Lions/Dogs/Mice

Level: Elementary, Intermediate and Advanced.

Skills: reading/speaking/miming.

Topic: vocabulary.

Materials: pencils and paper.

Time: 10 to 15 minutes.

The teacher or students write short sentences, which use a vowel (or consonant) sound several times. Each team receives a different vowel sound sentence.

Teams practice saying their sentence several times, so as to memorize it. 

Teams then have a maximum of five minutes to plan how they will act out their sentence together.This includes practice time, so after two minutes, you say: "Start moving and practicing now, so you'll be ready to share in three minutes".

People can do the same or different actions.

Make the freeze sound after five minutes. The teams then share with the rest of the class.

Teams must say their sentences and perform their actions three times.

You then choose new team names: one is called lions, one is called dogs, and one is called mice. Lions must always shout. Dogs speak in a normal voice. Mice always whisper (but must be heard throughout the room). Enunciation is especially important for the mice.

Variations:

Switch teams so that each team has a chance to play the lions, dogs or mice. Call out "Lions!", "Dogs!" or "Mice!" while they are acting out a sentence, to see if they can change the tone of their voices.

Example sentences:

1. She looked good, as she put out her foot.
2. It's a little bit difficult to live in India.
3. The murderer wore purple as he stirred in the poison.

Abbreviations

Level: Advanced.

Skills: writing.

Topic: vocabulary.

Materials: pencils and paper.

Time: 5 to 15 minutes.

The object of this activity is to guess a phrase or saying from its initials.

One student writes down on a piece of paper the first letters of the words of a well-known phrase or saying, such as a proverb, quotation, book title, etc. All the other students are told what type of phrase it is, and they try to guess the phrase from its initials. The first person to guess the phrase a new phrase for the other players to solve.

Example:

Student X writes down the initials HWHIL and tells the other students that these are the initial letters of a five-word proverb. They rack their brains and eventually Student Z guesses correctly that the proverb is 'He who hesistates is lost'. Student Z then writes down ITFEWBFFFM and tells the others that it is a quotation by Andy Warhol. Student Y immediately recognizes the saying as: 'In the future, everyone will be famous for fifteen minutes'.

Noodle Doodle

Level: Elementary, Intermediate and Advanced.

Skills: writing.

Topic: vocabulary, grammar, spelling.

Materials: strands of uncooked spaghetti 

Time: 5 to 10 minutes.

Hand out strands of uncooked spaghetti to the students. They must break them up and form into words or entire sentences on their desk tops (or the floor). So for instance I say to the class, "He is my friend." Working as fast as they can, in groups, students write the sentence in spaghetti. The team that finishes writing the sentence first raise their hands, I check the sentence to make sure it is right and award that team a point. 

It isn't a game you play every week and it requires some sweeping up afterwards.

Quickdraw McGraw

Level: Elementary, Intermediate and Advanced.

Skills: speaking.

Topic: vocabulary, grammar, spelling.

Materials: cards for the words/sentences you're going to use, inflatable hammer.

Time: 10 to 15 minutes.

This is a fun way to practice quick-thinking production for just about any vocabulary or language you're teaching. Set up two desks at the front of the room. Put a soft object (for example, a paper ball) on each desk. Have two students come up to stand at a desk and face each other. Then put a card on each desk.

Give some kind of signal to start the quickdraw. The students then race to flip their card over, produce the language you want them to say, and then throw the ball to try and hit their opponent. The first student to correctly produce the language and hit their opponent wins. Students are allowed to dodge what's thrown at them, but I find that running around the room makes the game not so exciting. So tell them they can dodge as long as their feet don't move (Matrix moves are just fine). Also, be careful of head shots.

To control the sneakier kids, I enforce a "Kabong!" (from the old Hanna Barbara cartoon character Quickdraw McGraw/El Kabong) If they move their feet when dodging, throw too hard, hit their opponent's head, or just mumble gibberish to quickly get their chance to throw, then I "Kabong!" them on the head with an inflatable hammer.

My students just loved this game!

Martians Vs. Earthlings

Level: Elementary, Intermediate and Advanced.

Skills: miming, speaking.

Topic: vocabulary, spelling.

Materials: timer (one that rings, beeps, buzzes or makes some other kind of noise), flashcards with words.

Time: 10 to 15 minutes.

“Martians vs. Earthlings” is a game that is perfect for the last month of school. It is active, yet it has the very attractive feature (to teachers!) of requiring silence from most players. It takes thinking, creativity and ingenuity on the part of the students. It also involves communication, though of the non-verbal kind. With luck, the game may even give students more appreciation for the role language plays in our world.

