101 Games For The ESL Classroom - Longstaff

101 Games for the English as Second Language (ESL) classroom
Compiled and Edited by Jeffrey Scott Longstaff

( www.laban-analyses.org/jeffrey/ )
1st Edition February 6, 2012
Introduction
Definition of Game
Participants in English as a second language (ESL) often say that they like to play games as a fun way to
learn. However some teachers also say that they dont know what games to play. There are many ESL web
sites where users have submitted a large number of games, however frequently a great portion of these
games are not true games but might be more accurately described as fun activities.
.
The list of games here are all true games in the sense of the 1st definition of game being a form of
competitive activity or sport played according to rules (Oxford Dictionary; World English 2012). The
active component is competition which brings excitement and thus motivation to participate.
.
Hence, all the games here have rules and lead to winners or losers of the game.
.
Having winners and losers might be criticized (no one wants to be a loser), this is an important issue but
for the sake of brevity it is not considered here. Hopefully these games can be played for their benefit of
increasing student motivation. Winners and losers do not need to be highlighted. Prizes can be given to
everyone if desired. It is possible to play the games but not keep track of the points. Any game can also
include random events where players gain or lose points by chance (see the game: level the playing field).
.
Moreover, competition is part of life. Learning sportsmanship, fair play and how to be a good winner
and a good loser are important lessons that can be taught through playing games.
.
Organisation of the games

The best way to organise the list of games is not clear. Many ESL web sites list games according to student
level, games for beginning, intermediate, or advanced level students. However this organisation is not used
here, because most games can be adapted (for example by changing the vocabulary or grammar used) to be
useable in many different skill levels.
.
The organisation of the games here is somewhat ad hoc, unplanned, it is a work in progress. The games have
been put into a few categories, but these are not considered to be a final or a best organisation.
.
Generally, games have been grouped according to a task-based approach, so that game using a particular
task (eg. Bingo) are all put together in one category.
.
Further, keywords have been listed for each game. Again, these are ad hoc, a work in progress. They are
not complete or considered to be the best solution.
.
Finally, a note is made for each game on how much preparation is required before playing the game.
Many games require no preparation at all, so can be quickly used without any preplanning.
.
Many games are very similar

Many of the games are very similar. There are often several versions of the same game from different
countries and cultures or having developed from individual teachers styles.
.
Many variations have been attempted to be included here, while also trying to have as little duplication as
possible (though some duplication was unavoidable). Some games have several variations listed, while
other variations have been listed as separate games even though the game-play may be quite similar.
.
There are more variations possible than are listed here! It is up to the teacher to use the ideas of the game,
feel free to modify them, and make new variations to fit ones own style and the needs of the students.
.
Overall, the main purpose of games is to have fun! So feel free to experiment and be creative!
Compiler and Editor: 1st Edition
I am not the author of these games and Ive only played a few of them in class.
My role has only been to collect them from many places and edit them into one concise format.
- In this 1st edition, there are also likely to be many mistakes, please send any notes to me! - Jeffrey
2012 Jeffrey Scott Longstaff (Ed.) 101 Games for the English as Second Language (ESL) classroom
p. 2 of 55
LIST OF GAMES
Body movement with a few words
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Simon Says!
Simon tells players what to do, but players should only do it if he first says Simon says
Mother may I? Father may I?
Players in the back try to touch Mother or Father who will tell them what they may do.
Red light, Green light! - Statues!
Players in the back, try to touch a player in the front, but if seen moving they must start over.
What time is it Mr. Wolf? - Whats the time Mr. Wolf?
Players ask Mr. Wolf about the time, ... then run away when its time for dinner!
Catch! Play Ball!
Players ask a question, then throw a ball to another player who must answer.
Twister!
Body parts & colors are called out, players reach for the colors in the twister play area.
Red Rover!
Team #1 calls for a player from Team #2 who tries to break through their line or is caught.
Recognition of key-words or finding words and objects
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Show me!
Each player gets a card, when someone says the name of the card, they hold it up and show it.
Hold it up!
Teams get all the cards, when someone says the name of a card, teams find it and hold it up.
Thats my word!
A text is read aloud, players have keywords, when hearing ones own word, stand up & say it.
Grab that word!
Play a song, keywords are on cards stuck on the board, when hearing a word, run and grab it.
Scavenger hunt!
Teams get lists of things to find (words, objects, information), team that finds the most wins!
Identifying differences
13.
14.
What changed?
A few players leave the room, others change things, players return & guess what has changed.
Find the differences!
Players try to find differences between two similar pictures without looking at the other one.
Giving directions
15.
16.
Pin the tail on the donkey!

One player is blindfolded, others give directions where to put various body parts on a picture
Find the treasure!
One player is blindfolded, others give directions on how to go somewhere and find a treasure.
Repetition: Drilling, Clapping, Chanting
17.
18.
Clapping syllables!
Players clap the rhythm of syllables in words or sentences, competing for accuracy and style.
Bigger and bigger!
Players say words over and over while getting bigger & bigger and speaking louder & louder.
19.
20.
21.
p. 3 of 55
Beep game!
Players say numbers or letters in the correct order, except sometimes say Beep instead.
Speed naming!
Words or pictures are on the board, players say the words in random order as fast as possible.
Speed naming! - Punctuation!
Players randomly point at punctuation signs while others say their names as fast as possible.
Relaying information from one to another
22.
23.
24.
Whats on your back?

Players each write a letter or word on anothers back, the last player writes it on the board.
Telephone! Whisper circle!
One player reads a sentence, tells it to the next player, etc., the last player says it to the teacher.
Relay the story! Dictation!
One player reads a short story, tells it bit by bit to the next player, etc., the last player writes it.
Guess! - a word - an object - a person - a sentence - a story...
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
Guess the word!

A picture or drawing is held up, players try to remember words for things in the drawing.
I spy with my little eye!
I hear with my little ear!
A player picks a thing within sight (or hearing) and gives a clue, other players guess what it is.
Fly swatter! Whack the word!
Words are written or placed in the room, a clue is given, players run to whack the word.
Fly swatter! Whack the word! - Categories & Contexts!
A clue is given for an object, players run to whack the context where it would be found.
Duel! Bang bang!
Two teams each send 1 player forward, a clue is given for a word, 1st player to guess it wins.
Twenty questions!
One player picks a word, other players can ask up to 20 yes / no questions to guess the word.
Three lives!
Players ask yes / no questions to guess a word but get only 3 no answers = lost all 3 lives!
Hang man!
Players ask yes / no questions to guess a word, no answers get the player closer to hanging.
What are you talking (writing) about?
Players write descriptions of something in the room, then other players try to guess what it is.
Describe your friend!
Players write descriptions of each other, then other players try to guess who is being described.
Guess your classmates!
Players write their names & something special about themselves, other players guess who it is.
The name game!
Player #1 faces away, another player says My name is... Player #1 says true or false.
Who is it? If they were a . . . , then what . . . would they be?
One player is it, other players try to guess who it is by asking If this person was a ...
Who are you talking about!
Players describe someone, others make drawings from the description and guess who it is.
Police sketch artists!
Witnesses describe someone, sketch artists draw the person, detectives try to find the person.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
51.
52.
53.
p. 4 of 55
Who are you? What are you? (changing partners)

Players write what they are on a card, partners guess it - then switch cards & find new partners.
Guess who! Guess what! (groups)
One player picks something to be (an object, a famous person,...) other players try to guess.
Who are they? What are they? ( & )
Half of the players each pick something to be, of the class guesses who the other is.
Who am I? What am I? Where am I?
Players dont know who, what, or where they are, but its written on their head, they can guess.
Hot seat!
Each team sends one player to the front, then gives clues so their player can guess the word.
Pictionary! Charades!
Guessers try to guess a word or phrase & performers give clues drawing or acting it out.
a. Pictionary! Charades! -- Team 1 versus Team 2!
Team 1 gives Team 2 a word or phrase to perform & guess, then Teams 1 and 2 reverse roles.
b. Pictionary! Charades! -- First team to guess!
Each team performs and tries to guess the same word or phrase. The first team to guess, wins!
c. Pictionary! Charades! -- How many can you guess!
Each team tries to guess as many words or phrases as possible within a time limit.
d. Pictionary! Charades! -- Who can guess first?
Everyone plays together, with one player performing and everyone else trying to guess.
Sentence Charades! (or Pictionary)
One team performs or draws pictures, the guessers try to guess an entire secret sentence.
Adjective Charades! (or Pictionary)
Players perform or draw an animal and an adjective, other players guess both words.
Adverb Charades! (or Pictionary)
Players use an adverb, other players tell them to do an activity and try to guess their adverb.
Do it with feeling! (Charades)
Players perform actions with feelings, teams try to guess the verbs and adjectives or adverbs.
Utter nonsense! A (totally) foreign language!
Players perform a conversation or scene using gibberish, other players guess what it is about.
Laryngitis! Get the gist! (Charades & Pictionary for stories)
Players try to communicate a story without speaking, other players try to understand the gist.
Password!
One player in the team says a one-word clue, the other player in that team tries to guess a word.
Performance password!
Players in a team give a performance with dialogue, other players guess a secret word.
Recalling groups or series
54.
55.
56.
Accumulation (I went to the market and bought...)

Players repeat a basic sentence followed by an ever-lengthening list of items in the category.
Matching / Concentration
Players look for matching cards (2 pictures, 2 words, or 1 word with 1 picture)
Kims Game (from the book Kim by Rudyard Kipling)
Players briefly see a collection of objects, words, pictures, then recall them later.
p. 5 of 55
Generating categories
57.
58.
59.
60.
61.
62.
63.
64.
65.
66.
Name 6! (Pass the toy)

A toy is passed around a circle of 7 players while one player names 6 members of a category.
How many words?
Players in teams run to the board and write as many words (in a category) as they can think of.
Memory box! / Think fast!
Teams pick different categories and write as many words as they can think of in their category.
Things we do with our ...
Teacher writes a phrase (Things we do with our...) - teams write verbs in that category.
Word chain / Words leading / Shiritori
Players run to the board & write words that begin with the letter that the last word ended with.
Words of a letter flock together (Birds of a feather flock together)
Teacher says a letter, each student must say a word that begins with that letter.
Alphabet words!
The first student says a word that starts with A, next students word starts with B, etc.
Stop the alphabet!
Say the alphabet till someone yells stop! - write categories of words starting with that letter.
Alphabet cards!
Players turn over cards (with letters), then say words or sentences beginning with those letters.
Smile! Similar similes!
Teams race as fast as ...... to see who can make the most similes within a time limit.
Spelling
67.
68.
69.
70.
Spelling duel!
Two players come forward, each player says a word, then try to spell the other players word.
Survivor spelling: letter - by - letter!
Player #1 says the 1st letter of a word, player #2 the 2nd etc. -make a mistake and youre out.
Survivor spelling: word - by - word! (Spelling bee)
Each player tries to spell a word. When a player makes a mistake, they are out.
Team spelling!
Each team sends players forward to spell words and earn points for their team.
Arranging & Rearranging: letters into words / words into sentences
71.
72.
73.
74.
75.
76.
77.
Finding needles in a haystack! (from Sally, Joanna, Michelle, & Fiona)

Players get a card with a word and they must ask other players for the letters to spell that word.
Changing letters! - Making words!
A word is written on the board, each player changes one letter to make a new word.
Arrange and rearrange the letters!
Players get cards with letters, a word is said and players arrange the letters to make the word.
Conundrum! Arrange the letters!
Players see letters in random order, then rearrange the letters to make the word or short phrase.
Advanced conundrum!
Players randomly pick letters & teams use the letters to try to make the longest word possible.
Reverse conundrum!
Players see a long word, then use the letters to make as many other words as possible.
Scrabble!
Players randomly pick letters, then arrange those letters to spell words as long as possible.
78.
79.
80.
81.
82.
p. 6 of 55
Arrange and rearrange the words!

Players take cards with words written on them and arrange these into correct sentences.
Arrange the song!
Players arrange words on cards into the correct order of a song.
Arrange and rearrange the parts of speech!
Players arrange parts of speech (grammar words written on cards) into correct orders.
Arrange the words KABADI!
Players put words in order as fast as possible without breathing -continuously saying Kabadi.
Position the prepositions!
Teams compete to arrange prepositions into the correct locations within sentences.
Writing sentences and stories
83.
84.
85.
86.
87.
Run and write! (Sentence race!)

A word is called out, players run to the board and write a sentence as fast as possible.
Sentences: word - by - word!
A category is called out, players take turns saying one word, gradually making a sentence.
Crazy stories: word - by - word! (not a true game, but tried to make it so)
Words & phrases are blindly put in columns, the story is read & players guess who wrote what.
Players blindly put words & phrases in columns, read the story & others guess who wrote what.
Crazy stories: what was your word?
Players write 1 word, use it in a sentence in a story, and players guess: What was your word?
Crazy stories: sentence - by - sentence! (not a true game, but tried to make it so)
Players write sentences in rows, then hide what they wrote, finally the story is read.
Exaggeration, Stretching the Truth
88.
89.
90.
Liar! Liar! -- Alphabet Liar! Number Liar!

Card game where players try to discard as many cards as possible, even if they must lie.
Have you ever?
Players tell stories about things theyve done, other players try to figure out if they are true.
The biggest bragger!
Players compete to come up with the biggest boasts and brags (regardless how unlikely).
Grammar & Verb tenses
91.
92.
93.
94.
Mr. Ed! The sounds of Ed!

