the timer when it goes off stands up, points to two items on the picture and names them for the class. Then he/she resets the timer for thirty seconds and continues the game.
KINESTHETIC ACIVITIES
Word gestures
This game can be used with a wide range of vocabulary. Divide the class into groups. Have each group come up with an action to represent a word or phrase. For example, students can pretend to be counting on their fingers for math and looking through an invisible microscope for science. Each group teaches the rest of the class its action. Then the teacher calls out words and students do the actions.
Tableau vivant
To review verbs, divide the class into teams. Give each student a word or phrase which you want to review. Each team makes a tableau, a frozen picture, that involves each team member. The teams take a few minutes to plan their tableaus, then they take turns presenting them to the class. Some students can ask questions, e.g. What's (Student 1's name) doing?, and other students can answer, e.g. She's (crying).
Air drawing
Draw an animal in the air with a finger. Have students guess what it is by asking Is this a (whale)? The teacher answers accordingly Yes, it is./ No, it isn't. Then invite individual students to come to the front of the class to perform the same activity. Students can continue air drawing in pairs or small groups.
Back writing
Students can play this game over and over as they learn the letters of the alphabet. In pairs, have students take turns writing a letter on their partner's back. When writing, the students ask What's this? Their partners try and guess the letter. They can also say a word that begins with that letter.
Feet writing
To practice the letters of the alphabet, have students go to the front of the class and walk in the shape of a particular letter. The class looks on and guesses the letter. The class can also say words that contain the corresponding sound.
What's the magic word?
After teaching students some commands, brainstorm commands with students. Write the commands on the board for reference or have students write them. This is a variation of Simon says. The teacher starts the game by giving commands with the magic word please, e.g. Put your book on the desk, please. Students only follow the commands when the teacher says please at the end of the sentence. If they don't hear the word please, they should not do anything. When students get used to the game, the teacher can ask a volunteer to give commands from the list on the board.
Ooey gooey game
This activity reviews the language What are you going to get at the grocery store? I'm going to get (a bag of chips). and What did you get at the grocery store? I got (a bag of chips). Bring a large box to class and cut three holes in one side. Cover each hole with a piece of cloth or piece of paper and write Store on the box over the holes. Behind each hole, place a bowl containing an item that you have recently taught the students, e.g. a bag of chips, a package of cookies, etc. In one of the bowls, put soap that has been wet for a long time so that it's very slimy. Place the box on a table at the front of the room. Ask students Do you want to go shopping? The teacher chooses a volunteer, then tells the class Ask (Student 1's name), "What are you going to get at the grocery store?" Student 1 should answer according to what he/she wants to get, e.g. I'm going to get a (tube of toothpaste). Then Student 1 puts his/ her hand into one of the holes and feels the item. he/she can't look inside. The class then asks What did you get at the grocery store? and the student answers accordingly I got a (bag of chips). But if Student 1 touches the soap, he/she says I got the ooey gooey! The teacher can explain to the students that the expression ooey gooey refers to something that feels slimy.
What's next?
Put the students into small groups and show them the first panel in one of the Gogo Loves English Conversation page stories. Have them create the same setting as the picture, using desks and chairs, e.g. the park, a store, etc. Each group makes up a short play with a dialog to show what the group thinks will happen next in the story. Then have the students compare their plays with the story on the page.
MUSICAL ACTIVITIES
Head, shoulders, knees and toes!
Review the song Head, shoulders, knees and toes. After singing the song with actions, the students drop one of the key words each subsequent time but continue to do the actions. For example, the second time through the song, students sing (silence), shoulders, knees and toes. The third time, they sing (silence), (silence), knees and toes. The fourth time, they sing (silence), (silence), (silence) and toes., etc.
Feel the music!
This activity can be used to talk about weather, emotions or even colors. Bring in several selections of classical music, such as Vivaldi's The Four Seasons. Play some music and say This music makes me think it's (sunny). Draw a quick sketch on the board, then ask What do you think? Explain that students should think about the weather described in the music. Distribute paper to students to draw quick sketches. Then play a different piece of music and have students draw quick sketches about the weather described in the music. Invite volunteers to show their pictures to the class and describe the weather, e.g. I think it's (windy).
Welcome maestro!
