Games for kids?

I just checked out the sticky for teaching resources and couldn’t find anything on teaching games for kids, say about 7-12 years old? I’m “teaching” in a time sensitive atmosphere and only have about 30 minutes for each lesson, so the staff recommends games rather than formal lessons, which I agree with in this case, but I’m not really a game person and these classes are a little big to deal with games where students have to come to the board or provide long answers.

Anyway, I’d like to hear from a few teachers who could recommend general games for grammar point lessons, and review. What I basically have to do is reinforce a grammar point that has already been covered by a Chinese-English teacher. And keep in mind I have to introduce the grammar point in an engaging way very quickly and get right into the lesson. I would prefer to keep things light because as the native English teacher who shares the class, the kids have been programmed to expect something much different from the staff teacher.

Any ideas? :help:

I think board games can be fun and quick.

Number the kids off (5-6) kids to a team and give them team names. You can let them choose their own names OR pick a student from each team “John’s Team”…“Mark’s Team”

(1) Erase and say game

  • Write the grammar point(s) on the board and have ss repeat.
  • Call ss to board and turn them around so they Can’t see the board.
  • If teaching verbs,erase the verb. If teaching adj,erase the adj.
  • ss then turn around and either write the g/p (verb/adj)or read the complete sentence.
  • give the winning team 100 points.As the points accumulate have the ss
    add the points.

(2) Fill in the blank

  • What ____ he have?

  • There _____ three pencils on the desk.

  • I like _______ apples.

You get the point.

(3) Correct the grammar/mistake game

Write an incorrect sentence on the board and call ss to board to correct the grammar or spelling mistake.

  • He (want) to go home.

  • What is (he) favotite fruit?

  • There are three monkey(s)

(4)Word shuffle game

  • ss must make a sentence with given words (orally)
  • two/John/books/has

  • see/behind/the/tree/I/a/giraffe

  • I/play/usually/Saturday/on/baseball

Now, you can make the game more fun by incorporating a die, a squeeky hammer and a spray bottle.

The winner gets to roll the die…

1 = 100 points
2 =Hammer time (ss can hit 3 kids of his/her choice w squeeky hammer)
3 = 250 points
4 = I love you (ss must say I love u to opposite sex)
5 =500 points
6 = shower time ( ss can spray 3 kids w spray bottle)

I like useing this game because if the kids start getting noisy I start erasing points and they are once again focused on you.

(5) Relay game

  • Make individual word cards for the sentence patterns u r teaching.
    (You can put magnets on the back of them so you can use them on the board)

  • mix up the words and place them on the floor/board.

  • ss 1 from each of the teams goes first,then when the first word is placed ss1 runs back to their seat(ss1 must be seated before ss2 turn) and then ss2 places then next word. When the sentence is complete the team must say the sentence.

Just a few simple ideas…good luck.

I think Dave’s (www.eslcafe.com) has a few good grammar games if you can take the time to scroll through all of them.

Colin!

Thanks man. Those games are exactly what I was looking for and I plan to use them today! They are so simple yet effective and not time consuming…I also like the “erasing of points” when they get too noisy. I forgot all about the “mix up the words” game…I have used that in the past.

And Mugatu…I did take a scroll through Dave’s but most of the games were a little too complicated for kids and especially a quick class like mine. There were some good games in there though.

Play tic tac toe, but write new vocabulary in the nine squares. Students have to say the word and then circle it (or cross it) if they say it wrong they forfeit a turn.

Any grid games can be adapted to have grammar structures to choose the squares instead of A1 B4 use (eg. pronouns down the vertical and verbs across the top. To choose a square they must use the two in a sentence, eg he can swim. - all references MUST be able to make a gramaticaly correct sentence) The grammar can be as complicated or as simple as you like.

adapt Jeopardy. easy points for spelling easy words or simple sentences and more difficult ones for higher points.

etc, etc