Alphabet Rhythmic Game

(This game will need to be adapted to the teaching items you're teaching and the abilities and interests of the children you teach.)

Target Language

the alphabet

Players

two (2) or more


Materials
alphabet cards


How to play

Best tried when children start to gain some mastery over the alphabet. In random, lay the alphabet cards on the playing surface or on the floor. Determine the order of play. The first player picks up letter Aa, says the letter and attach the card on the board. The second player picks up letter Bb, says the letter and attach the card on the board next to letter Aa. The next player picks up letter Cc and do the same. The aim is for the children to make a complete alphabet line from Aa to Zz. Once they're done, the children recite the alphabet together. Next, the teacher removes some letters in random. The children start again saying the alphabet , but when they come to a missing letter, they should not say the missing letter, instead they should clap their hands together. The player who will be out of synch (commit mistake) is eliminated.

Have fun and enjoy playing Alphabet Rhythmic Game with your children.


Rating    * * * *

Hot Tote Bag

(This game will need to be adapted to the teaching items you're teaching and the abilities and interests of the children you teach.)

Target Language
Q : What do you have in your bag?  
A : I have (a book) in my bag.

Q : How many (squares) are there?
A : There are (ten squares).

Players
five (5) or more

Materials
small tote bag
picture cards (playing size)
music player

How to play
Put the picture cards in the bag. Players stand in a circle. Play some music and players pass around the bag, but when the music stops the one who is holding the bag draws a card out from the bag and identify it. If he is right he keeps the card, if he can't identify it, he returns the card back into the bag and the game starts all over again. The game continue until all cards are gone. The player with the most card wins the game.


Have fun and enjoy Hot Tote Bag with your children!


Rating    * * *

Frogs In The Pond

(This game will need to be adapted to the teaching items you're teaching and the abilities and interests of the children you teach.)

Target Language
Q : What is that?
A : It's (a chair). 

Q : Where are you going?
A : I'm going to the (park).
Q : How are you going there?
A : I'm (walking).

Q : Who is (he)?
A : He is (Mr. Brown).
Q : What does (he) do?
A : He is (a teacher).

Players
two (2) or more

Materials
picture cards
music player

How to play
In random, lay picture cards face down on the floor. Play fast beat music. Children hop in from card to card. When the music stops, children stop hopping and remain where they are. Players find a pair and do Rock-Scissors-Paper. The losser turns over his card and the pair do Q & A. The aim is for players not to step on the floor or on any identified  cards. Children keep playing until all picture cards are all identified. 


Have fun and enjoy playing Frogs In The pond with your children.


Rating   * * *

Fruit Basket

(This game will need to be adapted to the teaching items you're teaching and the abilities and interests of the children you teach.)

Target Language
Q : How's the weather today?
A : It's (sunny) today.

Q : What's the weather going to be like tomorrow?
A : It's going to be (cloudy).

S : I'm hungry.
Q : What do you want?
S : I want (rice) and (fish).


Players
five (5) or more

Materials
picture cards (one less tthan the number of players)
chairs (one less than the number of players)

How to play
Players are seated in a circle. Shuffle the picture cards (the weather) and place them upside down on the floor. One by one players pick up a card without letting other players see it . The 'it' stands at the center of the circle, approach one of the player and ask the question, for example; How's the weather (the picture card)? If the answer is;  It's rainy (the picture card)! The players remain seated. But if the answer is; It's sunny (the picture card)! Everybody shouts; Let's play! and exchange seats. The 'it' must also grab a seat. Whoever will be left without a seat will be the next 'it'.  Play several rounds for mastery,

Have fun and enjoy Fruit Basket with your children!


Rating   * * *

Stone Bridges

(This game will need to be adapted to the teaching items you're teaching and the abilities and interests of the children you teach.)

Target  Language
Q : Can you (play the piano)?
A : Yes, I can.
      No, I can't.

Q : Who is (he)?
A : He is my (grandfather).
Q : Who is (she)?
A : She is my (sister).

Q : Where are you going?
A : I'm going (to the park).
Q : How are you going there?
A : I'm (walking).

Q : Excuse me.
      Where is the(classroom)?
A : It's next to the (office).

Players
two (2) or more

Materials
picture cards (teacher cards size)
cards of naughts and crosses (student cards size)
counters (colored magnets)
magnets
challk

How to play
Draw two vertical lines parallel to each other mark START and GOAL. Give enough space between the two lines and draw (7) 'stone bridges' in it. Using magnets attach the (7) picture cards (one on each 'stone bridge'). Determine the order of play and give each player a counter (colored magnet). Shuffle enough number of noughts and crosses, make two piles and place them upside down on the playing surface. The players place their counters on START. The first player takes his turn, moves his counter to the first stone bridge. Answers the question and turns over a card from the pile. If the card shows a nought, he moves his counter to the second stone bridge and continue playing. But, if the card shows a cross, he stops playing and remain in the same stone bridge. The second player takes his turn and do the same. The aim is for the player to cross the stone bridges and reach the GOAL first.

                     
Have fun and enjoy Stone Bridges with your children!

Rating   * * * *

Musical Chairs

(This game will need to be adopted to the teaching items you're teaching and the abilities and interests of the children you teach.)

Target Language
Q : What's this?
A : It's (a bag).
Q : Is this (an eraser)?
A : Yes, it is.
     No, it isn't.  It's (a crayon).

Q : How many (balls) are there?
A : There are (three balls).

