Workshop 3 Songs and Games

Game analysis Observation Grid

You are going to be shown 5 games. Look at the observation grid and make notes about the 5 different games. Implications How are the children learning in these games? Game 1 Game 2 Game 3 Game 4 Game 5

What problems do you envisage while playing each game in class? How would you overcome them?

What other themes and topics can be taught using these games?

How were groups organised? Could it be done differently?

Workshop 3 Songs and Games

Issues related to playing games
What question should you ask or what areas do you need to think about concerning issues below? Classroom management

Competition: Winners/Losers

Rules of the games

Language

Materials

Ludic principles

Other?

Workshop 3 Songs and Games

Games checklist
As you plan your game, answer questions below: How will I set it up? (I.e. demonstration?)

What is the purpose of the game?

How do I deal with the losers?

What material do I need?

How do I set it up physically i.e. seating arrangement etc

Does the game require knowledge of certain language?

What can be learnt from the game? (I.e. language? Other educational benefits?)

Workshop 3 Songs and Games

Demonstration Games
Part 1 : Run and Touch

SUMMARY Games don't get any easier than this. Students race to touch one flashcard from a row on the board. SETUP Line up a set of flashcards on the board, or lay them on the floor at the front of the classroom. Divide the class into teams or just play rounds with one student against another. PLAY Call two students up to play. Line them up against the wall opposite the flashcards. Make sure there is a clear running space for the students. Now, say the name of one of the flashcards and then shout, "Go!" The two students race to touch the correct flashcard. The first student is the winner. This game has endless variations. For example: 1) Students can crawl, hop, swim, carry an egg on a spoon, or a balloon between their knees, as they move toward the flashcards. 2) Students can point to the correct flashcard, point and name the flashcard, or even point and make a sentence using the flashcard. 3) The flashcards can be on the board, on the floor, in a bag or box, upside down, or in the four corners of the classroom. USES 1. Play with any set of flashcards. This game is a simple, yet fun way to introduce new vocabulary.

Workshop 3 Songs and Games

Demonstration Games
Part 2 : Four Corners (Version A)

SUMMARY There are flashcards in all four corners of the classroom. Don't get stuck standing near the wrong word when the teacher stops counting to ten though, or you'll be out. SETUP Place one flashcard in each of the four corners of the classroom. Push the desks aside to give the children ample space to move around. PLAY The 4 Corners game has two versions, an A and a B. Version A, in turn has two styles of its own. Version 1: Close your eyes and count to ten. The students run to the four corners of the room. When you finish counting, say "Stop!" Any student still in the middle of the floor must quickly find a corner. Now, call out the name of one flashcard. All students standing in the same corner as that flashcard are "out" and must return to their seats.

if you are playing with very young children don't ask them to sit down. In either case, however, ask all the students
in the corner to identify the flashcard or use it in a sentence.

Version 2: Count to ten with your eyes closed. Then say, "Stop!" However, this time instead of calling out a flashcard, point to one of the corners (with your eyes still closed). The students in that corner are "out" or "it" and must identify the flashcard or use it in a sentence.

Workshop 3 Songs and Games

Demonstration Games Part 3 : Four Corners (Version B)

SUMMARY Similar to 4 Corners (A) except that all the students start by crowding together in one corner. When the teacher calls out a flashcard everyone must rush to that corner. The last student to reach the card is out. SETUP Place one flashcard in each of the four corners of the classroom. Again, make sure the students have enough space to run freely between the corners. Don't play this version of the game with more than 56 students at one time, however. PLAY Get all the players to crowd into one corner. Now call out one of the flashcards in another corner. The students must run over to that corner. The last player to reach the flashcard is out.

You can also play this game with just two students at a time. We recommended this for classes that have students who tend to push too much.

For fun, call out the flashcard in the corner that the students are already standing in. See who runs without thinking. USES: 1. Play with any vocabulary.

Workshop 3 Songs and Games

Demonstration Games
Part 4 : Teacher Says

SUMMARY This is the ESL/EFL version of Simon Says. SETUP Get the class to stand up in front of you. PLAY Demonstrate to the class that they must follow your directions (run, touch your nose, stand up, sit down, etc.) but only if you preface the command with "Teacher says." Anyone who follows a command that was not prefaced with "Teacher says" must sit down. USES: To practise command language. 1) 2) Training students listening comprehension. This game is especially good for reviewing vocabulary like body parts and action words (run, touch your nose, touch your toes, eat, walk, swim, etc.).

Workshop 3 Songs and Games

Demonstration Games
Part 5 : Turn Around

SUMMARY You're holding a flashcard. In front of you stand two students with their backs turned. You give the command to "Turn around!" Who can identify the flashcard first? SETUP Get two students to stand in front of you with their backs turned. Hold a flashcard in your hand or place it on the board. PLAY Like the game "Run and Touch," this is an extremely simple game to play, and full of variations. 3) 4) The students turn and simply name the flashcard. The students are asked to make a sentence with the flashcard, or answer a question. For example, you ask, "What do I like to eat?" In your hand there is a banana flashcard. When the students turn they must answer, "You like to eat bananas!" 5) The students stand back to back. They are given each a flashcard to hold (face forward) in front of their chest. When they turn they must name their opponents flashcard.