When students come into class, have them draw numbers that designate them as Martians, Earthlings or Zelbotian Rulers. There should be only four or five Zelbotian Rulers, with the rest of the class divided equally between Martians and Earthlings. Thus, a class of 35 might have five Zelbotian Rulers, 15 Earthlings and 15 Martians. 

Explain that a space-traveling team of Earthlings and a space-traveling team of Martians have simultaneously had mechanical difficulties and landed on an unknown planet, a planet that has room for only one more group of beings. The planet’s Zelbotian Rulers must decide which group to allow to stay and which group to toss back into outer space - a very dangerous alternative.

The Zelbotian Rulers have decided to keep the group that proves itself to be the best at communicating. However, there’s a problem. The Zelbotian Rulers understand neither Martian nor English and, in fact, become quite irritated by the sound of either language. The Martians and Earthlings must find ways to communicate without using language, according to the following test:

• The teams will take turns trying to communicate the meaning of different words on flashcards to the Zelbotian Rulers. The teams must communicate with each other and with the Zelbotian Rulers entirely without using spoken or written language.
• Because the Zelbotian Rulers hate the sound of languages they don’t understand, the Earthlings will lose a point every time anyone in their group speaks, and the Martians will lose a point every time any Martian speaks. The same goes for any kind of written communication.
• The Zelbotian Rulers will flip a coin to see which team goes first. Then, the designated card holder (the teacher) will hold up a flash card to that team. That team will have one minute to try to communicate the word to the Zelbotian Rulers.

For example, if the flashcard says “love,” the team members will do all they can to get the Zelbotian Rulers to say “love.” If the Zelbotian Rulers guess the correct word before the timer sounds, the communicating team will gain one point. 

Yes, the Zelbotian Rulers get to speak. Their scientists have developed a device called the transmitifier, which allows their language to be understood by anyone who hears it, no matter what the person’s native language. Thus the Martians will hear what the Zelbotian Rulers say as Martian, and the Earthlings will hear whatever the Zelbotian Rulers say as English.

The Earthlings and Martians can’t use language at all, even to communicate with each other. Therefore, they may find it difficult to determine how to proceed in trying to communicate a word to the Zelbotian Rulers. It will take cooperation and creativity for a group to work together effectively.

• At the end of one minute, play goes to the next team. The card holder holds up a new card, and then the new team has one minute to communicate the word to the Zelbotian Rulers.
• Points are kept, even when a team goes into negative numbers. If a team has 0 points and someone speaks, the team will then have minus 1 point.

Possible Topics: love • hamburgers • taste • smell • ice •  flower • motorcycle • intelligence • hot • slow • hammer • book • words • green • newspaper • umbrella • television • telephone • numbers • beautiful • star • water • fish • calculator • sky • impatience • penguin • yellow • mother • temperature • paper • drew • carpet • cat • shy • milk • rain • skyscraper • rainbow • bus • envelope • talk • brave • ocean • hope

Teapot

Level: Elementary, Intermediate and Advanced.

Skills: speaking.

Topic: warmer.

Materials: none.

Time: 5 to 10 minutes.

The principal object of this warmer is to guess the mystery word the group is using. 

One student is bundled out of earshot (maybe going out of the class) while the others agree on a verb. Suppose the verb chosen is 'to sing'. The student now returns. His or her task is to discover the hidden verb. This he or she does by posing questions in which the unknown verb is replaced by the word teapot, and to which the respective respondents must reply as if the concealed verb had been used in its place. In this instance, the inquisition might proceed along these lines: 

Angela              Where do you usually teapot? 
Brendan            In the bath. 
Angela              Does Byron teapot well? 
Christopher      No; he usually shatters the windows. 
Angela              What would you do if I teapotted all over you? 
Derek               Probably stuff cotton-wool in my ears. 

As students don't get the word right after a while (set time limit to one minute, maximum), they drop out of the game (but still participate, giving clues, answers and examples). When only two remain, they are the winners. 

Last Shall Be First

Level: Elementary, Intermediate and Advanced.

Skills: speaking.

Topic: warmer.

Materials: none.

Time: 5 to 10 minutes.

The objective of this fast game is to think of words that start with the last letter of a preceding word.