Teams race to collect regular verbs into 3 groups, depending on sounds of -ed (-t, -d, or +ed).
Run and write! (Active voice, Passive voice)
Players from each team run to the board and change a sentences grammar as fast as possible.
How much for this sentence? Sentence auction!
Players bargain to try to buy sentences with good grammar, but not to buy those that are poor.
Feeling tense? (Tenses, phrase by phrase)
One player says a phrase indicating a time, the next player finishes the sentence in that tense.
Quizzes - Questions & Answers
95.
Team questions!
Groups make questions about a text and ask them to other groups who must answer fast.
96.
97.
98.
99.
p. 7 of 55
Quiz show!
Questions are asked about any subject and teams compete to answer them quickly.
Whats the question? (Jeopardy!)
Answers to questions are given, and teams compete to see who can provide the questions.
True Jeopardy!
Answers are organised into categories and difficulty (points) which teams can select from.
Comedy quiz!
Players try to answer questions with comedic answers.
Bingo & Tic Tac Toe (rows in a grid)
100. Bingo! (basic game)

A number is called out, players who have it on their card get that square: 3 in a row wins.
a. Vocabulary Bingo!
A 3 in a row wins.
b. Question & Answer Bingo!
A question is called out, players who have the answer on their cards get that square.
c. Irregular verb Bingo!
An irregular verb is called out: get that square if the past tense of that verb is on your card
d. Shout it out Bingo!
A word is called out, but only the 1st player to shout the word gets that square on their card.
e. Grammar Bingo!
The word or answer must be shouted out in a sentence in a correct form of grammar.
f. Getting to know you Bingo!
Players ask 8 others about themselves & write this on bingo cards, win if the names are called.
101. Tic Tac Toe! (Naughts and Crosses) (basic game)
Players pick a square and get it if they can say the word in that square 3 in a row wins.
a. Question & Answer Tic Tac Toe!
Players pick a square, if they answer a question correctly, then they get that square.
b. Grammar Tic Tac Toe!
Players get a square if they say a correct sentence with the requested grammar and vocabulary.
Extras - Add to any game for more fun!
102. Secret Code!
Written instructions are given in secret code, players work out the code as fast as they can!
103. Watch the Time!
A time limit for an activity depends on an irregular event (spinning a top, saying the alphabet)!
104. Level the playing field! Bonus Round!
When a player or team gets points, the number gained (or lost!) is decided by chance!
105. Punish the losers!
Instead of rewarding winners, making losing exciting with fun activities for punishment!
106. Police!
If a player breaks a rule of the game they are punished by losing time or losing points!
p. 8 of 55
The Games!
Body movement with a few words
Simon Says!
(Preparation: None!) .
/ recognize keywords / body movement / commands - imperative mood /
One player is designated as Simon who stands in front and gives players commands to do things
Two main rules:
- A command starting with Simon says means players must do it
- A command that does not start with Simon says means players must not do it.
If any player breaks either rule, they are out and stop playing
After everyone else is out the last person remaining becomes the next Simon
Simon can command players to do almost anything that is physically possible, for example:
stand up, sit down, touch your left ear, say "yes", sing a song
Simon can also direct commands to just some of the players (calling them by name)
To make it more exciting (and difficult) Simon can say many commands very quickly, for example:
o Simon says stand up. Simon says sit down. Simon says arms up. Arms down.
(anyone ending with arms down is out, because that command did not begin with Simon says
Mother may I? Father may I?
/ body movement / commands / questions / speaking / outdoors / spatial directions /
The game is played in a large open room (no desks or chairs) or outdoors
- One player is designated as Mother or Father and stands in the front
- The rest of the players start standing in the back of the room (or as far away as possible)
The goal is to get permission to come forward
- the first player to touch mother or father wins! (and becomes the new mother or father)
Commands about movements can include:
- Types of movements (steps, runs, jumps, crawls, leaps,...)
- Number of steps, runs, jumps, etc.
- Time for stepping, running, jumping etc.
- Size of steps, runs, jumps (big, small, tiny, mouse-sized, elephant steps, etc.)
- Direction of steps, runs, jumps. etc.
Variation 1: Mother or Father give commands to particular players (Bob, take 2 mouse steps forward)
- the player must first ask: Mother may I? (or Father may I?)
- If mother or father says Yes, then the player gets to take the steps
If the player doesnt ask, or
If the player takes the steps before mother / father says yes,
o then that player must go to the back and start again
Variation 2: Same as Variation 1, except the players can also ask mother or father:
- Mother, may I take take 2 seconds of tiny steps forward
- Mother / Father can reply Yes or No
If Yes then the player can do it.
If No then the player cannot do it, but Mother / Father can make a different command:
o No, but you can take 2 seconds of hopping forward
Variation: Instead of Mother may I? players ask Mother, do I have to?, or Mother, must I? etc.
p. 9 of 55
Red light, Green light! - Statues!
/ recognize keywords / body movement / commands / speaking / outdoors /
The game is played in a large open room (no desks or chairs) or outdoors
- One person (the police officer) stands in front,
- all other players begin at the back (farthest away from the front)
- The person in the front says Green Light and turns away (his / her back towards the others)
- Other players try to come forward towards the front
- At any time the police officer can turn around
All the other players must freeze, stand still, like statues
The police officer can walk around looking at the players closely and can try to startle them!
(but cannot touch them)
If the police officer sees anyone moving, then that person goes to the back to start over
- Anytime the police officer has their back to the other players, they can move
- The first person to touch the police officer wins, and becomes the next officer
Variation: Instead of a police officer , the person in front is a museum curator
Whats the time Mr. Wolf? / What time is it Mr. Wolf?
/ recognize keywords / telling time / body movement / questions /
Need large open area to play
Simple game for learning how to tell the time on the clock
- one person is selected as Mr. Wolf (could be the teacher first)
- All other players ask Mr. Wolf a question: Whats the time Mr. Wolf?
- Mr. Wolf answers, saying any time: Its 2 oclock
Repeat questions and answers
- Mr. Wolf can answer with any time, including variations (5:30 pm, half past 4, 12 midnight, etc.)
- continue till Mr. Wolf answers Its dinner time!
Then Mr. Wolf runs to catch one of the players
the 1st player who is caught becomes the next Mr. Wolf
Variation:
It is possible to play this game with:
- different questions and different vocabulary answers
- different animals
What are you having for lunch today Mr. Wolf? (Mr. Shark, Mrs. Tiger....)
o Im having rice for lunch.
o Im having dumplings for lunch.
o Im having Children for lunch! (run and catch the next Mr. Wolf)
Catch!
Play Ball!
(Preparation: need a ball or soft object to throw & catch) .

/ conversation / questions / body movement / passing a ball or toy / speaking /
Bring a ball to class: Whoever has the ball, must speak
- Teacher starts, asks any question, (What are you doing tomorrow?) then throws the ball to someone
- The student catches the ball and must answer the question
- If the student drops the ball or hesitates more than 5 seconds - then he/she takes the role of teacher
Keep throwing the ball back and forth from: Teacher (or student in that role) to / from Student
Questions to use in the game:
- The questions used in the game can be anything - but should be able to be answered quickly
- 1-word / 2-word answers are best for example:
- a vocabulary word from a category (Name a color! What day is today? Whats your favorite food?)
- or more difficult (Who wrote the book Oliver? Who was the 2nd president of USA?)
- or could be grammar questions (What is the past participle of to see?)
- or general questions (What are you doing tomorrow? Whats for dinner tonight?)
Catch!
p. 10 of 55
Play Ball!
(Preparation: need a ball or soft object to throw & catch) .

/ conversation / questions / body movement / passing a ball or toy / speaking /
Variations on Catch! Play Ball!

1) The ball can be thrown back and forth between teacher and a student, with the teacher always asking the
question and a student giving the answer.
2) The ball could also be thrown randomly from student to student:
Players alternate: question, answer, question, answer: One player asks a question, then throws the
ball to the next player who answers, who throws the ball to the next who asks another question, etc.
Each player answers and then asks a new question: A player answers the last question, then asks a
new question before throwing it to any other player who then answers the question, and asks another.
Variation: Answers must be in a certain grammar structure
- If a student doesnt use that grammar, then they take the role of teacher
Variation: Have several balls, with a different colors
- Each ball indicates a different sentence to say
- Throw or pass the balls randomly amongst students
- Whoever catches a particular ball, says the sentence associated with that ball
Variation: Throw or pass the balls faster and faster, to increase the speed of talking (and thinking!)
- it also feels more fun to try to go faster and faster
- after going very fast, then slow down the speed again for greater accuracy
Twister / Left Hand Red!
(Preparation: needs a Twister play area) .

/ body movement / body parts / right-left / colors /
Popular party game for breaking the ice
Typical Twister play area
- Prepare the play area
- The host randomly picks:
a body part
right or left
a color
Examples: - left hand red
- right foot blue
- The player must put that body part on that color
- They must keep it there (until told to move)
- The host picks body parts/color for another player
- If one player is using one of the colored spaces, that
same space cannot be used by another player
- Players often end up in twists trying to reach the
body parts to the colors
- The looser is the first person to fall over!
- The looser becomes the next host
Variations:
- It would be possible to change the vocabulary on the
dots, so that other words were used
- The size of the play area can be made smaller or
larger
- Any number of players can play at the same time
(depending on the size of the play area)
Red Rover!
p. 11 of 55
/ body movement / speaking / outdoors / names /

Two teams on opposite sides of a large open room, or outdoors
- Each team hold hands and make a row on their side of the area
One team goes first: and calls for one player on the other team, for example: Susan:
Red Rover, Red Rover, send Susan right over!
-
Susan lets go of her team mates and runs toward the other team
o If she breaks through their row, then she can take one of the two people that she broke through
back with her to her original team
o If she cannot break through their row, she is caught and must join the new team
The goal is to get everyone on your team

When one team gets everyone, then they win! (everyone is on that team, so everyone will win!)
Recognition of key-words or finding words and objects

Show me!
(Preparation: make cards, each with a picture or word) .

/ recognize keywords / body movement / cards with pictures or words /
Make many cards, each with a picture of an object or animal
- Give one card to each player
- Players look at their card, but dont show anyone else
- Then place their card face down, or hold it against their chest
Play:
- Play music and have everyone move around the room
- Stop the music and everyone must freeze (stand still)
- The teacher says the name of one of the pictures
- The player(s) with that picture, turns it over and shows it to everyone - they get one point!
- as part of their prize they are also free to move (while everyone else is still still-frozen)!
After all the cards have been named, switch pictures and play again
Variation: Teacher says the name of the category (animals food)
- Anyone with an animal picture (or picture of food) turns it over and shows it.. and also can move
Hold it up!
(Preparation: make cards, each with a picture or word) .

/ recognize keywords / understand definitions / body movement / cards with pictures or words /
Similar to Show me! or to Whack the word
Make many cards, each with a word (or could use pictures or drawings)
Play in teams: Every team gets a full set of all the cards
- One player plays at a time for each team (for small teams, the whole team might play together)
- All the cards are laid on a desk in front of the player
The teachers calls out a word (for advanced students: the teacher gives a definition of the word)
- Players look for the card with that word (or with the picture)
- First player to Hold it up! gets one point for their team
Each team sends a different player forward to play
Variation: Can separate the board into one area for each team
- write all the words in each teams area
- one player from a each team runs forward and circles the correct word
- first player to circle the correct word, gets one point for their team
p. 12 of 55
Thats my word!
(Preparation: pick a text, write keywords on papers) .

/ recognize keywords / body movement / cards with pictures or words / speaking /
Find a story (or other text) for students age and skill level
Make a list of key words in the text, and write each one on a piece of paper:
- Each student gets one piece of paper with one word on the paper (or, give students 2 or 3 papers)
- The teacher reads the story (or other text)
- When students hear their word, they must stand up quickly, show their card, and say the word
- Every time they correctly hear their word and stand up and say it, they get one point.
After playing, the class can discuss the key words and their meanings
Variation: Each student has several words
- When a key word is read, several students might have that word on their list
- the first student to stand, show the word card and say the word, gets one point.
Grab that word!
(Preparation: pick a song, bring a music player, put keywords on papers) .

/ recognize keywords / body movement / cards with pictures or words /
Pick a song that students will like - Pick out lots of good words from the song
- write each word on a separate piece of paper
- stick the words all around the blackboard
- (include some words that are not actually in the song! = distracters = Red Herrings)
Students play in teams
- One person plays at a time for each team (their team can cheer them on)
- Each teams current player stands at the front of their line
Play a recording of the song
- When the players hear a word in the song thats on the board, they run and try to grab that word
- After a player runs forward once, they go to the end of their teams line
Play the song several times, or until all the words are taken off the board (except any Red Herrings)
- the team with the most words, wins (any team grabbing a Red Herring loses points!)
Scavenger Hunt
(Preparation: pick things to find and where to find them) .

/ recognize keywords / body movement /
Basic Game:
Each team gets a list of things to find
- Team that finds the most things on the list (within a time limit) wins!
Variations: Can hunt from various sources:
- Hunt through the items in the room, or within the building, or in sight through the windows
- Hunt through a written text
- Hunt through the words of a song
- Hunt through a video (words and pictures)
Notes: Categories of things to find:
- Objects: Find particular objects, or pictures or verbal descriptions of the objects.
- Information: Ask players to find facts or figures. These facts may be verbal or visual and can include
things spoken, information written in charts or text.
- Counts: Count the number of times a certain word or picture or object or idea is appears (for example,
the number of times someone says a particular word, the number of people wearing a certain color, the
number of a particular type of object, the number of times that someone does a particular action.
- Scenes: Find pictures or descriptions of particular scenes, for example a love scene, or a particular
location (eg. a river or a famous city) or some sort of social activity (eg. a picnic, a speech).
- Activities: Find examples of actions, for example playing sports or eating or singing a song, anything
that can be described with a verb.
- Spoken Acts: Find examples of certain kinds of speaking (eg. inviting, refusing, requesting, making an
introduction, apologizing, saying hello).
p. 13 of 55
Identifying differences
What changed?
/ categories of vocabulary / speaking / writing / body movement /
Two or more students go out of the classroom
- While students are out, other students change things in the classroom
o For example: change coats, sit in different places, move things
o students in the classroom write a list of everything that has changed
Then the students come back into the class and try to guess everything that has changed
- the student who guesses the most things wins
Find the differences
(Preparation: find or make 2 pictures which are almost the same) .

/ speaking / descriptions / questions /
Find or draw or make 2 pictures which are exactly the same except for 7 details (make several pairs)
- photocopy the 2 pictures on separate sheets of paper
Every student finds a partner
- Give one of the pictures to each person in each pair
- Students should NOT show their pictures to each other (players should sit back-to-back)
- Players describe their 2 pictures to each other
- Players can ask questions and discuss their 2 pictures with each other (but cannot look!)
- They try to find the differences between the pictures without looking at each others pictures
- First pair to identify all the differences between the pictures wins
Variation: Play several times with several different pairs of pictures
- each time you play, everyone finds a new partner
- when a pair of students win, they both get one point
- then next game, they both find new partners, but each student keeps their own number of points
- after several games, always changing partners, count up which student has the most points!
Giving directions
Pin the tail on the donkey!
Where is his nose?
/ speaking / spatial directions / body parts / drawing /

Can use this for learning Body Parts - any body part can be used, and must be put in the correct place
One player is blindfolded (or wears a funny mask)
- the player tries to draw a body part on the board in the correct place
- other players on the same team shout directions telling them where to go and where to draw
Any body parts can be used, any sorts of animals
- for example: draw a nose on a face, put a tail on an animal, etc.
- The person who does it most accurately, wins a point for their team
Addition: Have players draw the body parts like various animals:
--- Draw feet like a horse
--- Draw a head like a snake
--- Draw ears like an elephant
Variation: Can prepare pictures of body parts, which players stick up on the board
Find the treasure!
(Preparation: plans for the map and what will be found) .
p. 14 of 55
/ speaking / spatial directions / outdoors /

Draw a map on the board (can put up pictures or photos of things in the map)
Or use the classroom or outside area as the map
- play in partners or small groups
- One person in each group (the blind person) puts on a blindfold (a funny mask?)
- The teacher or host decides:
o starting location
o ending location (location of some hidden treasure)
All teams can play at the same time (or play one team at a time, and give each team a time limit)
- The blind people start at the starting location
- Other players give directions to the blind person on their team; where to walk, how far, turns, etc.
- The first blind person to get to the end, and find the treasure, wins
Note: Can be played on the board, by walking with your hands through a map drawn on the board
Repetition: Drilling, Clapping, Chanting

Clapping Syllables
(Preparation: useful words or sentences to clap) .

/ speaking / body movement / pronunciation /
Can be used anytime when working on pronunciation in words or sentences (or poems, songs)
- Clap hands together with the class while saying the syllables in a word or sentence
- Give a new word or sentence and ask students to clap the syllables while they say it
- Identify any extra claps (that should not be there) or any syllables that are not getting clapped
Finish by reading a text, or singing a song or a chant, with everyone clapping together while also speaking
Game play: make several teams (3-5 in each team)
- Each team gets a different word (for more advanced players: an entire sentence)
- Teams have a time-limit to rehearse clapping pattern for that word (or sentence)
- Then each team performs:
--- clapping while also speaking (the word or sentence)
o If the pattern is correct, they get one point
o If the pattern is not correct, they lose a point!
Have several rounds so teams have several chances to get points team with most points wins
Variation 1: Several players act as Judges and award points for:
- Accuracy points:
--- correctness of the clapping pattern
- Stylistic points:
--- interest, creativity of the clapping performance
Variation 2: Show teams a list so they can pick the word (or sentence) they will clap
- each word (or sentence) will have a degree of difficulty
- The points for accuracy and Style will be multiplied by the difficulty for the total score!
Bigger & Bigger!
(Preparation: useful words or sentences) .