This is an extension activity for any song. Divide the class into two or more groups. Choose a song that the students know well and assign each group different lines from the song. Start singing with groups only singing their assigned lines. The teacher acts as the conductor to cue the students when to start singing. he/she can speed up and slow down the tempo for fun.
Music video
After teaching students one of the songs from Gogo Loves English, say Let's make a music video! and have the students make up actions to go with the song. Encourage students to be creative: some students could do a simple dance while others pretend to be the band and others can be the actors. If there's access to a video camera, the teacher can film the class singing the song with actions.
Turn down the music!
After teaching students one of the songs from Gogo Loves English, have students pretend that they are singing a song on TV. The teacher sits and pretends to watch them on TV. When the teacher turns on the TV with an imaginary remote control, students begin singing. When the teacher turns the TV off, students continue singing the song silently in their heads. When the teacher suddenly turns the TV back on, students start singing out loud again.
Name that song!
Divide the class into two to four teams. Play three notes from a song on the piano and have students guess the song. The team that guesses correctly gets three points. If no one guesses correctly, play five notes from the same song for two points. If no one guesses correctly, play a line from the song for one point. Have the winning team sing the whole song for an extra point. If a piano is not available, play short sections of the song on the CD/cassette.
Lip synching
Model lip synching a song (silently mouthing the words) without playing any music. Ask the class to guess the song. Have each student choose a song. Give students time to check the words and practice lip synching. Put students in pairs, sitting face-to-face. S1 lip synchs his/her song. S2 watches and tries to guess the song. When S2 guesses correctly, the partners switch roles.
Follow the leader
Send two students out of the room. Have the rest of the students stand in a circle and choose a student to be the leader. The students practice singing and trying to follow the leader's movements without looking directly at him/her. Invite the two students back into the room and have them stand in the middle of the circle. The rest of the class start singing and copying the leader's movements. The pair try to find who the leader is. Once they have found the leader, choose another two students. The new students leave the room and the procedure is repeated.
Creative recycling
Review the song What are these? Then have students invent new objects by combining two vocabulary words they have previously learned, e.g. a rocket hotel, an apple-teacher, etc. Have the students draw pictures of their inventions and label them. As students present their inventions, the class alters the lyrics of the song by singing What is it? Presenters answer by including the names of their inventions in the lyrics, e.g. It's a rocket hotel, hotel.
INTERPERSONAL ACTIVITIES
Whisper down the line
Have the class stand in two or more lines. The teacher whispers a question, e.g. Can you read? to the first student in line 1 and another question, e.g. Can you sing? to the first student in line 2. When the teacher says Go!, Student 1 in both lines whispers the sentence to Student 2, Student 2 whispers to Student 3 and so on, until the sentence reaches the end of the line. The last student from each line asks the teacher the question and he/she answers accordingly. The students keep playing, changing the questions.
Birthday line
Ask the students to arrange themselves in a line in order of their birthdays from January to December. Students walk around the class and ask each other When's your birthday? For example, if Student 1's birthday is October 22nd and Student 2's birthday is November 18th, Student 2 stands behind Student 1 in the line. Then Student 2 asks Student 3 When's your birthday? Student 3 answers, e.g. My birthday's November 4th. Then Student 3 stands between Student 1 and Student 2. The students try to complete the line as quickly as possible.
Sentence puzzles
Choose one sentence that the students have recently learned. Write out the words in a mixed up order on the board. Students work in pairs to find the correct order to make a complete sentence, then they raise their hands and tell the rest of the class or write the sentence in the correct order on the board. Repeat with other sentences.
Original calendar
Divide the class into 12 groups and assign each group a month. (In a small class, make two groups and assign six months each.) Give each group a large sheet of paper to make a calendar for their month(s). The teacher could show a local or an English calendar for reference. Have students write out the ordinal numbers for dates, e.g. 1st, 2nd, 3rd.... When they finish making the calendar, students walk around the classroom asking questions to find out whose birthday is in that month. Have students write those students' names on the calendar. The teacher can put the months together to make a one-year calendar. Keep this calendar for learning/reviewing past tense, future tense or holidays.
Snowman craft activity
Make a paper doll of a snowman to show students and say Let's make paper dolls! Put students in pairs and distribute some materials, e.g. paper, scissors, glue, crayons, yarn, buttons, sticks, etc. While students are working, the teacher asks individual students about the body parts, e.g. What's this? Show me his (arms)., etc. As students work, the teacher encourages students to talk to each other, e.g. Do you want to make his eyes?