Choose or let students choose a category; for example, countries, cities, trees, film titles, or famous writers (it's also useful to use the vocabulary taught in a previous class). The first student calls out a word that fits in that category. The second student then has to say another word in that category that starts with the last letter of the previous word. Play continues around the students in turn. Students drop out if they cannot think of a suitable word within ten seconds. No word can be repeated that has already been used.

Example: The students choose the category 'Composers'.

• Student A: Beethoven
• Student B: Nicolai
• Student C: Ibert.
• Student D: Tippett
• Student E: Tallis
• Student F: Stanford
• Student A: Delius
• Student B: Schubert
• Student C: Tchaikovsky
• (None of the students can think of a composer starting with Y, so they begin another round).

Habits

Level: Elementary, Intermediate and Advanced.

Skills: speaking.

Topic: warmer.

Materials: none.

Time: 5 to 10 minutes.

For this activity students need to know each other quite well, so it's advisable to play this game in a classroom where students have been studying together for quite a while. Divide the class into groups of five or six.   Every student writes a question, for example: "how old are you?" or "What does your father do?" Choose one person in each group to be the Questioner. Everyone in the group gives their questions to the Questioner. All the Questioners leave the classroom. 

Without the Questioners in the room, tell the whole class that they will be asked questions by the Questioners. However, they must answer each question as if they were the person sitting to the right of them. If they can't answer for the person sitting to the right of them, they must say "I don't know". 

Call the Questioners back into the room and get them to return to their groups. Tell the Questioners that they must discover the rule of the game.

Questioners now begin to ask the questions – they must ask one student a question, and then move on to another student. Tell Questioners that when they think they know the rule, they should put their hand up.

 

Alternatives for future lessons:

Students will probably love playing this game. So here are some alternatives for future lessons: 

• The first person who is asked a question says "I don't know". Then everyone else answers the previous question (i.e. Student 1 says "I don't know"; Student 2 then answers as if he/she were Student 1). 
• Students answer the questions as if they were the Questioner.
• Students answer the questions as if they were the Teacher.
• Students answer the questions as if they were another person in the class who is not in their group.

A A

Level: Intermediate and Advanced.

Skills: writing.

Topic: warmer.

Materials: blank sheets of paper.

Time: 5 to 10 minutes.

The objective of this game is to write a piece consisting of words that all start with the same letter.

Each student is given a piece of paper and is told to write one letter of the alphabet at the top of it. Students are then told that they have to write a story, news report, poem, or biography – using only words that begin with the letter they have chosen. Give about 5 minutes for the students to complete (or try to) complete their task. [This game can also be used as a challenge for one person to tackle, or more than one person to share].

Example: An Arab artist achieved amazing acts as an architect arranging all areas around an arboretum...

Zip Bong

Level: Elementary, Intermediate and Advanced.

Skills: speaking.

Topic: warmer.

Materials: none.

Time: 5 to 10 minutes.

It's a funny warmer for those days when students seem a bit 'out-of-sync'. It's somewhat like Fizz, Boing, Bounce.

Have students sit in a circle, and choose one person to start the game. Tell students to face the student on their left and say “zip” one at a time, going around the circle clockwise as fast as possible. As they say “zip,” they have to keep their teeth completely covered with their lips (no smiling)! Warn the group that if students accidentally show any teeth, they’ll be out.

Once students understand the “zip,” add a new movement. Students can reverse the direction of play by turning to the player on their right and saying “bong.” The player receiving the “bong” can either continue in the new direction (saying “zip”) or can reverse the direction again (by saying “bong”). Students who show their teeth, look in the wrong direction, or go too slowly, must step out of the circle and become judges. The competitive and speedy play continues until the circle shrinks to two students, the winners.

Jog! Jog! Jog!

Level: Elementary, Intermediate and Advanced.

Skills: speaking.

Topic: grammar.

Materials: none.

Time: 5 to 10 minutes.

This game is aimed at children and teenagers, but I have worked with some adults who loved it. It's worth a try! 

First, have the learners stand together in an open space. Tell them to follow your instructions, repeating the verb over and over as they do so. The first instruction – and every second instruction throughout the game – is one that makes the learners circulate: Jog!

Teacher: (starts jogging around the room) Jog! Jog! Jog! etc.

Learners: (jogging) Jog! Jog! Jog! etc.

Teacher: (stops jogging) Pat your neighbour’s head! (turns to the closest person and starts patting their head) Pat! Pat! Pat! etc.

Learners: (patting their neighbour’s head) Pat! Pat! Pat! etc.

Teacher: (stops patting and starts jogging around the room): Jog! Jog! Jog! etc.

Learners: (jogging) Jog! Jog! Jog! etc.