/ speaking / body movement / pronunciation / outdoors /
Teacher writes a word or short sentence on the board and reviews correct pronunciation
Basic activity:
- Students start by getting their bodies very tiny and whispering the word very softly
- Gradually each time they say the word they move from tiny to bigger
- Finally each time they say the word they move from quiet and tiny to as big and yelling the word
Bigger & Bigger!
(Preparation: useful words or sentences) .
p. 15 of 55
/ speaking / body movement / pronunciation / outdoors /
Bigger & Bigger! --- Game play

Several teams (3-5 in each team), each team practice together
- Have 3-4 other players act as Judges
Game 1: All teams perform at the same time:
- Judges give a new word (or sentence)
- Judges vote, and give prizes for Three different categories:
1) Team that can get the biggest and say the word the loudest
2) Team that can get the smallest and say the word the quietest (but still be heard)
3) Team that has the largest difference between being small and quiet to being big and loud
Game 2: Teams compete Round - by- Round:
- Two teams compete against each other at each round
- The victor moves on to the next round
- For each new competition, the judges give a new word (or sentence) for the teams to say
Judges pick which team has the largest difference between getting small to large and quiet to loud
- After all the teams have competed once, then the winners of the 1st round compete against each other
- Finally there are play offs and one team emerges as the final victor!
Variations: For a large open room, of for outside:
- Run across the room (or across the outdoor play area) while getting bigger and louder
- Reverse the task: Start loud, then run and get quieter and smaller
Judges can call out the word (or sentence) to be said, and award prizes for each competition.
Beep game / Number beep game / Alphabet beep game
/ speaking / numbers / alphabet / passing a ball or toy /

Players stand in a row
- 1st student says
1
nd
- 2 student says 2
Every 4th number, instead of saying the - 3rd student says 3
number, the student says Beep
- 4th student says Beep!
- 5th student says 5 . . . . keep counting etc....
- Then the next student continues with the next number (NOT the replaced number)
- If a player hesitates too long, or says the wrong number, .... they lose one point (or sit down)
- Begin counting again at 1 Last player to be standing, or with least points is the Winner!
Variations:
Play the game with the Alphabet.
- Pass a ball (or bean-bag or soft toy) to the next player when it is their turn
Speed-naming!
(Preparation: list of new vocabulary) .

/ speaking / categories of vocabulary / pronunciation /
Use to help learn any new vocabulary
- Write the new vocabulary words on the board (or put up pictures)
- demonstrate the pronunciation of each and have students repeat the names
- practice by pointing at each word or picture, and having students say the name
- then point at the words or pictures in random order
- randomly point at words or pictures faster and faster while students say the names
Game play:
- either play in groups (for a large class) or every student plays individually (for a small class)
- give each group (or each person) a short time-limit
- point randomly at the different words or pictures
the group (or person) who can correctly say the most names within the time limit... wins!
p. 16 of 55
Speed-naming: Punctuation
/ speaking / categories of vocabulary / pronunciation / punctuation /
Write the punctuation signs on the board (depending on level, choose how many signs to use)
- Review the names of the signs (dont write the names, just write the signs)
period
, comma
question mark
! exclamation point
apostrophe
: Colon
; semicolon
- practice by pointing at each sign, and having students say the name
- then point at the signs faster & faster and in random order while students say the names
Game play: Play in groups (large classes) or students play individually (small classes)
- Point at signs in random order, very quickly, giving each group a short time-limit
the group (or person) who can correctly say the most names within the time limit... wins!
Relaying information from one to another

Whats on your back?
/ alphabet / writing / recognize words / body movement /

Similar to telephone but much simpler (one letter or one word) and writing instead of speaking.
-
Players sit in lines

Players at the back of the line see a Letter or a Word
Players write (draw, trace) that letter or word on the back of the player in front of them.
Continue down the line
The player in front writes the letter or word on the board or on paper.
First team to write the correct letter or word wins.
The player at the front of the line then moves to the back for the next round.
Variation: Write a letter on the persons back
- Then the person at the front must run to the board, and write a word that begins with that letter
Make it harder?
- The person at the front runs to the board and writes a word that ENDS with that letter!
Variation: Players write the letters or word with their finger in the air
- Other players watch the Air Writing and try to guess the letters or words
Variation: Write a short sentence (on your friends back, or in the air) and pass it down the line
Telephone! Whisper Circle!
(Preparation: write sentences on cards) .

/ reading / speaking / listening / sentences /
Divide class into teams of 7-10 people in each team
- the 1st person from each team comes to the front.
- show them a card with a sentence and say Go!
- as soon as they can, the players run to the back of their teams line
the 1st player in each group whispers the sentence to the the 2nd player
the 2nd player whispers it to the 3rd player, etc.
- Each person can whisper the sentence only once
- The last person in each group goes to the front and says the sentence to the teacher
- (or could run to the front and write it on the board, or write it on paper)
If it is not correct, then the 1st person begins again, whispering the sentence to person #2
- The first group to say the correct sentence wins.
Note: Have student Judges check the papers and say who gets the sentence first
p. 17 of 55
Relay the story! Dictation!
(Preparation: put story, poem, etc. on papers) .

/ speaking / listening / sentences /
Select a short story, poem, or anything - can be picked for target-language being taught.
- Teams of 2-6 people (variation: could be more people - but every team with same number)
the 1st player in each group reads the writing, then tells it to the the 2nd player
the 2nd player tells it to the 3rd player, etc.
the final player hears the words (story, poem, sentence) and writes it down
Players can repeat the story as many times as necessary.
- If a player has questions, they can ask the player who is telling them the story.
Student Judges look at the writing and point out any errors
- The last person must ask the previous person how to correct errors
- Questions must be relayed back to the 1st person, who gives an answer and sends it back
- First team to correctly write the words (story, poem, sentence) wins!
After each play, the Final Player should go to the beginning, becoming the 1st player for the next game
Strategy for play: The story will be too long to remember and send all at once,
- so the 1st player will need to decide how much to tell to the 2nd player each time.
o could send one or two words at a time (slower - but maybe more accurate)
o might try to send 2 or 3 sentences at a time (faster - but maybe more errors)
Easy variation:
Make it very simple, just one sentence, or just one word for beginners
- just use 2 people, and let the reader talk direct to the writer, and also see what they write
Hard variation: Use a long complicated story
- Require correct punctuation in the writing
- Use several people in each team (more people to pass the message to)
Variation: Telephone One short message is passed all at once
Guess! - a word - an object - a person - a sentence - a story...

Guess the word!
(Preparation: pictures or drawings on cards) .

/ categories of vocabulary / pictures & drawings / recall words /
Teacher shows a picture or drawing of an object:
students try to recall the word
- Players can either write the word, or stand up if they know it
- Players who correctly recall the most words.... win!
Notes: The teacher can make it more exciting for elementary learners by increasing anticipation:
- Ask What is it? before showing the picture
o Then slowly reveal the picture, show only part of it, or show it quickly & hide it again
I spy with my little eye!
I hear with my little ear!
/ categories of vocabulary / recall words /

A player picks something that can currently be seen or be heard
Basic phrase for the clue
example clues
... something that begins with the letter W
and gives a clue: I spy with my little eye....
... something that is red.
I hear with my little ear....
... something beginning with the letter C
Any types of clues can be given, depending on rules decided for that particular game.
Answers and clues could also be phrases: .... something with 2 words beginning with B, D (brown dog)
First player to guess gets a point, and becomes the next person to say I spy with my little....
Fly Swatter! / Whack the word!
p. 18 of 55
(Preparation: words to be whacked) .

/ body movement / categories of vocabulary / recall words / recognize words / pictures & drawings /
Basic game: Play with 2-6 teams (or 2-6 people)
- a large number of words are placed somewhere in the room
- One player comes forward from each team
- players get some sort of clue for a particular word
- players try to whack the word (find it, hit it, circle it, draw a line through it, etc.)
- First player to whack the correct word, gets a point.
The next player comes forward from each team
Variations: - a large number of words are placed somewhere in the room:
- the words could be:
write all the words on the board, scattered about randomly, or
each team gets one part of the board, all the words are written in each teams part of the board, or
words are written on cards and stuck to the board (so players can grab them)
words are written on cards & laid out face up on a table (so players can grab them)
words are written on cards & laid face down on a table (players try to remember where the words are)
words are scattered about the room in many places (players run in many directions to find words)
instead of using words, use pictures on the board or in the room, students find the correct picture
Note: there should be lots of words (or pictures), so the correct answer is not obvious
Variations: - One player comes forward from each team:
- Players might:
sit or stand facing away from the board (where the words are written)
sit or stand facing the board (for beginning students)
stand in the back of the room (and have to run forward to whack the word)
stand on one side of a line, with words on the other side (must cross the line to whack a word)
or stand at one side of the room, with the words at the other side
Variations: - players get some sort of clue for a particular word:
- The teacher might:
say the word, or
describe the definition of the word (in English, or in students native language), or
draw or show a picture representing the word, or
show real objects or toys that represent the word
act-out, mime the word
Variations: - players try to whack the word (that is, find the word in some way):
- Players might:
hit the word with a fly swatter or rolled up paper, or a stick or ones hand
draw a line through the word
erase the word
put a hand over the word
grab a card with the word written on it
Variations: First player to whack the correct word, gets a point:
- Other options:
each player only allowed 1 whack, if the 1st one is wrong, cannot whack another word
if no one whacks the correct word, then no one gets any points
Simple variation:
- use concrete nouns for the words
Advanced variation:
- use abstract concepts for the words
p. 19 of 55
Fly Swatter! / Whack the word! -- Categories!
(Preparation: words to be whacked) .

/ body movement / categories of vocabulary / recall words / recognize words / pictures & drawings /
Variation of Fly swatter/ Whack the word
- Vocabulary (words to be whacked) consists of Categories, Contexts, or Scenes.
For example:
-
Where is it in the house? (Kitchen, Bedroom, Bathroom, Living room, Garage, ....)
Where is it in the city? (Hospital, Police station, Library, Hotel, Restaurant, Gas Station. . . )
Where is it in the school? (Classroom, Hallway, WC, Library, Teachers Office . . .)
Teacher clues a word

Students run to the board and whack the correct category or context or location for that word
Duel / Bang Bang
(Preparation: list of words and clues) .

/ speaking / recognize words / categories of vocabulary /
Divide the class into teams:
one player from each team comes to the front
- give an obvious clue for a word, for example:
--- show a picture
--- define the word --- say the word in the students mother tongue
- The first player to say the correct word wins the duel (can say Bang bang!-the others are killed)
- If they say an incorrect answer, they are also killed (gun backfires, misfires)
- The killed players are replaced by others
one point for saying the correct answer first
five bonus points for winning 4 times in a row
- After 4 wins in a row, that player should be replaced (to give everyone a chance to play)
Variations: Instead of teams, all players could play for themselves
Extras: Play the game very fast, players must come and go and answer quickly
- have an extra person who is Sherriff and confirms who lives and who is killed
Twenty Questions!
/ questions / speaking / categories of vocabulary /

First one member of the class chooses a word, an object, an occupation, or an action, etc..
Then members of the class try to guess
- Players can ask questions which can be answered either:
--- Yes
--- No
Variation: answers of: Maybe or Sometimes
- Guessers only get 20 questions to guess
If they guess correctly within 20 questions, then the guesser gets one point
If they cannot guess correctly within 20 questions, then the person giving answers gets one point!
Three Lives!
/ questions / speaking / categories of vocabulary /

Basic game: Same as Twenty Questions (or can be used in any guessing game) ... Except:
- Each player (or team) gets Three Lives (shown by 3 drawings of bodies on the board)
Team 1
Team 2
Team 3
Team 4
If a question or guess, is answered No one of the three lives is lost (cross it out, draw a sad face)
- When all three lives are lost, then that team is out
Hangman!
p. 20 of 55
/ questions / speaking / categories of vocabulary / spelling /
Basic game:
One player (the Writer) thinks of a word and can tell the category (eg. Animals)
- writes a series of lines: ___ ___ ___ to show the number of letters
- Guessers (or teams) take turns guessing the letters (Is there a B?)
Whenever the answer is No - one more line gets drawn on the hanging man
Players get excited as they see themselves come closer and closer to being hanged!
- If the guess is correct, then the Writer puts that letter in one of the lines:
. C
Hanging man
Guessers keep guessing letters until either:
with 10 lines
They correctly guess the whole word (they win and get one point!)
They use all their guesses, and so are hanged (they lose a point!)
Game play: Writer vs. Guesser
- One team or person is the writer and the other team or person is the guesser.
If the Guesser correctly guesses before being hanged, the guesser gets one point
If the Guesser gets hanged before correctly guessing, then the writer gets one point
Game play: Guesser vs. Guesser
- Two or more teams (or people) all try to guess the word
The team or player who guesses correctly first, wins and gets the point
If all the teams get hanged, then no one gets any points for that round
Variation: Hangman can be used in any game when players make guesses or ask Yes / No questions
- Hangman is used as a fun way to count the number of incorrect guesses (No answers)
- Once a player reaches the maximum number of No answers allowed:
They lose that point (punished in some fun way!)
They are out (remaining players keep playing, till only one remains)
Or the point goes to the other player
Variation: There can be 10 lines to draw for the hanging man (10 questions answered no)
- but any number of lines can be used (add lines for feet, fingers, face, etc.)
-
What are you talking (writing) about?
/ writing / grammar / sentences / adjectives & adverbs / descriptions /
Everyone pick something in the classroom to describe
- Write a description of that thing. After finishing, find a group of 3 (or more)
- One person reads their description, and others try to guess what you are writing about.
- The first to guess in your group wins one point (then another person read their paper)
- After everyone has read their paper, find new groups, read papers, and winners get points.
- Continue till everyone has heard all the descriptions from every player.
- After all groups are finished, the player with the most points is the grand winner!
Variations: Descriptions can be anything anywhere in the school, or anything in the world
Describe your friend!
/ writing / sentences / adjectives & adverbs / descriptions / names / listening for key words /
Everyone find a partner and everyone write a description of their partner
- After finishing, share the writings with partners and work together to correct any mistakes.
- Put all the writings together (randomly, with no names)
- Each player randomly picks one and reads it to the class, the first player to guess who gets one point.
p. 21 of 55
- Continue through all the descriptions, the player with the most points is the grand winner!
Variation: Instead of writing a description, make a drawing of your friend.
Guess your classmates!
/ names / writing / listening for key words / descriptions /

Every student needs a piece of paper
- On the paper: 1) write their name, 2) write something about themselves.
It should be something that is OK to read out loud to the whole class, for example:
--- something about your family --- what you did on your last holiday --- your special talents
- Dont show it to anyone, and also fold the paper so no one can see it
The teacher collects all the papers
- The teacher reads each paper one by one
- Students listen, and make a list: #1, #2, #3.... etc.
o write the name of the classmate who they think wrote each paper
At the end - the student with the most correct guesses, wins!
The Name Game!
/ names / speaking / questions /

After students have learned each others names (English Names)
- One student sits in front of the class, facing away from the other students (toward the board)
The teacher picks one student in the class
- That student says My name is _____ (they can say their name, or can say anyones name)
- The student in the front must say either:
Yes, it is _____
(this answer might be correct, or incorrect)
(this answer might be correct, or incorrect)
No, it isnt _____
- If the guesser is correct, then he / she gets to stay in front
- If the guesser is wrong, then the student who fooled him / her gets to come to the front
Variation: Some games assume that a student in front of the class wants to stay there
- But for many classes, being in front feels more like punishment! (they would rather sit down!)
Alternative result for this game:
- If the player in front is correct, then the student who tried to fool him / her must come to the front
- If the player in front is wrong, then he / she must stay in the front
Who is it? If they were a __, then what __ would they be?
/ names / modals - conditionals - subjunctive mood / speaking / questions / categories of vocabulary /
One person (or a small group) leave the room
- The rest of the class picks one person to be it (that person should be present in the room)
- The other person or people come back into the room - their goal is to guess who it is.
They ask the class questions to get clues about who it could be
- questions use categories, for example:
o fruit, vegetable, sweet, weather, flower, city, food, animal, car
- Questions use the subjunctive mood (conditionals)
o If this person were a ____ what kind of ____ would he or she be?
for example:
o If this person were a flower, what kind of flower would he or she be?
Anyone in the class can answer:
o If this person were a flower, he or she would be a red rose.
(encourage students to add adjectives to the kind of flower: beautiful, wilting, etc...)
p. 22 of 55
Allow the guessers either a time limit, or a limit to the number of questions (20 Questions!)
- then they must guess - if they are right, they win and get one point!
New people (or small group) go out of the room and play again
Who are you talking about?
/ names / speaking / questions / descriptions / drawing /

Divide players into groups (3-6 in a group)
- The interviewee verbally describes someone who everybody knows
-
All the other players draw the person, according to the verbal description
Anyone can ask the interviewee questions about the description (for example, any details)
After the description is finished, everyone shows their drawings and tries to guess who the person is.
First person to guess, wins a point.