Q : Who is (he)?
A : He is my (bother).
Q : Who is (she)?
A : She is my (grandmother).

Q : Can you (sing)?
A : Yes, I can.
     No, I can't.  But, I can (dance).

Q : Where are you going?
A : I'm going to the (zoo).
Q : How are you going there?
A : I'm (taking a bus).

Players
four (4) or more

Materials
picture cards (one less than the number of players)
chairs (one less than the number of players)
music player

How to play
Place chairs in a circle back-to-back facing outward. There should be one less chair than the number of players. When the music starts all the players march in circle around the chairs. When the music stops players  find a chair and sit down as quickly as they can. The player left standing answers a question, while players sitting asks a question.
Play several rounds for mastery of the target language..

Have fun and enjoy Musical Chairs with your children!



Rating   * * * *

Peek-A-Boo

(This game will need to be adapted to the teaching items you're teaching and the abilities and interests of the children you teach.)

Target Language
Q : What is this?
A : It's (a book).

Q : Is this (a crayon)?
A : Yes, it is.
      No, it isn't.

Q : Who is this?
A : (He) is my (father).

Q : Is (she) your (sister)?
A : Yes, (she) is.
      No, (she) isn't.

Players
two (2) or more

Materials
picture cards (teacher cards size)
color cards (four various color)

How to play
Prepare four (4) color cards of various color (should be of the same sizes with the picture cards). Punch a hole of varying sizes on each card (the first card the smallest, the last card the biggest) in the middle. Cover picture cards with these holed color cards. The children are to peep through the holes to identify the picture.

Have fun and enjoy Peek-A-Boo with your children!


Rating   * * * *            

Siklot

Flick a card.

Flick a card.

Start the game.

And let's have fun!

Siklot is one of the most popular games in the Philippines. The game is usually played by children ages from seven to sixteen years old. It can be played with two, three, four or more players. Indoor or outdoor. I remember having great times playing the game at home with my siblings when I was a kid. In those days having a big family was the norm in the Philippines (I have four brothers and a sister), and in those days we don't have the technologies that children of today have, so when the weather (the Philippines has only two types; super hot or lots of rain) was non-cooperative for an outdoor adventures, we gathered around in one part of the living room and played Siklot.

(This game will need to be adapted to the teaching items you're teaching and the abilities and interests of the children you teach.)


Siklot
(Reinvented for EFL Class)

Target Language
(Q & A )
what
who
how


Players
two (2) or more

Materials
picture cards (students playing card size)
a table or any flat surface

How to play
Determine the order of play. Shuffle the picture cards and deal one each to players, (this card will be use for flicking cards from the pile). Toss the remaining cards in the air. The cards should land on a flat surface, usually in a pile, but sometimes in two or three broken piles. Players say the chant: Flick a card. Flick a card. Start the game. And let's have fun! Players take turn flicking a card from the pile by flipping over, if he is successful, he performs a task (answer a question or ask a question), saves the card to himself and keeps on playing. If he fails to flip over a card, he stops playing and the next player takes turn. The objective of the game is to flip over a card away from the pile. Players keep playing until all cards are gone. The player with the most number of card wins the game.

Have fun and enjoy Siklot with your children!


Rating   * * * *

Three Truths And A Lie

(This game will need to be adapted to the teaching items you're teaching and the abilities and interests of the children you teach.)

Target Language
simple sentences

Players
Four (4) or more

Materials
some paper and pencils

How to play
Instruct players to write four (4) statements about themselves. One of the statements should be false while the other three (3) should be true. Explain that to win is to fool the other player about which is the lie. Allow five (5) to eight (8) minutes for writing statements, then have each player read the four statements and have the group guess the lie. Award a point for every incorrect guess. The winner is the player with the most points.

(note:  If the students are not ready to write the statements by themselves,  ask them to wishper to you the lie instead.)

Have fun and enjoy Three Truths And A Lie with your children!


Rating   * * *

Sports Festival

(This game will need to be adapted to the teaching items you're teaching and the abilities and interests of the children you teach.)

Target Language
sport''s name
verbs

Players
ten (10) or more

Materials
picture cards of different kind of sports


How to play
Divide the players into five (5) teams of equal number. Players stand in a circle where each group can observe each other. Assign each group a sport to play with a verb that best describes the sport and the corresponding action such as in the examples below:

Basketball
The verb shoot, with the action of both hands up as if throwing an imaginary ball into the basket.

Volleyball
The verb spike, with the action of rolling an imaginary ball with the right hand forward.

Baseball
the verb hit, with the action of hitting an imaginary ball with both hands swinging from the right.

Football
The verb kick, with the action of kicking an imaginary ball with the right foot forward.

 Bowling
The verb strike, with the action of rolling an imaginary ball with the right hand forward.


Players say the name of their sport, say the verb three (3) times and do the action simultaneously before passing the task to another team such as:
Basketball team : Basketball shoot... shoot... shoot to Football kick!  While saying Football kick, the group kick an imaginary ball in the direction of the Football team.
Football team : Football kick... kick... kick to Baseball hit! While saying Baseball hit, the group hit an imaginary ball in the direction of the Baseball team.
The Baseball team do the same and so on...


Disqualify any group which commits mistake, such as lack of synchronization or doing the wrong action for the verb. Do not allow the ball (imaginary) to be passed back to where it directly came.

Have fun and enjoy Sports Festival with your children!


Rating   * * * *