Speed Mimes

This activity is easy, takes very little preparation, requires no materials, and gets students up and moving. It’s great for kinesthetic learners and for an energy break to wake students up.

Preparation

Preselect vocabulary words that relate to recent work in class.

Procedure

1. Have all students stand up. 2. Teach them a mime (an action) for each word you want them to practice. 3. Once the students have learned the mime for each word, call out the words one at a time and have the students act out the mimes. 4. Continue doing this but start calling out the words faster and faster until the students are laughing and can no longer follow you.

Variations

Have students identify words and mimes. They can also take turns being the “caller.”

NB: Be careful of certain gestures and their meanings in other cultures. Some gestures can be offensive in other cultures.

When to Use It

• To review vocabulary • To check listening • To energize a class • To add a kinesthetic component

Level

Skills

Practice

Materials

None

Preparation Time

5 minutes; enough time to prepare the words and relevant mimes

Activity Time

10–15 minutes