- Play again with a different person as the interviewee
Variation: After the drawings are finished, trade the drawings with another group
- Then each group tries to guess who it is from drawings made by a different group
(in this case, the guessers only see the drawings, but have not heard the verbal description)
Police sketch artists!
/ names / speaking / questions / descriptions / drawing /

Divide players into groups (3-6 in a group)
- One person is the Witness (they saw a crime or some special event)
- Other players in the group are Sketch Artists
-
The witnesses:
o act like they do NOT know the name of who did it,
o do not know who they are
o do not know if they are male or female
o describe the person who did it (someone present in the class, but not in the group)
The sketch artists:
o draw pictures according to the witnesss description
o can ask the witness questions about details for their drawings
After sketch artists have finished their drawings:

o Trade drawings with another group (everyone gets drawings they have not seen before)
Players are now: detectives talk to other players in the class asking: Have you seen this person?
o If someone recognizes the person in the drawing:
The detective takes this suspect to the original witness and ask Is this who you saw?
o If it is the right person: then the 1st detective to find the person gets one point!
After everyone has been identified, change roles and play again.
Who are you? What are you? (changing partners)
/ speaking / categories of vocabulary / questions /

Each person in the class picks something / someone to be (write this on a small card or paper)
Examples:
- a famous person
- an object
- a type of job
- an animal
- a kind of food
Everyone find a partner, and try to guess who or what that person is
Variation 1: ask yes / no questions (or yes / no / maybe questions)
Variation 2: ask open-ended questions (make for more conversation)
p. 23 of 55
After guessing who your partner is, then:

- switch cards with your partner (everyone gets a new card!)
- find a new partner (everyone is now something different!)
Guess Who! Guess What! (groups)

One person is It - that person picks a thing (or a person) to be
- a famous person, an object, a type of job, an animal, etc. (decide which category will be used)
Players take turns: ask a yes / no question
- if the answer is yes that guesser can ask another question
- if the answer is no then it is the next players turn
- first player who guesses correctly (Who you are, or What you are) wins
- The player who wins, gets 1 point (for themselves, or for their team) and they are now It
Variation: Questions could have 3 possible answers: Yes, No, or Maybe (sometimes)
Variations: Can require certain types of words in the yes / no questions:
- nouns (Are you an actor), adjectives (Are you tall?), noun with adjective (Are you a tall man?)
- modal verbs (Should you always get up early?) (Could you make a lot of money?)
Can be played in teams:
- One player is It (thinks of something to be)
- For example, 3 teams try to guess:
o 1st player from team #1, ask yes / no / maybe question
o 1st player from team #2 ask a question
o 1st player from team #3 ask a question
o then 2nd player from team #1 ask a question, etc. going from team to team
Can be played in small groups: one person is It and other players each take turns asking questions
Variation: Have students generate vocabulary (word-lists) to limit the possibilities of what It is:
- students write lists of words in these categories as other students call them out, for example:
types of animals
types of jobs
famous people
abstract nouns (advanced students)
Beginning students: Limit the possibilities:
The thing is a concrete noun eg. an object in the room, something that can be seen from the window
Advanced students: Open the possibilities:
The thing is an abstract noun (peace, confusion, excitement, anger)
Who are they? What are they? ( & )

Divide the class in half:
- Players from of the class each pick something or someone to be
- Players from other of the class ask questions to try to guess who the other players are
o Questions can only be answered either: yes, no or sometimes
Examples:
- Fans or Reporters
look for
- famous people
- Hungry people
look for
- types of food
- Travelers
look for
- famous cities or countries or places to visit
- Hunters
look for
- animals
- People with no job
look for
- kinds of work or job
Each Guesser must:
- have a piece of paper
- guess who / what each person from the other of the class is
p. 24 of 55
- When guessing correctly, write down each persons name, and who / what they are
First person to guess who every person is from the other of the class, wins!
Who am I? What am I? Where am I?
(Preparation: cards to stick on players foreheads) .

Each player gets a piece of paper taped on their forehead (or on their back)
(the person does not know who they are, but everyone else knows who they are)
- name of a famous person (who am I?)
- name of an object or food or animal, etc... (what am I?)
- name of a location (where am I?
They can ask questions about themselves (only with answers: yes / no / maybe or sometimes)
- Ask a question
- if the answer is yes then can ask another question
- if the answer is no then your turn is over, and the other person starts to ask questions
The last person to figure out who they are is the loser! (Punish them in some fun way!)
Variation: this can also be played using Twenty Questions or Hangman
- The player must guess who they are within 20 questions, or before getting hanged, or they lose!
Hot Seat!
(Preparation: pick words to be guessed, and any taboo words) .

/ speaking / categories of vocabulary /
Divide class into teams:

- Each team sends one player forward who is the Guesser
- The Guesser sits facing away from the board (CANNOT LOOK AT THE BOARD!)
- Teacher writes a word on the board (variation: put a picture on the board)
Teams take turns giving clues to that teams guesser who tries to guess the word:
Team #1 gives 1 clue and their guesser in front who gets 1 guess
Repeat for each team: Team #1, Team #2, Team #3, then start again: Team #1 etc...
First team to guess the word wins one point

(then change players in front, and play again)
Variation: Clues must consist of just one word, or one full sentence, or a particular type of grammar
Variation: Set a time limit for how long a team can take for: Clue + Guess
Variation: Allow team members to discuss their clues (team work)
- or make each person think of their own clue
Variations, possible rules:
- Do not allow body movements as the clue (speaking only practices verbal skills)
- Or, Play the game using ONLY body movements as the clue
- Clues cannot say how many syllables are in the word or what letter the word starts with.
Variation: include Taboo words - words that CANNOT be used in the clue
- Clues that would be too easy (eg. school: Cannot use: teacher, students, desks, test as clues)
Pictionary! Charades! (basic game)
/ categories of vocabulary / recall words / body movement / drawing /
Basic game: Organise vocabulary into categories, for example:
jobs
animals
food
actions
places
abstract nouns
famous people
names of songs or movies
Guessers: try to guess a word or a short phrase

Guessers can make as many guesses as they want, and can ask yes or no questions
p. 25 of 55
Performers: can only say Yes or No and also can either:

o act-out the meaning or actions of the word or phrase
o draw a picture of the word or phrase
Variations: Many variations!! (see examples below!)
= Charades
= Pictionary
Pictionary! Charades! -- Team 1 versus Team 2
Team #1 picks the word or phrase (within a category of vocabulary) for Team #2
-
The performer from Team #2 sees the word or phrase.

The guessers from Team #2 do not see the word or phrase.
If Team #2 guesses the word or phrase within the time limit, then they win.
If Team #2 does not guess the word or phrase within the time limit, then Team #1 wins.
Then switch roles: Team #2 picks the word or phrase (within the same category) for Team #1
Pictionary! Charades! -- First team to guess!
(Preparation: words or phrases in categories) .

Any number of teams
The teacher (or hosts of the party) pick a word or phrase (within a category of vocabulary)
-
The performers (1 from each team) see the word or phrase, but the guessers do not see it
Each performer acts-out (Charades) or draws (Pictionary) for their own team
The first team to guess the word or phrase is the winner
Then each team picks a new performer for the next word or phrase.
Pictionary! Charades! -- How many can you guess!

Any number of teams:
The teacher (or hosts of the party) pick several words or phrases (within a category)
-
Each team randomly picks a category of words / phrases

(The Categories, and group of words or phrases will be different for each team)
Each team picks one performer (who sees all the words or phrases)
Each team tries to guess as many words or phrases within a time limit
o Team #1 goes first, trying to guess as many words or phrases within a time limit
o Team #2 goes next, with the same amount of time
o Team #3 etc...
(or, perhaps all the teams can be guessing at the same time)
The team with the most correct guesses within the time limit wins.
Pictionary! Charades!

Whole class together
- One performer comes to the front and either:
Who guesses first?
p. 26 of 55
draws on the board (Pictionary) or

acts-out the word (Charades)
The whole class tries to guess the word

o The first guesser to get the correct word or phrase wins 1 point
o The performer also gets 1 point if the word was guessed within a time limit.
Sentence Charades! (or Pictionary)
/ sentences / grammar / body movement / drawing /

A variation of Charades (or Pictionary) but the thing to be guessed is an entire sentence
-
List types of words to be used (eg: verbs, nouns, adjectives-adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions)
o Decide on certain requirements for the sentence, for example:
-
tense (past, present, future, etc)

how many verbs
how many words

if there is an object
Play the same as ordinary Charades or Pictionary

- Players make their own sentences to use as the thing to be guessed
- The guessers must try to guess the entire sentence
Adjective Charades! (or Pictionary)
(Preparation: cards with adjectives and animal names) .

/ body movement / drawing / adverbs & adjectives / animals /
Each player randomly picks:
- a piece of paper with an adjective written on it
- a piece of paper with the name of an animal written on it
The player either performs (Charades) or draws pictures (Pictionary) of the Adjective + Animal
-
Other players (guessers) try to guess both: The animal and the adjective
Each person gets one point for each correct guess!
Variation:
Guessers must guess using a full sentence containing the animal name and the adjective.
Variation:
Use only past participle adjectives (excited, interested, bored)

- showing how verbs can be turned into adjectives.
Variation:
Use only adjectives that can be changed into adverbs by adding -ly (happy -> happily)
- Then play Adverb Charades right after this game.
Adverb Charades!
(Preparation: cards with adverbs) .

/ body movement / adverbs & adjectives / commands (imperative mood) /
Each player gets a piece of paper with an adverb written on it (dont show the paper)
-
The class tells the student to do any activity they want to see, for example:
o Pretend activities:
- Drink a bowl of soup.
- Cook dinner.
o Real activities:
- Open a door.
- Write on the board.
or
The player does these activities, using their adverb

- Members of the class try to guess the adverb
- Each person gets one point for each correct guess!
p. 27 of 55
Note: When the students in the class tell the performer what to do:
- they must use imperative mood (Tell a story. Ride a bike. etc...)
- If they dont use it, they can be punished in some fun way (lose a point, do a dance etc.)
Do it with feeling! (Charades)
(Preparation: cards with verbs and adjectives) .

/ body movement / speaking / adjectives & adverbs / sentences /
Prepare 2 vocabulary lists (write each word on a separate card so it can be randomly selected)
1) Actions (verbs) that can end with -ing (dancing, sleeping, walking....)
2) Feelings (adjectives) (angry, sad..) that can be changed into adverbs by adding -ly
Play in teams:
Each team sends one player to the front
- Randomly select 2 cards (1 action & 1 feeling)
- All the players in the front see the same 2 cards
- All the players perform the action with the feeling (they all do it together, so feel less shy!)
Teams take turns trying to guess both the action (verb) and the feeling (adjective or adverb)
- Each team gets a time limit to make one guess, then the next team gets one guess, etc.
- First team to correctly guess gets one point
Then teams send new players forward and play again.
Note: Random selection of actions and feelings lead to some very interesting combinations!
Variations for how players should give their guesses:
1) Just say two words (one verb and one adjective or adverb)
read
sleepy
2) Say sentences with two clauses: (using verb + adjective)

You are dancing and you are angry.
You are dancing and you are feeling angry.
You are angry and you are dancing,

You are feeling angry and you are dancing.
3) Say a sentence with one clause: (using verb + adverb)

You dance sadly.
You are jumping happily.
You sadly dance.

You are happily jumping.
4) Say a sentence using the noun form of a verb: (adjective + noun)

You are a hopeful singer.
Example list of actions and feelings
Verbs (actions)
dance
sleep
happy
swim
eat
sad
talk
play
angry
run
read
sick
yell
kick
excited
play
work
climb
You are a singer who is hopeful.

Adjectives (feelings) & Adverbs (adding -ly)
annoyed
worried
fearful
calm
sleepy
shy
amused
nervous
joyful
assertive
tense
hopeful
confident
proud
interested
timid
happy
sad
Utter Nonsense! A (totally) foreign language!
(Preparation: written conversations) .

/ speaking / intonation / body movement /
Find several conversations that students can read (or have students write these)
Variation: use scenes (order food at a restaurant & complain about it; talk to police at an accident, etc.)
Players in small groups, each group picks their own conversation or scene:
p. 28 of 55
1. Each group practices their conversation or scene (different conversation or scene for each group)
2. Then students perform the conversations or scenes, but must use imaginary language
(instead of saying words, students use sounds - intonation - and gestures)
3. After performing the scene, the other players (audience) should say what they think was happening
4. Finally, the performers tell everyone what their conversation or scene really was
- Give points for everything that is guessed correctly about the conversation or scene.
Laryngitis! / Get the Gist!
(Charades & Pictionary for stories)
/ body movement / writing / drawing / questions /

A variation of Charades (or Pictionary)
- the thing to be guessed is an entire story (sequence of events)
Game play: (similar to Charades or Pictionary)
- Each team writes down a short story
o Decide on certain requirements for the story, for example:
general context (where you are, in a city, in the country)
certain key, important things that the guessers must guess to be successful
-
Then each team gives their story to another team, who will have to guess it
can be a news story, an event, something that happened recently
o a sequence of important events
o some important things that the story teller needs someone else to do
Each team picks 1-3 Story Tellers (depending on sizes of teams)

Story Tellers are given the story by another team
The guessers do not see the story that they must guess
Guessers do not need to guess every exact sentence
They just need to guess the gist - the most important parts of the story
They can confirm if they understand, buy asking the story tellers questions, for example:
o You saw an accident?
o You need some money? etc.
Give a time limit for each team to guess
- If a team guesses all the important points within the time limit, then that team wins
If they do not guess the important points within the time limit, then the team that wrote the story wins!
Alternative scoring: Give the team a point for each point that they correctly guess, for example:
- Where?
Password
- What happened?
- When did it happen?
- What do you need?
(Preparation: list of words to be guessed) .