USES When teaching any vocabulary or simple sentence patterns.

Workshop 3 Songs and Games

Demonstration Games
Part 6 : Run Past Me

SUMMARY The students dash from one wall to another. Can they get past you? If they can't then they must answer a question. SETUP Line your students up against one wall in the classroom. There should be a clear running space across the floor to the opposite wall. You stand somewhere in the middle of the floor. PLAY When the students are lined up and ready shout, "Go!" The students then make a run for the opposite wall. Try to catch one or two as they rush by. Make these students answer a question before being released.
This game is best played with very young children who are slow at running. To catch a student you need only tap him or her on the shoulder, arm, or head.

USES
1.

To practice the answers to simple questions like What's your name? How old are you? What do you like to eat? What animal can fly?

Workshop 3 Songs and Games

Demonstration Games
Part 7 : Yes/No

SUMMARY One ball is a "yes" ball. One ball is a "no" ball. The teacher asks students a yes/no type question ("Can elephants fly? Is a banana yellow?"), and then throws both balls. The children race to pick up the appropriate ball. SETUP You need two different coloured balls. Demonstrate that one ball is a "yes" ball, and the other a "no" ball. Make sure the students have a clear space in which to chase after the balls. PLAY Call two students to the front. Ask a yes/no type question. For example, "Are elephants little?" Throw the two balls. The two students should chase after the "no" ball, since elephants are not little. The first student to pick up the ball and bring it back to you is the winner. Repeat with other students. Ask other yes/no type questions. You may play this game simply for listening practice or for listening/speaking practice (in which case the students must answer the yes/no type question out loud). USES 1) 2) Wonderful for testing listening comprehension in a fun way. For teaching or reviewing yes/no type questions: "Can you eat a house? Is it hot today? It is Monday today? Is a mouse bigger than a rhino? Does an elephant like peanuts?"

Workshop 3 Songs and Games

Demonstration Games
Part 8 : Zig Zag

SUMMARY Each student has a flashcard behind his or her back. Who can name the other's card without revealing his or her own? SETUP Call two students to the front and, without the opposing player seeing the picture, place a flashcard face up on the back of each student. Help the students to position their arms behind them so the cards stay in place. If you can find clothes pegs, use them to peg the flashcards on the back of the children's shirts. PLAY When the cards are fastened on the back of the students' clothes say, "Go!" The students now try to discover and name what flashcard is behind the back of their opponent (without of course revealing their own flashcard). This game can be quite hilarious to watch as the students zig and zag, and bob and dance about. Be careful though as occasionally two students will bang heads. USES Mostly for fun

Workshop 3 Songs and Games

Demonstration Games
Part 9 : Roll & Jump

SUMMARY The students sit in a circle. Everyone is numbered from 1-6. There are flashcards on the floor. You call out "bear" and roll the dice. It's a four. The students numbered "4" jump out of their seats and touch the bear flashcard. SETUP Arrange the students in a circle. Place a number of flashcards on the floor in the middle. Now, number all the students from 1-6. You should have at least two students named after each number. If you only have six or so students then number them 1-3 and fix your dice so that it only can roll 1-3 also. Divide the class into two teams if you want to. PLAY Call out one of the flashcards on the floor, for example, bear. Roll the dice. Let's say it is a two. The students that you numbered "2" should jump up and touch the "bear" flashcard. The first student to touch the flashcard and identify it (or use it in a sentence) wins. The great fun of this game is that the students never know when they will be next to play. It all depends on the luck of the dice. This uncertainty keeps the entire class excited and attentive round after round. USES 3) 4) 5) To teach or review any vocabulary. To practice sentence making. To practice numbers.

Workshop 3 Songs and Games

Demonstration Games
Part 10 : Duck, Duck, Goose

SUMMARY Yes, it's the old children's classic game. We'll show you how to use it to teach more than the words "duck" and "goose." SETUP The children sit in a circle on the floor, except for one who is picked to stand. PLAY The standing child walks around the circle touching the other students on the head. With each touch he or she says, "Duck." At some point, the student says "goose" as he or she touches the head of one student. This "goose" child must then stand up. Now there are two students standing. One child runs to the left around the circle and the other to the right. Both children race to return to the spot where the "goose" child was previously sitting. The first child back to that spot sits down. The child left standing now is it and must walk around the circle tapping the students on the head saying "Duck, duck, duck, etc." Again, at some point, the standing student must call someone a "goose." Another race ensues to circle the group and claim the empty seat. N.B: To make this game more useful for the ESL/EFL classroom, simply replace the words "duck" and "goose" with some vocabulary you have recently taught. For example, the students could say "Mother, mother, mother, father!" Or they could say "Car, car, car, car, bicycle!" Any two words can be used. USES 6) 7) To review any vocabulary For some rainy-day fun