Describing posters
Put students in small groups. Distribute newspapers/magazines and several sheets of paper to each group. Brainstorm adjectives on the board: big, old, etc. Each student cuts out pictures of various items for each word, e.g. a picture of a mouse for small, etc. Then the groups collect all their pictures for one of the words, e.g. big, and glue them on the top half of the paper. In the bottom half of each sheet, they write down several sentences about their pictures, e.g. The (giraffe) is bigger than the (dog). The (airplane) is bigger than the (giraffe). Students follow the same steps for each word. Then each group puts all the papers together to make a book. Distribute extra paper to make book covers.
Classroom scavenger hunt
On the board, write a list of 6-8 things you want students to find in the classroom, e.g. Find the biggest thing in the room. Find the smallest thing in the room. Find the oldest person in the room. Find the tallest student., etc. Put students into several groups. Give the groups five minutes to look around the room and ask each other questions to find the answers. When the time is up, give groups a few minutes to write down the answers. Then have each group list their answers on the board. If groups have different answers, encourage group members to show their items to the class to decide who's right.
TV commercial
Put students into pairs to create TV commercials and say We're going to make TV commercials! Demonstrate by playing both roles, e.g. A: Hi (Sally). How are you? B: I (feel sick). A: What's the matter? B: (Hold your head.) I have a (headache). A: (Hold up a bottle of aspirin.) That's too bad. You should take Best Aspirin. Then have students brainstorm for other products to advertise, e.g. tissues, toothpaste, cough drops, etc. Provide extra vocabulary if necessary. Then give students time to prepare their commercials. Have pairs perform their TV commercials for the class. Film or tape record the students' commercials if possible.
Are you a shopping pro?
Bring in a some items familiar to the students. Put the actual prices on the items using tape or Post-it® Notes but hidden from the students. Place the items at the front of the room and divide students into two teams. The teacher asks How much is this? and holds up one of the items. Team A makes a guess and the teacher or a volunteer writes the amount on the board. Team B then guesses and the amount is written on the board. Then, the teacher reveals the real price. The team who guessed closest to the actual price gets a point and play continues with a new item.
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INTRAPERSONAL ACTIVITIES
My dictionary
Have students make books showing all the English words they know. The teacher can show students how to make a book. Fold a sheet of paper and cut it in half. Fold those two pieces of paper again and staple the spine. The teacher gives students paper and has them follow the instructions. The teacher should do the stapling for all the students. Prepare some blank label stickers with the key vocabulary on them if necessary. Students can draw the pictures at home or in class.
Family album
Have the students make family albums, either drawing pictures of their family members or pasting photos on the pages. Depending on the students' levels, they can either write single words, e.g. mother, father, sister, brother or complete sentences: She's my mother. He's my father. Students can read their books to the class or to their partners and take them home to show to their parents.
New Year's resolution
To review the future tense, give each student an index card. Explain that on New Year's Day, many people write down the things they want to do in that year. Have them write their New Year's resolutions using I'm going to_____. The teacher writes his/ her New Year's resolution, e.g. I'm going to (exercise)., as an example. Students can write more than one sentence. Collect the cards and put them on the classroom wall as a display. The teacher can keep the cards, to ask students if they are keeping to their resolution, e.g. (Student 1's name), you said you were going to (exercise). Are you (exercising)?
Diary
Help students use past-tense verbs they know. Distribute paper to students. Have students write a diary entry about what they did the previous day. Help students get started by writing Yesterday was a busy day. on the board. Tell students to write in the rest. Ask students to write at least five sentences. Circulate around the classroom while students are writing and talk with students about their days and what they did. Provide extra vocabulary on the board if necessary.
When I smell this, I feel...
This activity reviews emotion words. Bring in various items that have different smells: lotions, perfumes, herbs, spices, food, shampoos, etc. (Make sure that students don't have allergies to any of the items.) Close your eyes and hold one item under your nose. Then say When I smell this, I feel (tired). Write the sentence on the board. Blindfold students one at a time and place smells under their noses. Then ask students How does this smell make you feel? Individual students answer, e.g. I feel (scared).
Option: The teacher can teach students the sentence structure When I smell this, I feel (happy).