/ speaking / categories of vocabulary / recall words /
Similar to Charades, but the clue can be only one word.
Game play:
two teams (2 people in each team) (could also play with 3 or 4 teams)
- one person in each team sees the word (the other players - guessers do not see the word)
- Play alternates between the two teams:
Team 1: one player gives one clue (one word), the other player gets one guess
Team 2: one player gives one clue (one word), the other player gets one guess
Keep alternating: Team 1, Team 2 .... etc.
o Note: Both teams can hear each others clues, so can learn from the other team
First team to guess correctly gets one point!
(guess the word or phrase)
Then the 2 players switch roles, and play again

Strategy for play: Useful types of one-word clues:
p. 29 of 55
collocations or phrasal verbs

o clue with the first or last word of two words that often occur together (wake... up!)
adjectives and adverbs and verbs associated with particular nouns
o give an adjective an adverb or a verb as a clue for a noun (big.... Mountain!) (barking... dog!)
synonyms, antonyms (opposites)
o clue with a word that means the same, or a word that means the opposite (up.... down!)
Rhymes
o give a word that rhymes with the word you want them to guess
Performance password!
(Preparation: cards with words to be guessed) .

/ speaking / categories of vocabulary / recall words / conversation /
Play the same as Charades, but with speaking
Organise vocabulary into categories, for example:
- jobs (professions): doctor, nurse, bus driver, police officer, cook, cleaner, ...
- animals (dog, cat, alligator,
- objects (phone, car, building, chair, desk....
- actions: dancing, eating, sleeping, walking, talking, .... any verb!
- places: bedroom, WC, kitchen, living room, restaurant, hospital, store, bar,
- Times of day: lunch, dinner, breakfast, night time, morning, evening, bed-time
- Subjects in gerund form (a man going swimming, a mother bathing a child...)
Can play in groups or individuals
One group (or each person) picks a card with one word (or picture) on it
- The person or group creates a dialogue or performance associated with the word
- The person or group must not say the vocabulary word (taboo words should not be used!)
Other players watch the dialogue or performance and try to guess the word
Note: for each word to be guessed, make a list of taboo words that cannot be used in the dialogue or
performance (since they would make it too easy to guess the word)
Recalling groups or series

Accumulation
I went to the market and bought...
/ categories of vocabulary / recall lists / speaking /

Use for any vocabulary where you can make a list - for example:
- What will you buy at the store?
- Where would you like to visit?
- What will you do tomorrow?
Start by asking a question: What do you need to buy at the store?
- 1st student (for example): I need to buy milk.
- 2nd student adds one more thing (for example): I need to buy milk and rice.
- 3rd student adds one more thing (for example): I need to buy milk, rice and beans.
- etc.... continue till someone cannot remember and makes a mistake = the loser
The loser can submit to some sort of punishment (eg. have to dance in front of the class)
Variation: Play the game several times, each time using a different basic sentence,
Use simple or advanced basic sentences to match students, skill level for example:
- I am going to the market and need to buy...
- I went to the story and I bought ...
- Tomorrow Im going to go to ....
- Next week we will see ....
- The next time I go on holiday, I definitely will ...
p. 30 of 55
- When my friend visits me next year, we must remember to ...

Variation: Story Accumulation
- play accumulation making a story, each new item added is a full sentence in the story!
- 1st: Once upon a time there was a boy named John
- 2nd Once upon a time there was a boy named John. He woke up very early that summer morning
- 3rd: Once upon a time there was a boy named John. He woke up very early that summer morning, and he
had a big breakfast
- etc, etc, etc....
Matching / Concentration
(Preparation: make cards with pictures or words) .

/ recognition and recall of words and pictures / cards with pictures or words /
Variation 1: (for elementary students)
- Put all the cards are on the table face-up (so everyone can see all the pictures or words)
- A player picks one card, then says the word (the name of the picture, or just reads the word)
If the word is correct, the player keeps that card (1 point)
If the word is not correct, then the player turns the card back over on the table
- The next player takes a turn (picking a card) . . .
- Continue player to player, till all the cards are gone
- The player with the most cards (most points) wins.
Variation 2:
- Put all the cards on a table, face down (so the pictures or words cannot be seen)
- A player turns over one card, then says the word (the name of the picture, or just reads the word)
If the word is correct, the player keeps that card (1 point)
- The next player takes a turn (turning over a card) . . .
- Continue player to student, till all the cards are gone
Variation 3:
- All the cards are in pairs (2 matching cards), either:
2 cards with the same picture,
2 cards with the same word, or
2 cards: 1 with the picture and 1 with the word
- Put all the cards on a table, face down (so the pictures or words cannot be seen)
- A player turns over one card, then says the word (the name of the picture, or reads the word)
If the word is correct, then the player gets to look for the matching card.
o If the player finds the matching card, then the player keeps those cards (2 points)
o If the player cannot find the matching card, then turn both cards back over.
- The next player takes a turn (turning over a card) . . .
- Continue player to player, till all the cards are gone
Notes: If equipment is available, these games can be made (for easy, repeated use) on:
--- Power point (ppt)
--- Overhead projector (OHP) transparencies
Kims Game! (from Rudyard Kiplings story Kim)
(Preparation: collect groups of items) .

/ recognition and recall of objects, pictures, and words /
Basic game:
- Learning: Players see a group of items (for a limited time)
Players learn to use memory strategies to identify and memorize as much as possible
Players cannot write anything down or take notes
p. 31 of 55
Then the group of items is taken away or hidden

(Possibly players do an interference activity between learning and recall)
- Recall: Players try to name as many items as they can remember
get one point for every item correctly remembered
lose one point for everything remembered, but which was not actually there
Note: Use this to teach memory strategies - methods for learning and remembering
For example:
grouping similar items together and remembering them as a single group
grouping items into a logical series, and remembering the series as a single group
Kims Game! (from Rudyard Kiplings story Kim)
(Preparation: collect groups of items) .

/ recognition and recall of objects, pictures, and words /
Game play:
Variation: Show a collection of pictures or objects (which match the students level)
- then take the pictures or objects away
- teams or individuals try to remember as many as possible
- Teams or individuals with the most points, win!
Variation: Show a short video or movie
- the things to remember can be verbs, actions that occur
- then turn the movie off
- teams or individuals try to remember as many verbs that occurred during the short video or movie
Variations: Recalling the items in teams
Each team write all items on paper:
- Each team can recall the items by writing them down, then the team with the most correct, wins
Each team take turns recalling items by writing them on the board
- Each team can send one person to the board at a time
a player from team #1 writes one item on the board
then a player from team #2 writes one item
then a player from team #3 writes one item.... etc.
- after a player writes one item on the board, then another player from that team comes forward
- If an item is already written, then it cannot be written by another team
When no one else can remember anything to write, then the correct (and incorrect) recalls are counted
Variation: Players are instructed to only remember particular items, for example:
- Only remember animals
- Only remember items whose name begins with C
- Only remember items which are red, etc...
This instruction might come during the learning portion, or not till the recall time
Variation: Players do an interference activity between the learning and recall portions
- this ensures a deep memory - rather than items being repeated in short term memory
Generating categories
Name 6! Pass the toy!
(Preparation: bring a ball or soft toy) .

/ recall categories of words / passing a ball or toy / speaking /
6 Students sit in a circle - plus one student stands outside of the circle (7 students total)
Use a stuffed animal or soft toy that can be passed from player to player
- Student outside the circle says the category; for example:
o Animals with fur
p. 32 of 55
The player with the stuffed animal:

o begins naming kinds of Animals with fur
o passes the ball (or soft toy) to the next student
- Other players pass the ball (or soft toy) around the circle
- The player tries to name 6 Animals with fur before the stuffed animal gets around the circle
- If they dont name 6 - then
they stand outside the circle,
and the player on the outside sits down in the circle
The player standing on the outside of the circle then says the next category and play again!
How many words?
/ recall categories of words / body movement /
Players in teams
- Divide the board into one area for each team
- Decide on a category for words, for example:
Words with 2 letters
Words with 3 letters, or 4 letters, or 5 letters
Words beginning with the letter S

Words beginning with the letter R, or beginning with Th
Names of animals, names of food

Things in the kitchen, Things in the bathroom, Things in the bedroom
Words on your most recent vocabulary list!
Say Go!
- One player from each team runs to the board and begins to write words
- Other members of that team can shout words, or hold up papers with words written on them
- After a time-limit, check the words, the team with the most correct words, wins a point.
Then play again, with a different player coming to the board and a new category of word
Variation: write words from parts of grammar
- irregular verbs in all 3 forms: (base-form, simple past form, and past participle form)
- concrete nouns or abstract nouns
Memory Box / Think Fast
(Preparation: cards with names of categories) .

/ recall categories of words /
Players in teams -- teams compete against each other (or can be played individually)
Prepare slips of paper, each with the name of a category, for example:
- animals, food, jobs, ...
- things in the kitchen, types of weather, animals that can fly, ...
Each team (or individual) randomly pick a slip of paper with a category name
(each team has a different category)
- Each team writes as many words as they can on the board that are related to their teams category
- The team with the most words (within a time limit) wins!
Variation: All the teams have the same category
- players write the words they think of on paper
- the team with the most words (within a time limit) wins!
After playing, the different lists can be compared
Things we do with our . . . .

/ recall categories of words /
Can be played in teams, or individually (depending on student level)
p. 33 of 55
Players review a list of regular & irregular verbs

- Teacher writes something like this on the board:
Things we do with our feet
- Players have a time limit to write all the verbs that we can do with our feet,
- For example: walk, kick, dance, run, jump, kick, stamp, skip
Each verb written gets one point
Any verb written in more than one players list cannot be used again in the game
-
Teacher writes another topic on the board:
Things we do with our mouth
The team or player with the most points at the end... wins!
Word Chain / Words Leading (Shiritori)
/ recall categories of words / body movement /

Play in teams (any size)
Divide the blackboard so each team has one area to write
Write any word at the top of each teams area (the same word for each team)
One player from each team runs forward, one at a time
- each player writes one word which begins with the same letter as the end of the previous word
-
next player runs forward as soon as the last player is finished

all the players on each team keep running forward and writing in turns in turns
- dog - good - deer - read - door - red - dear - right - tiger - ....
- Each team can use each word only once!

After a time limit: say Stop!
- Check all the words in each team for errors (wrong letter, or word used twice)
- team with most correct words wins
Variations:
- Cannot use names (John, Mary, Robert...)
- Require that all the words are from a certain category (eg. only nouns, or only verbs)
- Teams sit in rows, players write on paper, passing from player to player, 1st team to finish wins
- Follow with a writing task: Each team write a story with their words in the same order!
Words of a letter, flock together

(Birds of a feather, flock together)
/ recall categories of words / passing a ball or toy / speaking /

Teacher picks a letter:
o Players take turns, each player must say a word that begins with that letter
o words cannot be repeated
o If a player repeats a word (that was already said), or goes too slow, they are out
o The last player remaining is the winner!
Variation: Pass a ball (or bean-bag or soft toy) to the next player when it is their turn
o use a timer
o or have all the players counting 1-10 every time a new person gets the ball
Variation:
More advanced players? Put more requirements on the words
o words must have at least 3 syllables
o only one form of a verb can be used (if see is used, then seen or saw cannot be used)
o Begin with letters that are common at beginnings of words, then use less common letters
Alphabet Words
(Preparation: a soft ball or toy) .
p. 34 of 55
/ passing a ball or toy / alphabet / speaking /

Write the alphabet on the board (or for intermediate / advanced players, dont write it)
- Say a word that starts with A then throw a ball (or bean-bag or any soft toy) to the 1st player
- The 1st player must say a word starting with B - then throw the ball to the next student
- The next player says a word starting with C .... etc. etc. till Z
If someone cant think of a word (within a time limit) then they lose (punished in some fun way!)
- Play the game fast
o use a timer for each player
o all the players count 1-10 (time limit) every time a new person gets the ball
Variations: More advanced players? Put requirements on the words, eg. must have at least 3 syllables
Stop the Alphabet!
/ passing a ball or toy / alphabet / categories of vocabulary / speaking / writing /
Each player has a piece of paper - across the top write these category names (or pick other categories)
Name
Place
Action
Animal
Object
Fruit / Vegetable
Total
Someone starts saying the alphabet ... A, B, C, D, ....
- Anyone, at any time, can yell Stop!
- Then the other person stops saying the alphabet
- If they stopped at the letter G :
o then each player writes a word starting with G for each category (for example)
George
Garage
Grow
Giraffe
Gun
Grape
The first player who finishes all their categories yells Stop! and the other players must stop writing
- (Variation - set a time limit - everyone can write till the end of the time limit)
Count up points
- If a player is the only person to write a particular word, they write 100 under that word
- If only 2 players wrote a particular word, they both write 50 under that word
- Any word written by 3 or more players gets 25 points
- If some columns do not have any word, the player writes 0
Each player writes their points under the word, then puts the total under the total column
Continue saying the alphabet, starting at the same place it stopped
- after the paper is filled, .... the player with the most points wins!
Alphabet cards
(Preparation: playing cards) .

/ playing cards / alphabet / sentences / speaking /
Need a normal deck of playing cards
Card
Letters
For each card (Ace, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King)
Ace
A
N
- designate a letter of the alphabet - here is one possibility:
2
B
O
3
C
P
Beginners:
- A player turns over a card
4
D
Q
- Then that players says a word beginning with the letter of that card
5
E
R
6
F
S
Intermediate:
7
G
T
- A player turns over several cards
- then make a sentence using words starting with those cards letters
8
H
U
- Or, require the words to be in the same order as the cards!
9
I
V
Advanced:
10
J
W
- 1st player: turn over one card, and say one word to start a sentence
Jack
K
X
Queen
King
nd
p. 35 of 55
L
M
- 2 player: turn over another card, and add one word to the sentence.
-Game
3rd play:
playerPlay
etc....incontinue
over cards and adding words
teams orturning
individually
- If players give a correct word (and grammar) within a time limit, they get one point
- When the deck is finished: the player (or team) with the most points wins!
Variation: to make it easier - Make or use alphabet cards (write the letters on a deck of cards!)
Variation: Assign a category to each card (Animals, food, places, jobs, ...)
- When the card is turned over, the player must say a member of that category.
- For sentences, make sentences using members of all the categories in the sentence.
Variation: Assign a part of verb tense to each card (simple present, simple past, past continuous....)
- A player picks a card and must compose a sentence using that verb tense.
Smile! - Similar Similes!
Y
Z
(Preparation: some partial similes) .
/ speaking / writing /
Review a few similes: Identify the basic structure: as ____ as ____
For example:
- as big as a mountain
as big as my father
as big as China
- as sweet as candy
as sweet as my girlfriend
as sweet as honey
- as soft as hair
as soft as my bed
as soft as my mothers arms
The goal of the game is to complete a simile when part of it is given:
-
a partial simile will be given, either with an adjective, or with a noun, for example:
as exciting as _____
or
as _____ as a rainy day
- Then players make as many similes as possible within a time limit.

