Pass the Banana

This game is a fast-moving game that is good for practicing prepositions of direction. It can also be used in such a way that some students listen and have to determine where the object (banana) is.

Preparation

Get students into the formation needed (in a line in the front of the room facing the class or in a grid formation, depending on directions to be used, space in class, etc.).

Procedure

1. Choose a student to be “It.” “It” gives the banana to one student in the row and then is blindfolded. 2. Give instructions to the standing students to pass the banana as directed. e.g., Give the banana to the person with (description should be something distinctive — glasses, braces, etc.). 3. Tell students to pass the banana three spaces to the right, and five spaces to the left, etc. Blindfolded “It” must listen closely and try to follow along with your quick commands, visualizing in his/her mind who has the banana. Then all students sitting in the row put their hands behind their backs. “It” takes off the blindfold and has three chances to guess who has the banana.

When to Use It

• To review direction (to the right, to the left, etc.) • To reinforce third person: She has/He has • To energize the class

Level

Skills

Practice

Materials

Banana or other passable object Blindfold

Preparation Time

5 minutes to rearrange the class or get students in order

Activity Time

10 minutes

Variations

1. If you don’t have a banana, use something else that is easy to see and to pass without breaking. 2. To increase difficulty, add an apple. Pass the banana one direction while passing the apple in another, and mix up which fruit gets passed which way. 3. Arrange nine students in a three-by-three grid facing the class. Pass the banana around the grid: “In front, behind, to the right,” etc. 4. Instead of blindfolding a student, have the remaining students face away from the students in the front of the classroom.

They should listen for the direction of the banana and guess where it is when the instructions stop. An aspect of competition can be added by dividing those students into teams.