Other instructions: touch, tap, stroke, tickle, slap, scratch.

Observation:

It's fully appreciated that making bodily contact is not considered appropriate in some cultures and with some individuals. As with all games in this blog I suppose that the teacher knows what is and what isn't acceptable.

The Traveller's Alphabet

Level: Advanced.

Skills: speaking.

Topic: vocabulary / warmer.

Materials: none.

Time: 5 to 15 minutes.

Another great warmer, now aimed at more advanced students. It has worked very well with teenagers as much as with adults.

The students sit in a row and the first begins by saying, "I am going on a journey to Athens," or any place beginning with A. The one sitting next asks, "What will you do there?" The verbs, adjectives, and nouns used in the reply must all begin with A; as "Amuse Ailing Authors with Anecdotes." If the player answers correctly, it is the next student's turn; she says perhaps: "I am going to Bradford." "What to do there?" "To Bring Back Bread and Butter." A third says: "I am going to Constantinople." "What to do there?" "To Carry Contented Cats." Any one who makes a mistake is out of the game or must pay a forfeit to continue playing.

No Or's, And's, or But's

Level: Elementary, Intermediate and Advanced.

Skills: speaking (or writing)

Topic: warmer.

Materials: none (or writing supplies).

Time: 5 to 10 minutes.

Want to hear a great story? Then create one with your students, a word at a time. (This is also a neat activity to do with a word processor, if you have a multimedia room where students can use computers to type). 

Have one student say or write any word to begin the tale. Then other student adds a word, and so forth, until the first sentence is finished. This cooperative speaking/writing approach continues until the story comes to a conclusion. It may or may not be the ending you had envisioned, but that's the whole point: You never know what direction the tale will take when you and your student become co-authors. 

Once you've gotten the hang of co-writing a story in this fashion, up the ante by introducing a new rule: no one can use the words "or," "and," or "but." That's a lot more difficult than it sounds. Take turns inventing new rules, too, just to keep each other on your toes. 

That's going to be tough when you can only use words less than five letters long ...

Backenforth

Level: Elementary, Intermediate and Advanced.

Skills: speaking.

Topic: warmer.

Materials: none.

Time: 5 to 10 minutes.

The objective of this quick game is to guess words when they are spelt backwards. 

First, divide the class into two groups. Appoint a student to start the game; he or she spells out a word backwards. The first student   —  of any group  —  to identify the word correctly scores one point. If students guess the word incorrectly, they lose a point. [Alternatively, the student who guesses correctly becomes the next player to spell out the word backwards].

Variation:

The game can also be played with one student pronouncing a word backwards (e.g. 'taerg' for great backwards).

Earth, Air, Fire and Water

Level: Elementary, Intermediate and Advanced.

Skills: speaking.

Topic: vocabulary / warmer.

Materials: small object, such as handkerchief or a ball.

Time: 5 to 10 minutes.

The objective of this quick game, tailored for a warmer, is to think of words that fit the categories Earth, Air or Water.

The students stand or sit in a circle. One student throws a small object (I usually use a small yellow ball with a Smiley painted on it) to one of the other students, shouting either 'Earth', 'Air', or 'Water', and starts counting up to ten. Before the number ten is reached, the other student must name a creature that lives in the named region. For instance, if the category is 'Earth', possible answers could be tiger or slug. If the category is 'Air', possible answers could include falcon or wasp. If a student thinks of a suitable creature in time, that student becomes the person to throw the object at someone else but, if the student cannot think of a suitable answer, the student who counted to ten has a second go, throwing the object at another student. Important: if 'Fire' is shouted, the student has to remain silent.

Write Now!

Level: Elementary, Intermediate and Advanced.

Skills: speaking.

Topic: grammar and vocabulary / warmer.

Materials: none.

Time: 5 to 15 minutes.

Divide the students into teams, separating them into two or three rows, facing the board. First student from each row comes to the board. Call out a letter. Students must write down all the words they can think of that begin with that letter. Call "time's up" after about 20 seconds. Second students come up. Give them a different letter. The row with the most correct (and correctly spelled) words wins.

This game is especially suitable to be a fun, lively warmer.

Ten Things

Level: Intermediate and Advanced.

Skills: writing.

Topic: vocabulary.

Materials: whiteboard markers (and a board, evidently).

Time: 5 to 15 minutes.