Game play 1: Each Team works together to write as many similes as possible within a time limit:
- shows its written similes
- When time is up, each team:
- reads each simile
The team with the most similes wins a point for that round
- then another partial simile is given and teams play again.
o At the end of several rounds, the team with the most points wins!
Game play 2: One player from each team plays each round to win points for their team.
Each team sends one player forward
- A partial simile is given (either with an adjective or a noun)
- The 1st player makes a simile, then the 2nd player, then the 3rd player, the 1st player again, etc.
-
When the time limit is up, each team gets one point for each simile.
Then play again with a different partial simile

o At the end of several rounds, the team with the most points .... wins!
Addition:
Some players can be Judges: If a simile is not logical, or makes no sense:
- Judges can reject any simile (by ringing a bell, or blowing a horn) (or could reject it later)
This can prevent players from just saying any word - similes must somehow make sense!
Variation: For advanced players: give similes with more complicated, unusual or obscure words
Spelling
Spelling duel!
p. 36 of 55
/ spelling / speaking /
Players can play individually, for themselves, or could play for two teams
Two players come forward (one player from each team) to have a duel
- Each player says a word (each player says their own word, so there are two different words)
- Each player spells the other players word (either say the letters, or write on the board)
o correct spelling = that player (and team) gets 2 points
o incorrect spelling = the other player, who said the word, tries to spell it
correct spelling = the player who originally said the word gets 1 additional point
incorrect spelling = the player who originally said the word loses 1 point
- next 2 players come forward
Variation: play in small groups, for example
group of 7 = two teams of 3; and 1 person is the judge with a dictionary
Survivor-spelling: letter - by - letter
(Preparation: vocabulary list) .
Use vocabulary that has been learned
- Have all the players stand up
- Say one of the vocabulary words
o 1st student says the 1st letter of the word
o Next student says the 2nd letter
o Next student says the 3rd letter.... etc. etc.
- If someone makes a mistake: They must sit down (they are out)
o Start spelling that same word again, until it is spelled correctly
-
After the word is spelled correctly, then say a new word, continuing with the next student
- The last student to remain standing is the winner! (the survivor!)

Variation: After the word is spelled correctly, the next student must:
1) pronounce the word correctly; 2) say the definition
o If they cant, then they must sit down (they are out)
Survivor-spelling: word - by - word (Spelling bee)
Every player plays for oneself
- The Teacher (or Host) asks players, one at a time, to spell a word
- A different word is given to each player (all the words should be of the same difficulty)
-
Each player gets one try to spell their word (within a time limit)
o The player could say the letters, or could write the word on the board
If the player spells the word correctly, then they stay alive
o If they does not spell the word correctly, then they are out (dont continue with the game)
- Keep going from player to player

After all the players have spelled one word, then start again with the next round of spelling
o Only the players who are still alive compete in the next round
The last person to stay alive is the winner
Variation: Players get 2 or 3 incorrect spellings (of different words) before they are finally out
- each round of spelling, the words get more difficult
Team Spelling!
p. 37 of 55
Players play in teams:
- 1st Player from Team #1 comes to the front
- The Teacher (or Host) says a word
The 1st Player gets one try to spell it (within a time limit)
o The player could say the letters, or could write the word on the board
- If the word is spelled correctly, that team gets one point
-
1st player from Team #2, comes to the front

- Same as for team #1, except with a new word (the same difficulty as the word for team #1)
Repeat for as many teams as there are.

- Then start again, with the 2nd player from each team, then the 3rd player etc...
The team with the most points wins!
Arranging & Rearranging: letters into words / words into sentences

Finding Needles in a Haystack
(Preparation: cards with letters and words) .
(from Sally, Joanna, Michelle, & Fiona)
/ spelling / alphabet / body movement / speaking /

Three or four players for the 1st round (or 3 or 4 small teams)
- Each player (or team) randomly picks 1 card with a word (all words with same number of letters)
The rest of the players each get several cards with a letter on each card (dont show their cards!)
-
Each player (or small team) must find the letters to spell their word
Players run around the room, and ask: Do you have an A? Do you have a W? etc.
If the player has the letter, they must hand it over when asked, if not, they say no!
- First player (or team) to get all the letters to spell the word, wins!
Switch players and letter holders and play again!
Variation: Use slips of paper with pictures (names for each picture must have the same number of letters)
- Players have to spell the word and then look for the letters
Variation: Use slips of paper with short phrases or sentences (all with the same number of words)
- players must find the words to compose the sentence
Changing Letters! - Making words!
(Preparation: good words to start) .
/ spelling / alphabet /
Play in groups (teams) or individually
- Start by writing any word on the board for example:
- First player makes a new word, changing just one letter
- Next player makes a new word, changing one different letter
(must change a different letter than the last player!)
- Next player makes a new word, changing one different letter
TIME
LIME
DIME (wrong!)
LAME
TAME ... etc.
Players must write the new word within a time limit or lose their turn
- If the player writes a correct word within the time limit, they (or their team) gets one point
- Person (or team) with the most points ... wins!
Variations:
Use a word with different numbers of letters
- use different rules for what you can change:
change 2 letters
change one letter and either add on letter or subtract one letter
change one letter and also can rearrange the other letters....etc. etc.
p. 38 of 55
Arrange and Rearrange the letters!
(Preparation: cards with letters) .

/ spelling / alphabet / body movement / cards with letters /
Prepare Letter cards, each card with a letter
Play in teams: Each team has all the letters
- The teacher (or Host) says a word (or shows a picture)
- Teams arrange their letter cards into the correct order to spell the word
- First group to spell the word correctly wins - gets one point
Variation: Make the Letter cards large (easy to be seen from the back of class)
- Players hold their cards above their heads, standing in the correct order to spell the word
- If a letter appears more than once, that player runs from one place to the next!
Conundrum / Arrange the Letters! / Find the word(s)
/ spelling / alphabet / categories of words /

Write several letters on the board in random order (or prepare cards, each with a letter)
- Tell players that the letters make a word
or 2 words
or identify a category of the word (type of food, name of a movie, etc...)
or that the letters make words that make a complete sentence
-
First group to rearrange the letters into the correct answer.... wins!
Conundrum - Advanced / longest word wins!
(Preparation: cards with letters) .
Prepare cards with a letter on each card
- have several of each letter (for example, 5 letter Bs, 5 letter Ms, etc.)
- separate the vowels from the consonants
Teams play against each other
- One of the players can randomly pick letters, one by one
- They can decide how many consonants and how many vowels they want
- Write the randomly chosen letters on the board
Start a timer
- each team tries to find the longest word they can make using the chosen letters
- Use a piece of paper to help spell the longest word
- The team that finds the longest word (within the time limit) is the winner!
Variation: Allow each team or each player to use a dictionary
- or dont allow anyone to use a dictionary
Variation: Allow players to use each letter twice, or three or four times
Variation: Allow players to add one or two additional letters of their choice
Conundrum / Reverse-Conundrum!
Players work in teams (or individually for small classes)
The teacher (or Host) writes a long word on the board
- Start a timer:
-
Each team tries to find how many words can be made, using only the letters in the long word
The team who finds the most words, (within a time limit)... wins!
p. 39 of 55
For example:
R E T R I B U T I O N
Words created:
return tribute iron notion note tone rib tube bruit tent tribe bur button rent burin bite burr run route tire tore
bent bet bonnet rub nib net nub bin nut bit rube ruin rob rot unit union unite tier tie tin tint tone toe brute
burn brunt butt butter riot tot tenet tenure terrier retro bone boot born bout totter tote tour bore it on one bit
Additional play: Each team makes a sentence, using the words created (use each word only once)
- Team making the longest sentence, wins!
Scrabble
(Preparation: Scrabble board game) .
Must buy a board-game Scrabble (a popular board game which can be found for sale)
- Can be played by 4 people (or 4 small teams)
- Players pick letters, then spell any word with their letters (using 1 letter already on the board)
Notes: There is an element of random chance, as well as skill
- Only suitable for very small groups of student who enjoy spelling!
- Can be a very quiet activity (focused concentration and thinking)
- Can be played for a very long time! (or shorter game times are also possible)
- Good game for players to take with them and play at home with friends!
Arrange and Rearrange the Words!
(Preparation: sentences cut into separate words) .

/ sentences / writing / grammar / body movement / cards with words /
Write sentences (in grammar structures you want to teach)
- Cut the sentences into separate words
Play in groups:
- Tell groups to arrange the words into sentences, for example:
Positive sentence
Negative sentence
Question
Depending on players level, can also specify grammar:
- Tense: past, present, future
- Aspect: simple, perfect, continuous, perfect-continuous
- Voice: active or passive
Each of these with Positive sentences, Negative sentences, or Questions
First group to arrange their words into the required grammatical structure wins - gets one point
Variation:
- Include extra words (distracters) that are not needed in the sentences
Variation:
- Some cards can just have letters that need to be added to other words to make the grammar correct:
s
ed
ing
Variation:
- On the back of papers with words, write parts of grammar (subject, verb, not, object, question word)
- After players have made sentences, have them write rules for that kind of sentence
- They can turn the cards over to help them figure out the rules
for example: Question: (Question word) + verb + Subject + Object?
- Make this a game by giving points to the first team who writes the correct rule
p. 40 of 55
Arrange the Song!
(Preparation: cards with words from a song) .

/ recognize words / sentences / writing / body movement / cards with words / songs /
Pick a song with appropriate difficulty level for the players
- write the words to the song on cards
- cut the cards into separate words (or separate lines for an easier game)
Give each group cards with all the words in the song
- (maybe add extra words, not in the song, as distracters!)
- Play the song once
- Each group tries to arrange the words into the order of the song
- Play the song again.... Keep playing the song....
first team to arrange the words correctly.... wins!
After playing the game.... sing the song!
Arrange and Rearrange the Parts of speech!
(Preparation: Grammar cards) .

Prepare cards, each listing one part of speech (part of grammar)
- subject, verb, not, object, question word
- noun, pronoun, preposition,
- main verb, helping verb, modal verb
etc. .... depending on the students level
Play in teams:
- Write a sentence on the board
- Teams arrange their grammar cards into the correct order that corresponds with the sentence
there should be one grammar card (part of speech) for every part of the sentence
- First group to get the correct order wins - gets one point
Arrange the words KABADDI!
(Preparation: cards with words) .

Play Arrange & Rearrange games, but Without Breathing! (South Asian game Kabaddi)
- Put words on slips of paper or cards
- Put these on tables in the front of the room
Plan in teams
- Teams wait at the back of the classroom
- Each team sends 1 player at a time to the front (for example) to arrange words into a sentence
- But players cannot breathe while they are doing it!
- To ensure players are not breathing, they must continually say Kabaddi, Kabaddi, Kabaddi....
When players run out of breath, they must run to the back of the room
- then a new player from that team comes forward (saying Kabaddi, Kabaddi, Kabaddi....)
First team to arrange the words into the correct sentence wins!
Notes: This is a timing structure that could be used in many types of games
Variation: Use other methods for setting a time limit, for example:
1) One player on the team Spins a top(or spins a coin)
2) and the player can continue playing till the spinning stops
Position the prepositions! (grammar)
(Preparation: cards with prepositions) .

p. 41 of 55
Prepare a text that uses prepositions

- Take out all the prepositions and put them on a separate sheet of paper
- cut this paper into pieces so each preposition is on its own piece of paper
Play in teams
- give each team all the prepositions on pieces of paper
(each teams paper could be different colors to distinguish one team from the others)
- players stand in the back of the room
Read (and / or write) one sentence at a time with blanks instead of prepositions
- one player from each team run forward with a preposition to insert in the blanks
- wins one point for each correct preposition
- loses one point for each incorrect preposition
Variation: Play this same game with determiners (a, the, an)
Variation: Can just write a list of prepositions on the board,
- give each team different colored chalk to distinguish between teams
- players run forward and write the correct preposition into the blanks of the sentence
First team inserting a preposition:
Writing sentences and stories

Run and write! / Sentence Race!
/ sentences / writing / spelling / grammar / body movement /
Play in 2, 3, 4, or 5 teams (depending on the size of the room and the blackboard)
Use a vocabulary list which players have been learning
-
Players start at the back of the room.

The Host calls out a word from the vocabulary list
one player from each team runs to the blackboard and writes a sentence using that word
Judges check the sentences for correctness:

--- clearly written
--- spelled correctly
--- correct grammar
- First person with a correct sentence wins 1 point for their team
Variations: Sentences can be required:
o to be written in a certain tense
o to have a minimum number of words
Sentences - word by word
/ sentences / speaking / grammar / categories of vocabulary /
Begin by giving a general category or topic for sentences, for example:
Animals
- 1st player says (and / or writes) one word (the 1st word of a sentence)
My
nd
nd
- 2 player says (and / or writes) one word (the 2 word of the sentence)
dog
- 3rd player says (and / or writes) one word (the 3rd word of the sentence)
has
- 4th player says (and / or writes) one word (the 4th word of the sentence)
spots
continue moving from player to player
period
Whenever the sentence could come to a logical end, the next player can say (or write):
-
Then say another word or category or topic to start the next sentence....
If any word or period is not grammatically correct, the Host says Stop!
- (or something more interesting! - for example, throw a toy animal to the center of the room!)
Then discuss why the grammar is not correct
Game play: Each person playing individually:
p. 42 of 55
When someone makes a grammar mistake, they get one point!

At the end of playing - the players with the fewest points win!!
Game play: Playing in teams:

- Each team has an area of the board
- Player come forward and write a word in their teams area of the board
-
Give a time limit for each word to be written (make it fast, depending on students skill level)
When someone makes a grammar mistake, their team gets one point!
At the end of playing - the teams with the fewest points win!!
Discuss the grammar errors when they occur

- Then all the teams start again with new sentences.
Variation: For more advanced students:
- shorter time-limit to write each new word
- require certain types of grammar or tenses or types of words in each sentence
Crazy Stories: word by word
/ sentences / categories of vocabulary / stories /

Prepare sheets of paper with seven columns:
A mans
A womans
What did
What did
What did
What was
a place
name
name
he say?
she say?
they do?
the result?
Play in groups of 6
- Players pass the paper from one to another
- Each player writes a word or a short phrase
- the 1st person writes an answer in column 1, & folds the paper so no one can see what is written
- the 2nd person writes an answer in column 2, & folds the paper so no one can see what is written
- the 3rd person writes an answer in column 3, . . . etc.
When all the groups are finished, each group comes to the front and reads their story
- For example, it might go something like this:
(column 1) met (column 2) at the (column 3),
he said (column 4), she said (column 5)
then they (column 6) and the result was (column 7)
Game play: (It is not a true game, but can add guessing to make it into a game)
-
A group comes to the front and one person reads their story
Other players guess: Which one in the group wrote each part (parts 1-7)
After the story is read, people tell their guesses.

- Players who guess correct get one point for each correct guess
- Repeat for each groups story
After all the groups have read their stories, then the player with the most points is the grand winner!
Variation: Players can make versions of this, writing longer stories with blanks labeled:
noun verb adjective
adverb
etc....
Then students go around the class asking other students for a noun, a verb...etc. (without showing the story)
- Students write these words in the blanks -- at the end, read the Crazy Story!
Variation: When players write and read the stories, use particular types of grammar
Crazy Stories: What was your word?
/ sentences / categories of vocabulary / stories / speaking / passing a ball or toy /
p. 43 of 55
Every player writes 1 word on a piece of paper (but dont show anyone the word!
The Host starts telling a story (just one or two sentences)
- then passes the ball (or bean-bag or soft toy) to the 1st player
- the 1st player continues telling the same story
and uses their 1 word in one sentence
- then passes the ball to the 2nd player
-
the 2nd player continues telling the same story

and uses their 1 word in one sentence
- then passes the ball to the 3rd player, etc. etc. etc.
-
The last player must end the story (using their 1 word somewhere in the sentence)
After the story is over, each player guesses all the other players words
(Everyone needs to write down their guesses as the story is being told!)
The person who guesses most words - wins!
Variation:
- limit the 1 word to one particular type of word - noun, verb, adjective, adverb, etc.
Crazy Stories: sentence by sentence
/ sentences / categories of vocabulary / stories / writing /

Each player makes a sheet of paper with six rows (or more).
- Each player writes one or more complete sentences in the top row:
o describing Who the story is about
(The who should be plural, so other writers can use They instead of he, she, his, hers, or it)
o then fold the paper over so the next person cant see what you wrote.
- pass the paper to the next player who writes one or more sentences in the next row (What)
o then folds the paper and passes it to the next person
Continue passing from
Who Write names and descriptions of several people or animals
player to player
What Write what they did
- each player writes one row,
How Write how they did it (adverbs)
- then folds the paper
Where Write where they did it
- and passes it on to the next
When Write when they did it
The 6th person writes Why
Why Write why they did it
- and finishes the story
Game play: (It is not a true game, but can add guessing to make it into a game)
-
After all 6 rows are finished, pass the paper to another player
That player reads the stories
Other players (who didnt write on that paper) guess: who wrote parts 1-6
After the story is read, people tell their guesses.