Workshop 3 Songs and Games

Demonstration Games
Part 11 : Hot Potato

SUMMARY Students sit in a circle passing round a ball or a soft toy. After a count of seven the passing stops and the child left holding the ball is "it." SETUP Get your class to sit in a circle on the floor. If you have a very large class divide it into two circles. Give a ball, teddy bear, or soft toy, to one child in each circle. PLAY Get students to say the "Hot Potato" chant with you. It goes: One potato, two potato, three potato, four. Five potato, six potato, seven potato, more. While you are saying this, the students pass the ball around the circle. On the word "more" the passing stops. The student who has the ball in his or her hands is "it" and must stand and answer a question, name a flashcard, etc. Some teachers send the children out of the circle to sit down when they are "it." We don't recommend this for young children classes. USES To teach or review any vocabulary or sentence patterns.

Workshop 3 Songs and Games

Demonstration Games
Part 12 : Musical Chairs (Version A)

SUMMARY The children run around in a circle while music plays in the background. When the music stops they rush to sit down. The only problem is there is one less chair than students. Who will be left standing? SETUP Arrange the class chairs in a big circle like in the picture above. Take away one chair so that there is one less chair than students. Arrange the students outside the circle of chairs. PLAY Start to play some lively music. Get the children to dance around the circle of chairs. (Don't let children stand by one chair waiting for the music to stop.) Without warning stop the music. Shout, "Sit down! Sit down!" The children sit down, except for the one who can't find a chair. Ask that child to name a flashcard, make a sentence, or answer a question. Get the class to repeat the word or sentence so the student doesn't feel isolated.
Don't play this game with children under 4 as they are often upset by being left without a seat. Musical Chairs (Version B) is a safer version to play with this age group.

USES 1. To teach or review any vocabulary or sentence patterns.

2.

To practice command language (Sit down. Line up. Make a circle.).

Workshop 3 Songs and Games

Demonstration Games
Part 13 : Musical Chairs (Version B)

SUMMARY Similar to Musical Chairs (Version A) except that in this version the students are circling a pile of flashcards like in the picture above. Again, there is one less flashcard than players. Who won't find a card to touch? SETUP Arrange a set of flashcards on the floor like in the picture above. Get a number of students (one less than there are flashcards) to come up and make a circle around the flashcards. PLAY Start the music. The students hold hands and dance around the flashcards. When the music stops the students sit down and touch one of the flashcards. The student without a flashcard to touch is out. Now, take away one of the flashcards. Ask the class to identify the flashcard before you put it away. Repeat the above steps. Again, one student will be left without a card to touch. Send that student out. Repeat the above steps until you have one card left and two students. The winner of this round is the champion.
This game works best with small groups. If you have a large class consider playing several games of musical chairs and then inviting the champions from each set for a final match. Let the student who is "out" in each round ask the other students to identify (or make a sentence with) the flashcard they are touching. The student can also choose which flashcard to take away. In this way, he or she won't feel so disappointed to have lost the round.

USES To teach or review any vocabulary

Workshop 3 Songs and Games

Demonstration Games
Part 14 : Spin The Bottle

SUMMARY There's no kissing in this game. Just spin the bottle and hope it doesn't point at you or you'll have to answer a question. SET UP Get the students into a circle. Place a large plastic or glass bottle in the centre. PLAY Ask one student to give the bottle a spin. When the bottle stops it should be pointing towards one of the students. Ask that student a question and then get him or her to spin the bottle again. End the game before the class tires of it. USES To teach or review any vocabulary or sentence patterns.

Workshop 3 Songs and Games

Demonstration Games
Part 15 : Slow Poke

SUMMARY You have to be quick to answer the teacher's question or your classmate will knock you on the head with a soft bat. SETUP No special set up. Give a soft bat, a toy hammer, or a rolled up newspaper to one of the students. PLAY Ask an easy question: What do you like to eat? Where do you live? How old are you? Now, call out the name of one of the students. The child with the soft bat runs over to that student and tries to tap (make sure it is a tap and not a knock or a whap or a boff) him on the head before he can answer the question. If the batter student succeeds in taping the other student before he can answer then the batter must give the bat to the other student. This child then becomes the new batter. If the child succeeds in answering the question then he must ask the question himself ("What do you like to eat?") and then call out another student's name. The batter runs to that student's desk, and again tries to tap this new student's head before the question can be answered. Note: if your students are too young to ask the question quickly enough, then let them just answer and then shout out a classmate's name. You can repeat the question while the batter is running. USES 8) 9) To review simple questions and sentence patterns. For fun: this is a fast-paced game.