Scrapbook
To review past-tense verbs, bring some personal photographs, postcards and other personal mementos to class. Show the items to the students and talk about them, e.g. This is my family last Christmas. I got a lot of presents!, etc. Put the items on the board and write sentences below. Then say Let's make a scrapbook! Have students bring their own photos and other mementos to class. Give each student some strong paper/cardboard. The students glue/tape the items to the paper and write sentences about them. They show their papers to each other in small groups. Then the teacher can bind the paper together with ribbon to make a class scrapbook.
You can also use these games as a break between reading or writing activities, as quick way to refocus students who are getting restless or as a reward for good behavior.
The best "quickie game" is one that doesn't require much preparation or special materials. Here are some of my favorites from the Gogo Loves English Teacher's Books:
• Whisper down the alley
Divide the students into equal teams and have each team form a line facing the front of the room. Go to the student at the front of each line and whisper a word or sentence. When the teacher says Go! the student at the front of each row turns around and whispers the word/sentence to the next person in line. Then that student passes the word on to the next student and so on. As soon as the word/sentence reaches the last student in line, he/she races to the front to repeat the word/sentence to the teacher. The first team to finish is the winner.
Variation: In a small class, have the students stand in a circle. The last person to hear the word/sentence then repeats what he/she hears out loud.
• Feet writing
Demonstrate this activity first. Clear a space at the front of the classroom so all students can see the floor. Ask students What letter is this? Then walk in the shape of a letter of the alphabet. The students guess, e.g. It's an S! It's an A!, etc. Then ask a volunteer to come to the front of the room and walk in the shape of another letter for the rest of the students to guess.
• Things in the classroom
This game can be used to review adjectives, comparatives and superlatives. Put Ss into small groups. Each group chooses an item in the classroom to describe. Then each person in the group makes up a sentence about the item, e.g. It's (smaller) than a desk. It's (blue). It's the (biggest) thing on the bookshelf., etc. When groups are ready, they take turns saying their sentences. The rest of the class tries to guess the item by asking questions, e.g. Is it the dictionary? Is it the box?
Variation: Students can describe people instead of objects, e.g. His/her hair is shorter than (S1's name)'s hair. His/her bag is bigger than (S1's name)'s bag., etc.
• Who's talking?
After students have learned several different question-and-answer exchanges, put them into pairs and have them create their own exchanges. Then, invite two or three pairs to stand at the front of the class. The rest of the students put their heads down on their desks so they cannot see. The teacher points to one pair at the front. The two students perform their exchange. They can perform it any way they choose: disguising their voices, speaking slowly or quickly, etc. When they are finished, the other students raise their heads and try to guess which pair performed the exchange.
• Air drawing
Demonstrate this game first. Draw an animal in the air with your index finger. The students watch carefully and try to guess which animal it is, e.g. Is it a (whale)? The first student to guess correctly then takes a turn at the front to draw an animal for the other students to guess.
• Read my lips
Choose several words or sentences and review them with your students. Then the teacher mouths one of the words or sentences without sound. The teacher asks the students What am I saying? The students try to guess the word/sentence. Then have students take turns standing at the front of the room and mouthing words/sentences for the rest of the class to guess.
• Fruit basket
This is a great game to review sets of words, such as colors, animals, fruit, numbers, clothing, etc. Have the students sit in a circle. Assign each student a word. Start with only two or three words, e.g. "apple", "banana" and "peach". Then the teacher stands in the middle and calls out one of the words, e.g. Banana! All the students with that word get up and run to exchange places in the circle. At the same time, the teacher runs to take a seat, so that one student is left standing. Then that student stands in the middle, calls out one of the words and tries to take a seat as the other students run to change places. Once in a while, the person in the middle calls out Fruit basket! Then everyone in the circle runs to change places.
• Who's the biggest?
This game reviews superlatives. Invite three students to stand at the front of the room. The teacher tells the three students Make yourselves big. I want to see who is the biggest. The students can try to make themselves look big by standing on their tiptoes, reaching their arms out, etc. Then the teacher asks the class Who's the biggest, (S1's name), (S2's name) or (S3's name)? Have the class vote. Then the teacher asks three new students to stand at the front and make themselves as small as possible. Have the class vote on which student is the smallest. Continue the game with other words, e.g. "tallest", "shortest", "happiest", "oldest", "fastest", etc.