- Players who guess correct get one point for each correct guess
Repeat the reading and guesses for every story
After all the groups have read their stories, then the player with the most points is the grand winner!
Exaggeration, Stretching the Truth

Liar! Liar!
(Alphabet Liar! / Number Liar!)
(Preparation: playing cards) .

/ alphabet / numbers / playing cards / speaking /
p. 44 of 55
Play with a set of cards for either:

- Numbers: use a normal set of playing cards, or
- Letters: use cards with the letters of the alphabet
Deal the cards out to all the players
- Players take turns
-
1st player starts at the beginning

o Numbers: start at 1 (Ace) and go to Jack, Queen, King, then start again at 1
o Letters: start at A and go to Z, then start again at A
On their turn, each player MUST put down at least one card, face down in the middle of the table
o And say what the card(s) is (are), and how many (two Bs) or (one C) etc...
-
Even if the player does not have the correct card, they must lay down at least one card and Lie!
Challenges: If a player thinks another player is lying: say Liar! -then turn over the cards
o If that player was lying, then that player must take all the cards in the middle
o If that player was NOT lying, then the person who called them liar must take all the cards
-
First player to get rid of all their cards is the winner!
Have you ever...?
(Preparation: lists of questions) .

/ speaking / verb tenses / questions / conversation /
Useful for past tenses and present perfect tense
- Play in groups of 3 (other sized groups are OK, but all groups should be the same size)
- Each player has a different list of 5 questions (or fewer) (asked in present perfect tense)
Questions should ask about experiences that the players might, or might not have had
Players could also write their own questions
For example:
Have you ever...
Have you ever...
Have you ever...
- spoken to a famous person?
- sung karaoke?
- written graffiti on a wall?
- had your photo in a newspaper? - chased a criminal?
- won a medal or trophy?
- spent the night on a train?
- stayed in a five-star hotel?
- forgotten your friends name?
- forgot your mothers birthday? - been on television?
- left a restaurant without paying?
- 1 question written by the player - 1 question written by the player - 1 question written by the player
player #1 asks the first question to player #2
o the first answer must always be Yes, I have. (even if you havent, you must say yes!)
o player #1 and other players ask player #2 more questions to see if they are lying or not
o player #2 answers all the questions, trying to convince others that it is the truth!
Next, player #2 asks his/her first question to player #3
o player #3 must answer Yes I have then answers all questions, to convince it is the truth
Next, player #3 asks his/her first question to player #1
o player #1 must answer Yes I have then answers all questions, to convince it is the truth
Continue players 1, 2, 3... 1, 2, 3, etc. until everyone has asked all their questions
- Each player writes if the others were telling the truth or not, for each of the questions
- Finally, each player tell the others if they were telling the truth or not for each question
The player who got most correct (if the others were lying or being truthful) is the winner!
The Biggest Bragger!
/ speaking / verb tenses / questions / conversation /
p. 45 of 55
All players first write several sentences that someone might use to brag about something
- Write the sentences in present perfect tense (I have verb-ed)
- Use 1st person (I have done this) and also 3rd person (He has done it with me)
The sentences dont need to be realistic; the more crazy, the better! For example:
Ive eaten lunch with President Obama!
Brad Pit has asked me to be in his new movie!
- Also use many different verbs, including to have (I have had dinner on the moon!)
Write each sentence on a small piece of paper and put them in a bag
Play in teams of 4-6 people
- The 1st player randomly picks one of the sentences, and proudly reads it to the group
Other players in the group try to outdo the brag, with bigger brags of their own... for example:
- 1st player: "I've eaten lunch with Al Gore"
- 2nd player: So what? I've eaten lunch with Bill Clinton!"
- 3rd player: Thats nothing! I've had breakfast with Al Gore and Bill Clinton"
- 4th player: Big deal! I've spent the night at Gore and Clintons apartment!"
- continue on with as many brags as possible from everyone in the group
When no one else has any better brags, then just say: Wow! Youre amazing!
Then the next player picks one of the sentences and starts a new brag.
- Continue through all the players and all the brags
Winner: The biggest bragger should by nature, just declare himself or herself as the winner!
Grammar & Verb tenses

(Preparation: cards with regular verbs) .

/ speaking / pronunciation / body movement / cards with words /
Play in 3 teams (or play with 6 teams or 9 teams):
- Team 1
= -ed sounds like
-t
without an extra syllable
- Team 2
= -ed sounds like
-d
without an extra syllable
- Team 3
= -ed sounds like
+ed
with an extra syllable
Each team sit at their own table
Cards with of regular verbs are put on a 4th table.
- Each team sends one person at a time to the table with the cards of verbs
- Players pick 1 verb which they think has their groups -ed sound (either -t, -d, or +ed)
- Take the card back to the groups table and the group agrees (or not) if the word is correct
- if NOT correct, then the same player takes the verb back to the table and picks another
- If the group agrees that it is correct, then the next player goes to the table to pick one verb
- Keep going player by player
A Judge is given to each team:
- Judges do not give feedback on every verb.
- Judges only say: Yes you are finished, or No you are not finished
If they are the first team to get all their verbs correct, they win!
- If some verbs are not correct, the judge only says No, you are not finished
then the group must figure out for themselves which verbs are not correct
send one player to the table with the verbs, and pick a different one.... etc.
Considerations:
- Include irregular verbs on the table as distracters (do not use -ed, so wrong for all teams)
- Include 3 copies of each verb on the table, so more than one team can select it.
If playing with 6 teams, then include 6 copies of each verb
p. 46 of 55
Variation: Write all the verbs on the board. (so dont need cards)
Each team writes the verbs on paper and puts them into groups (-t, -d, +ed) & irregular (no -ed)
- First team to get all the verbs into correct groups, wins.
-t (no extra syllable)
-d (no extra syllable)
+ed (add 1 extra syllable)
to touch
to walk
to finish
to play
to love
to add
to end
to wish
to talk
to mix
to close
to tow
to subtract
to visit
to finish
to kiss
to watch
to move
to open
to intend
to land
to push
to type
to wash
to climb
to score
to shout
to hand
to hope
to pick
to laugh
to yell
to time
to start
to complete
to guess
to cough
to jump
to multiply
to happen
to want
to divide
to ask
to help
to reach
to cry
to plan
to hate
to act
to kick
to like
to question
to spell
to wait
to need
to answer
to desire
to request
to suggest
to dare
verbs which
to provoke
to seduce
to amuse
to bore
to excite
to irritate
are felt in the to influence
to inspire
to enthuse
to motivate
to aggravate
receiver,
to confuse
to annoy
to agitate
to frustrate
not the doer
to empower
to please
to persuade
to stimulate
to embolden to encourage to interest
to support
to affect
Run and write! (Active voice / Passive voice)
(Preparation: written sentences) .
/ grammar / body movement / writing /

Play in teams - separate the board so that each team has its own area
- Prepare several sentences which can be written in either Active voice or Passive voice
For example:
- (Active voice) He enjoyed that movie.
(Passive voice) That movie was enjoyed by him.
Put each sentence on a separate piece of paper
Teams send one player forward at a time
- the player takes one piece of paper (with a sentence written on it)
- They change the sentence from Active voice to Passive voice, & write that on the board
- Have one or more Judges
Judges read the players sentences and tell them Yes or No
- Players keep trying till they get their sentence correct
- After the Judge says Yes then the player runs back to the team,
- then the team sends up the next player
First team to get all their sentences written correctly, wins!
Notes: All the teams should get the same sentences, so the difficulty level is the same
- The sentences can have a range of difficulty, using different tenses (past, present, future...)
Variations: Can play in several ways:
- Change from Active voice to Passive voice
- Change from Passive voice to Active voice
- Read the sentence:
if it is Active voice, then change to passive voice
if it is Passive voice, then change to active voice
Variation: Can use this same game to change a sentences from any type of grammar to any other type
- Change from present simple tense into past simple tense
- Change from present simple tense into past perfect tense, .... etc. etc.
How much for this sentence? Sentence auction!
(Preparation: sentences & play money) .
p. 47 of 55
/ grammar / sentences /
Prepare about 20 sentences (or more) (using grammar forms that have been learned)
- Two-thirds of the sentences should have grammar mistakes
Make fake play-money (in local currency)
Play in teams
- Each team studies the 20 sentences & decides which have grammar mistakes and which are correct
- Each team gets the same amount of money to begin
The teacher (or host) reads one sentence at a time (random order)
- Then tries to auction off that sentence
- If players think a sentence has no mistakes, they should try to buy it by bidding
- The sentence is sold to the highest bidder (if anyone bids for it)
After selling the sentence, the teacher (or hosts) tell if the sentence is correct or not
- If the sentence is correct, then the team that bought it: wins the amount which they bought it for
- If the sentence is not correct, that team loses the amount which they bought it for
o That team can win the lost money by immediately saying the sentence with correct grammar
-
If the sentence is correct, and no one bids for it, All Teams must pay a fine!
After all the sentences auctioned, the team with the most money wins!
Note: the amounts of money exchange are not clear in the original instructions
- try playing the game and see what money interactions seem to work best
Feeling tense? (Tenses, phrase by phrase)
/ grammar / speaking /
One player says either a word or a phrase that indicates time (past, present, future), for example:
Next year...
A few days ago...
Tomorrow...
Yesterday...
The last time I saw you...
A 2nd player completes the sentence with a verb tense that agrees with the indicated time
- This same player then begins a new sentence (with a word or phrase that indicates time)
A 3rd player completes the sentence with a different verb in a tense that agrees with the indicated time
1st player:
At the moment . . ."
For example: 2nd player: ". . . I am sitting in a classroom."
"Last year . . ."
rd
3 player: - ". . . they went to Europe."
"Every day . . ."
th
4 player: ". . . she takes the bus to work."
. . . Continue, etc . . .
Rules:
Verb tenses
Can be repeated as needed
Cannot be repeated (each verb used only once, by one player)
Verbs
Can only be repeated after all of them have been used once.... then twice..
Subject pronouns
I, We, You, He, She, It, They, One
Can also be used, but not repeated till theyve all been used once
Determiners
That, This, Those, These, A, The, Some, (noun is stated or implied)
Play alternates back and forth between the two teams
- 1st player
3rd player
5th player, etc.
are on Team 1 (the odd number team)
nd
th
- 2 player
4 player
6th player, etc.
are on Team 2 (the even number team)
One player comes forward from each team
they say their phrase,
and write it on the board (confirms the grammar and keeps track of pronouns used)
- Give a time limit for each phrase to be written (make it fast, depending on students skill level)
If a player makes goes too slow, or makes a grammar error, their team gets one point!
p. 48 of 55
The winner is the team with the fewest points!
Quizzes - Questions & Answers

Team Questions!
(Preparation: groups make questions & answers) .

/ questions / reading / speaking /
Each group makes 10 questions and answers about a text they are reading
Can only be factual, objective answers
Cannot be questions about opinion
Two groups compete:
Group 1 asks their 1st question to group 2 who must answer within a time limit
o If the answer is correct, then the answering group gets 1 point
o If the answer is not correct (or not fast enough), then the questioning group gets 1 point
(the questioning group must then show the correct answer)
Then Group 2 asks their 1st question to group 1
- Continue back and forth till all the questions are asked and answered
After all the questions are asked and answered, the team with the most points wins
If there are several groups:
- Each team can play each other team in separate rounds
- The team that wins the most rounds becomes the grand winner
Quiz Show!
(Preparation: questions and answers) .
/ speaking / questions /
The Hosts prepare a lot of questions and answers, for example:
- about classroom studies, students readings, rules of grammar, popular culture, songs, movies etc.
Play in small groups (4-6 in a group?)
Hosts randomly pick a question and ask it
- Team members raise their hand as fast as possible if they know the answer
-
Hosts pick which person raised their hand first

That person gives the answer (within a time limit)
o If the answer is correct, that team gets one point
o If the answer is not correct
that team loses one point
Hosts ask the question again and another team can try to answer
Continue till all the questions are asked and answered

Team with most points wins
Variation: Teams can discuss the correct answer amongst themselves before answering
Variation: Every team answers every question, writing their answer on paper
- after a time limit to write the answer, every team shows their answer
- every team with the correct answer gets a point
Extras: Hosts make power point (ppt) presentation and run the game from the computer
Variations:
Game can be simple or difficult to match students level, for example:
- Simple version:
make the questions multiple choice
- Harder version:
students must just think of the answer
Whats the Question? (Jeopardy!)
(Preparation: answers and questions) .
p. 49 of 55
/ speaking / questions /
Same as Quiz show, except players hear or see the answer, and they provide the correct question.
(Made popular on the TV game show Jeopardy)
-
The Hosts create many questions and answers (based on topics studied in the course
Play in small groups (4-6 in a group?)

The host randomly picks an Answer and says: The answer is...
- Team members raise their hand if they know the question that goes with that answer
-
Hosts pick which person raised their hand first

That person must answer in the form of a question (within a time limit)
o If the answer is correct, that team gets one point
o If they do not reply in the form of a question, or the question is not correct
that team loses one point
Hosts give the answer again and another team can try to give the correct question
Continue till all the answers are presented and the correct questions are provided
Team with most points wins
Extras: Hosts make power point (ppt) presentation and run the game from the computer
Variation:
Game can be simple or difficult to match any level of student
Variations:
Possibilities for deciding who will give the answer etc.
- Anyone from any team can raise their hand, or
- Each team can send one person forward for the next question,
True Jeopardy
(Preparation: answers & questions in categories with difficulty levels) .

