Here are some of the games that I played with my
students! The names are kinda funky, (cause I couldn't
think of good names for some!) but the ideas are alright!
Buzz! A game for counting. Give them a number, say
four, and they must go around the circle counting out loud.
Every time there is a multiple of four, (i.e. 4,8,12) they
must say "Buzz!" instead of the number. Last one without a
mistake wins.
Color questions: This is a good one if you have
something like Gummi Bears to give to your students. Have
them take a few and they have to answer questions based on
what color they have. For example, if you have a red, you
must answer "What is your favorite subject in school?", and
if you have a green, you must answer "What is your favorite
sport?"
Counting Coins: Gather a good number of coins (I had
a good chunk of US currency) and call out a number. The
students must gather the correct coins to come up with
the number you called. Or you can hold coins and they have
to tell you how many cents you have in your hand.
Describe Me: Have them pair up and they report back to the
group, describing characteristics of the person they
just met.
English Olympics: Combine any number of team games
for learning English and have your own Olympic Festival
with prizes or medals!
Guesstures: Have students act out a word. Good for
verb review, it's also a good game to play in teams.
Hangman: Each student has their own "man". Go around
the room and ask them, one by one, a question or about a vocabulary
word. If he/she answers incorrectly, they get a body part.
Last one without a "full" body wins!
Line Up: Have them
ask each other simple questions like, "When is your birthday?",
or "How many times have you been to Sao Paulo?". The object
is for them is to arrange themselves into a line in
chronological order.
Mixed Bag: Have a bag or box with different items in it.
Students will pick an item and they have to describe it
as best they can, talking about things like the purpose it
serves, what it looks or feels like.
People Bingo: Draw up a grid with different questions
in each, such as Find someone who "will do 10 jumping
jacks" or "has a birthday in the same month as you."
The students ask each other and the first to have a row
of signed boxes wins. It's always fun to verify the
answers and make those who signed actually do the task or
answer the question that's listed!
Singing! This might be rather obvious, but people
find it easy to learn music! There are so many simple
songs, like "This Is The Day" or "Father Abraham" that not
only teach English but also the Gospel!
Spelling Bee: Pretty self explanatory. Go around
the circle asking students to spell words.
Tic Tac Toe: Separate students into two teams, ask
students one by one a retention question. One representative
from a team has to answer, if he/she answers correctly, they
get to place an "X" or an "O".
Uno! The card game. This is a good one for beginners
to learn colors and numbers.