GAMES FOR CHILDREN 1. THE CLOCK. This game creates a nice atmosphere within the classroom and helps children to get to know each other better. It is recommended as a dynamical activity for the beginning of the course. It can be played by children from 8 years old on. Number of Participants: Big group.
Material: • A worksheet with the image of a clock. • Pencils. • A set of twelve activities and/or questions (written on the blackboard) adapted to ages and English level of the children.
Set of Activities / Questions Example: Hour It´s
Activity or Question 1:00 o´clock 2:00 3:00 4:00 5:00 6:00 7:00 8:00 9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00
What is your favorite colour? Dance a waltz with me. When is your birthday? Have you got brothers and sisters? Sit down together on the floor. Give each other a hug. Do you have a favourite singer/song? Sing a song. What makes you happy? What makes you unhappy/sad? Kiss your partner´s hand. Say something funny/nice to me.
Instructions: •
Children (with their clocks and pencils) are given 5 or 10 minutes to walk around the classroom and schedule twelve dates.
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Each child must schedule a date with a different classmate at a different time. It is not necessary to follow any order when scheduling the dates. At the end all children must have written a different classmate´s name at each hour. Example: I have a date with (John) at 2:00, with (Mary) at 10:00, and so on.
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Once they have scheduled all their dates, the teacher will tell the time, and each child will stand in front of his/her date. The children must act out the activity asked by the teacher. It is not necessary to follow any order, but all children must complete the twelve requirements.
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At the end of the game, all children will have met twelve people and done twelve activities (or answered questions).
2. THE TAIL This game can be played by children from 6 years old on. Number of Participants: Big group. To be played in open spaces to facilitate easy movement. Material: • Newspapers. Instructions: • Each child is given a sheet of newspaper. • They create a simulated “animal tail” with the sheet of newspaper. • Each child must hold the “false tail” on his/her trousers or skirts backside. • When the music starts, children move around and try to get the largest number of other student´s false tails. Children can not touch their own tails. • The winner is the child who manages to get the largest number of tails.
3. THE BOTTLES This game can be played by children from 8 years old on. Number of Participants: Big group. To be played in open spaces. Material: • Three of four plastic bottles (5 liters) with open top. • Bottle caps. Instructions: • Divide children into three of four teams. • Give each child a bottle cap. • Put the bottles (with the top wide open) on the floor. One bottle for each group. • Each group makes a line. They must stand two or three meters away from the bottles. • Each child tries to introduce his/her cap inside the corresponding bottle. • The team that manages to introduce the largest number of caps inside the corresponding bottle wins the game.
4. FIST OR CLAW This game can be played by children from 8 years old on. Number of Participants: Big group. To be played in open spaces. No material is required. Instructions: • Children will be divided into two teams. • Both teams will stand in two big circles (one child behind the other). • The teacher designates one child (standing behind) to start the game. He or she becomes the king or the queen. • This child, with one hand, covers the eyes of the child standing in front, and with his/her other hand points out the numbers (one, two, three, four, five, fist or claw) with the hand closed for fist and opened for claw. • If the child with the eyes covered does not guess what the king or queen is pointing out, all the children must rotate until one of them guesses. • The one who guesses takes the place of the king or queen. • After a round, the teams change position and the game starts over again.