/ speaking / questions / categories of vocabulary /
The full true version of the popular TV show Jeopardy needs:
- Categories of questions (eg. Grammar, History, Animals, Food, Sports etc...)
(Categories can be anything that has been studied)
- Difficulty level:
o Easy questions get a lower number of points
for example
(10 points)
for
example
(20 points)
o Medium difficulty questions get more points
etc., etc., ...
for example (100 points)
o Hardest questions get the most points
-
Players can pick any category and any difficulty level they choose
o If they answer correctly they get that number of points
they lose that number of points!
o If they do not answer correctly -
Comedy quiz!
(Preparation: cards with funny riddles) .
/ speaking / comedy /
Prepare some funny riddles on paper, questions & answers
Play in teams - tell players that the questions and answers are not facts, they are comedy
- Give all the teams copies of the answers.
- Ask each question one at a time
- First person to raise their hand must answer within a time limit
o If the answer is correct - their team gets one point
o If the answer is not correct, then their team loses one point!
(if the answer was not correct, ask the same question again.... but not till later)
Team with the most points wins!
p. 50 of 55
At the end, everyone read their correct questions and answers for everyone to hear
Suggested questions and answers:
QUESTIONS
ANSWERS
What animal is gray and has a trunk?
A mouse going on vacation
All do. No animal takes off its tail
What animal eats and drinks with its tail?
when eating or drinking.
Why do mother kangaroos hate rainy days?
Because then the children have to play inside.
How can you tell the difference between a can of
Read the label.
chicken soup and a can of tomato soup?
Why is an eye doctor like a teacher?
They both test the pupils.
Why did the cross-eyed teacher lose his job?
Because he could not control his pupils.
Why is mayonnaise never ready?
Because it is always dressing.
Do you know the story about the skunk?
Never mind, it stinks.
If a papa bull eats three bales of hay and a baby bull
Nothing. There is no such thing as a mama bull.
eats one bale, how much hay will a mama bull eat?
What does an envelope say when you lick it?
Nothing. It just shuts up.
Why do cows wear bells?
Because their horns don't work.
Why shouldn't you believe a person in bed?
Because he is lying.
What is the best way to prevent milk from turning sour?
Leave it in the cow.
Why does a dog wag his tail?
Because no one else will wag it for him.
Bingo & Tic Tac Toe

Bingo!
(basic game)
/ numbers / alphabet / cards with words or pictures or letters /
Basic Bingo game:
Prepare cards with square grids
- Every player gets (or makes) one card with a 3 x 3 grid (9 squares)
- Each square in the grid gets one number from 1-100 (or use fewer numbers, depending on the class)
Game play:
- The Caller randomly picks one number, then calls it out
- If a player has that number on their card, they mark a big X on that square
First player to get 3 in a row yells Bingo! and wins:
-
3 in a row can be: 3 across (right-to-left), 3 vertical (up-to-down) or 3 diagonal (corner to corner)
Variation: Make the bingo cards bigger; 5 x 5 (25 squares) or 7 x 7 (49 squares)
Variation: Play the same game with letters of the alphabet
Bingo! - Vocabulary bingo!
(Preparation: vocabulary cards) .
/ cards with words or pictures or letters /

Use for any type of vocabulary
- Every player gets one card with a grid (grids can be 3 x 3 - or - 5 x 5 - or - 7 x 7)
- Each square within the grid should contain a different vocabulary item (eg. dog, horse, pig, cow...)
A particular word (dog) can be on many cards,
but every card should have a different group of words
p. 51 of 55
Game play:
- Caller Randomly picks one vocabulary word
- Either: Call out the word, or Show the card to the players
- If a player has that word in their grid, then they cross it out (they get that square)
- Keep playing till someone gets a full row crossed out
(a 5x5 grid: needs 5 in a row, either vertical, horizontal, or diagonal)
- first person to get a whole row yells Bingo!
Variation: Teachers could make all the cards, or Players could make their own grids and fill them in
Variation: Instead of words, show a picture and players must look for the word on their card
Bingo - Question & answer Bingo!
(Preparation: cards with questions & answers) .

/ cards with words or pictures or letters / questions /
Prepare several questions and answers from any subject that the players have been studying
- Every player gets one card with a grid (grids can be 3 x 3 - or - 5 x 5 - or - 7 x 7)
- Each square within the grid should contain an answer to a question
A particular answer can be on many cards,
but every card should have a different group of answers
Game play: The Caller randomly picks one of the questions and reads it:
- If players have the answer to that question on their card, then they mark that square
- First player with a complete row (horizontal, vertical, or diagonal) yells Bingo! and wins!
Variation: Teachers could make all the cards, or Players could make their own grids and fill them in
Bingo! - Irregular Verb bingo!!
(Preparation: bingo cards) .
/ cards with words or pictures or letters / verbs /

Make Bingo Cards (3 x 3, 5 x 5, or 7 x 7) with an irregular verb written in past tense in each square
- The caller randomly calls out one of the verbs (in base form)
- If players have the past tense form of that verb on their card, they get that square
- Once players get a full row.... they yell Bingo!
Bingo! - Shout it out Bingo!

/ cards with words or pictures or letters / speaking /
Preparation same as regular bingo.
The caller randomly picks a word or question and calls it out (or shows a picture)
- If a player has it in their card, they must immediately shout it out!
- Only the 1st person to shout out the word on their card gets that square
Bingo! - Grammar Bingo!

/ cards with words or pictures or letters / speaking / grammar /
Preparation same as regular bingo with vocabulary words in each square
- Randomly pick 2 things for each square:
1. Randomly pick a word (or a question or a picture) which might be on a players card
2. Randomly pick a form of grammar
Any player who has that word on their card the player must:
shout out the word - but used within a sentence in the requested form of grammar
The 1st player to do it correctly, gets that square
Bingo - Getting to know you Bingo!
(Preparation: list of players names) .
p. 52 of 55
/ cards with words or pictures or letters / speaking / writing / names / questions /

1 name
1 name
1 name
Use for meeting new classmates
2
where
from
2
where
from
2 where from
Every player use a full piece of paper folded into 9 squares
List 5 questions on the board
(vary in difficulty according to class level) for example:
1) What is your name?
2) Where are you from?
3) How long have you been here?
4) What is the strangest thing you have eaten here?
5) (any 5th question decided by the student)
Every student must talk to 8 different people
- Write their answers in each of the 8 squares
3 how long here

4 food eaten
5 other question
1 name
2 where from
3 how long here
4 food eaten
5 other question
1 name
2 where from
3 how long here
4 food eaten
5 other question
3 how long here 3 how long here

4 food eaten
4 food eaten
5 other question 5 other question
1 name
2 where from
You!
3 how long here
(Me!)
4 food eaten
5 other question
1 name
1 name
2 where from
2 where from
3 how long here 3 how long here
4 food eaten
4 food eaten
5 other question 5 other question
When everyone is finished, the caller starts picking students names at random
- The caller announces one players name
- Everyone who has that player in their card stand up
- Each of these people tell everyone about that player (according to the students 5 answers)
- Each of these players gets that square on their bingo card
Then the caller picks another name..... etc.
- First player to get 3-in-a-row wins, and yells Bingo!
3 in a row can be: 3 across (right-to-left), 3 vertical (up-to-down) or 3 diagonal (corner to corner)
The caller continues randomly calling players names till all the answers have been told to the class
- by the end, everyone will have been a winner and get to yell Bingo!
Tic Tac Toe! (Naughts & Crosses)
(basic game)
/ numbers / alphabet / pictures & drawings / speaking /

Basic Tic Tac Toe game: (In British countries, often called Naughts & Crosses)
- Draw a grid on the board: either 3 x 3 (9 squares), 5 x 5 (25 squares), or 7 x 7 (49 squares)
- Each square in the grid has a number or a word or a picture
Players play individually, or in 2 teams
- Players take turns:
- Pick a square
Must say: the number, the word, or the name of the picture
o If the word is correct, then the player (or team) wins that square
o If the word is not correct, then the square stays free (another player can pick it later)
- Player on the other team picks a square, etc....
First player or team to get 3 in a row (or 5 in a row, or 7 in a row) wins!
Question & Answer Tic Tac Toe !
(Preparation: questions & answers) .
/ speaking /
Draw a grid on the board: either 3 x 3 (9 squares), 5 x 5 (25 squares), or 7 x 7 (49 squares)
- Give each square in the grid a number (or name)
- Prepare at least one question for every square in the grid
Play in 2 teams
- One team picks a square (ask for it by its number or name)
The host asks a question for that square
o If the team correctly answers the question, they win that square
o If they do not correctly answer (within a time limit), then the square stays free
p. 53 of 55
If the square is chosen again, it will have a different question
First team to get 3 in a row (or 5 in a row, or 7 in a row) wins!

Addition: Have many more questions ready:
- If a question is not answered correctly, next time ask a different question for that same square
Grammar Tic Tac Toe!
(Preparation: grammar tasks) .
/ speaking / grammar / sentences /

Draw a grid on the board: either 3 x 3 (9 squares), 5 x 5 (25 squares), or 7 x 7 (49 squares)
- Give each square in the grid a number (or name)
Many grammar games are possible:
for example in each square could contain:
a word
a verb in a particular tense (worked, running, talk)
the name of a tense (past, present, future)..... etc...
Play in 2 teams
- One team picks a square (ask for it by its number or name)
The team must make a correct sentence, using the word and the tense
o If they make a correct sentence (within a time limit), they win the square
o If their sentence is not correct, the square remains free
First team to get 3 in a row (or 5 in a row, or 7 in a row) wins!
Note: Dont show the task in the square
- If players see the task, they will already be working on the answer before their time limit begins
- If the square was not won, then is picked a 2nd time, the task should be different
Extras - Add to any game to make it more fun!

Secret Code!
(Preparation: write in code) .
/ writing / alphabet /
Give written instructions or vocabulary words in code. An infinite variety are possible, for example:
One Letter Before any letter = the letter just before it in the alphabet
(xbml up uif cpbse = walk to the board)
Backward Words - every word is written backwards
(etirw nwod evif seman fo ruoy setamssalc = write down five names of your classmates)
Backward Sentences - the sentence is written backwards
(classmates your of names five down write = write down five names of your classmates)
Pig Latin (popular childrens language): first letter goes to the end of the word, then add -ay
- fun because words can be pronounced, some children can become fluent in this language
(indfay aay artnerpay = find a partner) (omecay otay hetay rontfay = come to the front)
Continuous Stream - the sentence is written with no separations between words
(findseventhingshiddenintheclassroom = find seven things hidden in the classroom)
Game play: Give players a sentence in code, the first to work it out wins!
Variations:
(try some of these after they have learned the basics)
- Combine previously learned codes together
- Dont tell the rules for the code, so people have to figure out the code for themselves
- Give each person of the task instruction, and they must find someone else with the other .
Variations: Use Secret codes in other games, whenever something is written!
p. 54 of 55
Give instructions or important words to players in code, they must work out the code first
Watch the time!
/ timing /
Can be used in any game with a time limit on how long players can do something.
- These extras use time limits that are not fixed - they might change from player to player
For example: Kabaddi
- Players can do an activity for as long as they can without breathing in
- They constantly say a word over and over without stopping (so they cannot breathe in)
- Taken from south Asian game Kabaddi where time-of -play is limited by players breath capacity.
- When they need a new breath, they must go out and a new player enters
For example: Spin the top
- Players can do the activity for as long as a top (or a coin etc.) keeps spinning
- When a player starts, someone spins the top (or spins a coin)
- That player can continue the activity till it stops spinning,
- Then another player starts, and someone spins the top again.
Variation:
Reverse the timing!
Use the same idea in reverse when one team wants another team to have less time to do an activity
- For example:
- Team 1 might be allowed to do an activity until Team 2 finishes doing some task
Team 1 can add more words to their list to win a game
But must stop as soon as a player in Team 2 can finish saying the alphabet 5 times.
- Then reverse the roles (Team 2 gets points for words until Team 1 finishes saying the alphabet 5 times)
(the faster one team can say the alphabet, the less time the other team gets to score points!)
Level the playing field! Bonus round!
/ chance /
Can be added to any game where people win (or lose) points
Or could be inserted as a random event anywhere within a series of games
Notes: This equalizes all the players, regardless of skill, anyone might win!
- Any player will have possibilities to win points, even if they only get one answer right!
- It can make games more exciting, since it includes pure luck (not only skill)
Winning and losing points:, use a random method to decide how many points.
roll dice
reach in a bag and pick out a card with a number written on it
For example:
throw a ball or paper airplane at a target or at boxes with different numbers of points
written at different locations on the target, or in the boxes
- Or any other random way for deciding how many points will be won or will be lost
Can include a negative - when the player or team actually loses points instead of winning!
Bonus Round
- A random event can be added at any time where extra points can be won, or extra points lost
For example:
- Occasionally players must participate in a random event (roll dice, pick a number etc.)
- This determines a bonus number of points they win or lose
Punish the losers!
/ winning & losing /
p. 55 of 55
A way to reduce any bad feeling about not winning a game or losing.
- Instead of giving prizes to the winners ....
- Games can be played to punish the losers!
Punishments can be fun activities, that some losers might enjoy more than the game itself!
For example: losers of a game might have to come to the front of the class and do something:
sing an English song
imitate a funny drawing
perform a dance
Use your imagination to provide many fun activities for losers that everyone will enjoy!
Police!
/ rules /
Sometimes needs to be added to games to encourage players to follow the rules of the game
- Some players are designated as Police
Police go on patrol during a game
Listen and watch to see that players are all following the rules of the game for example:
o Players should only speak in English (unless otherwise allowed)
o Players should use requested grammar structures
- If players break any rules of a game, the Police can punish the players:
Go to jail
o Players who break a rule have to stand in a special place for an amount of time
o Good for games when players (and their teams) are trying to accomplish some task as fast as
possible, since the player and team cannot make any progress during any time in jail
Pay a fine
o Players who break a rule have to pay a fine, for example, losing some points
o Good for games when players (and their teams) are trying to gain lots of points.
--- End ---

101 Games For The ESL Classroom - Longstaff

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

101 Games For The ESL Classroom - Longstaff

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

101 Games For The ESL Classroom - Longstaff

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

101 Games for the English as Second Language (ESL) classroom

Compiled and Edited by Jeffrey Scott Longstaff

Organisation of the games

Many games are very similar

Pin the tail on the donkey!

Whats on your back?

Guess the word!

Who are you? What are you? (changing partners)

Accumulation (I went to the market and bought...)

Name 6! (Pass the toy)

Finding needles in a haystack! (from Sally, Joanna, Michelle, & Fiona)

Arrange and rearrange the words!

Run and write! (Sentence race!)

Liar! Liar! -- Alphabet Liar! Number Liar!

Mr. Ed! The sounds of Ed!

100. Bingo! (basic game)

Mother may I? Father may I?

Red light, Green light! - Statues!

Whats the time Mr. Wolf? / What time is it Mr. Wolf?

(Preparation: need a ball or soft object to throw & catch) .

(Preparation: need a ball or soft object to throw & catch) .

Variations on Catch! Play Ball!

Twister / Left Hand Red!

(Preparation: needs a Twister play area) .

/ body movement / speaking / outdoors / names /

The goal is to get everyone on your team

Recognition of key-words or finding words and objects

(Preparation: make cards, each with a picture or word) .

(Preparation: make cards, each with a picture or word) .

(Preparation: pick a text, write keywords on papers) .

Grab that word!

(Preparation: pick a song, bring a music player, put keywords on papers) .

(Preparation: pick things to find and where to find them) .

Find the differences

(Preparation: find or make 2 pictures which are almost the same) .

Where is his nose?

/ speaking / spatial directions / body parts / drawing /

Find the treasure!

(Preparation: plans for the map and what will be found) .

/ speaking / spatial directions / outdoors /

Repetition: Drilling, Clapping, Chanting

(Preparation: useful words or sentences to clap) .

Bigger & Bigger!

(Preparation: useful words or sentences) .

Bigger & Bigger!

(Preparation: useful words or sentences) .

/ speaking / body movement / pronunciation / outdoors /

Bigger & Bigger! --- Game play

Beep game / Number beep game / Alphabet beep game

/ speaking / numbers / alphabet / passing a ball or toy /

(Preparation: list of new vocabulary) .

Relaying information from one to another

/ alphabet / writing / recognize words / body movement /

Players sit in lines

Telephone! Whisper Circle!

(Preparation: write sentences on cards) .

Relay the story! Dictation!

(Preparation: put story, poem, etc. on papers) .