Divide the class into two teams, telling the students that they will come to the board to write, each student a time/per turn. Read out some categories, for instance:

• Things that come in pairs;
• Things that can fly, 
• Things that are difficult;
• Things that move fast;
• Things that you keep cold;
• Things that go up and down;
• Things that make a lot of noise, etc.

In each team, students quickly think of ten things in that category. Then the appointed student for that turn comes to the board and writes the list. The first team to write the list wins a point. After some rounds (say, five or six), the team which most points are considered the winners. 

This game (which can be employed as a very nice warmer) is a hit with most of my students, teenagers and adults alike!

Yessir, Nossir

Level: Elementary, Intermediate, Advanced.

Skills: listening and speaking.

Topic: grammar / vocabulary.

Materials: none.

Time: 5 minutes.

A very quick and fun game, suitable for all levels. It can be used as a warmer, too. The objective here is to answer questions for one minute without saying 'yes' or 'no'. It is somewhat similar to V.A.M.P..

Pair up the students. In each pair, one of them asks the other a series of quick questions, which that student has to answer without using the words 'yes' or 'no' or nodding the head. The students quiz each other in turns. The winner is the student who lasts longer without saying the forbidden words. 

Variation:

In a more difficult variation of this game, the words 'I' and 'you' also have to be avoided.

Another way of playing this game is for each student to be given five counters or tokens. Instead of pairs, divide the class into groups of five students. They act in turn as 'question master'. Each time anyone is tricked into saying 'yes' or 'no', that student is given one token by the questioner. The winner is the first student to get rid of all his or her tokens. 

Back Writing

Level: Elementary, Intermediate and Advance.

Skills: writing.

Topic: vocabulary.

Materials: a list of words you want the students to review.

Time: 10 to 20 minutes.

This activity is really engaging and fun. The tickling sensation provided by the tracing the message (word or sentence) on the back of the students gets them laughing and motivates them more acutely than simply asking them to remember previous vocabulary. Having students write on each other's back is a good way to stimulate the sense of touch (good for kinesthetic students!) in the lesson and further involves the student. This game is systematically used in my classes as a warmer, but you can bring it up anytime during your lesson.

First, divide the class into two groups and have both groups stand in team lines facing the board. Give the first person of each group a board marker. Teach the students that a tap on one's own shoulder means 'repeat' and a nod means 'OK, I understood'. Also, tell them that no verbal communication is allowed. If any member of each group is heard speaking or murmuring, the opposing group will be given a point.

Then, move to the end of the line, calling the last students of each group to see the message you have previously prepared (again, it can be a sentence or just a word). Next, students pass the message to the front of the line by tracing the message on the back of the person in front of them. Remind students of the two commands for repeating or accepting the message. When the message reaches the first person in line, they write it on the board. The group who finishes first and correctly earns a point. Draw student's attention to the importance of being fast and accurate at the same time. When the round is finished, have the first person go to the end of the line to change writers and show a second word. The game can end when every member of both groups had the chance to start writing on their partners' back or at any given time (depending on your choices; longer lines make the game harder but shorter lines allows for more opportunity to have everyone be the writer).

Variation for younger students: 

Have students sit in a circle for a smaller class or make team lines for a larger class. Choose a letter or word from current study and have children trace it in the air together. Next, have students trace the letter onto the back of the person in front of them. Observe the students and correct where necessary. Repeat using new letters. Use words or sentences for higher levels, as presented above. 

V.A.M.P. (Vegetable, Animal, Mineral or Person)

Level: Elementary, Intermediate, Advanced.

Skills: speaking and listening.

Topic: warmer using previously taught vocabulary.

Materials: none.

Time: 10 to 20 minutes.

When the number of students is large, this game affords much amusement. One student is sent out of the room. While he / she is gone, the students decide upon some object or person which he / she is to guess. He  / she is then called in, and asks each one a question. 

The answers to the questions must be either "Yes" or "No," and a forfeit must be paid if any other answer is given. 

Suppose the object chosen is a piece of coal in the fireplace. The student will begin by finding out whether the object chosen is of the animal, vegetable, or mineral kingdom; thus the following questions may be asked: "Is it a mineral?" "Yes." "Is it hard?" "Yes." "Is it very valuable?" "No." "Is it bright and shiny?" "Yes." "Is it gold?" "No." "Silver?" "No." "Is it in this room?" "Yes." "Is it black?" "Yes." "Is it a piece of coal?" "Yes." 

The correct object being guessed, another student is sent out and the game continues. If not, this same student is sent out again.

Variation:

If any student answers other thing but "Yes" or "No", this student will be part of the group of guessers and sent out of the room.