GAMES DESCRIPTION SƯU TẦM TRÒ CHƠI TIẾNG ANHH SỬ DỤNG TRONG LỚP HỌC

GAMES DESCRIPTION
Score Charts
5 rounds score chart - large - black and white
5 rounds score chart - large - colour
5 rounds score chart - small - black and white
5 rounds score chart - small - colour
10 rounds score chart - large - black and white
10 rounds score chart - large - colour
10 rounds score chart - small - black and white
10 rounds score chart - small - colour

Day
1

Game
Zombie game

Difficulty
Easy

Age
range
All
ages

Game rules
The teacher chooses a student to be a human, the rest are zombies.
The teacher lets zombies see a word, ask one of them to describe the word by


2

Taboo (or Hot
Seat)

Easy

All
ages

gestures for the human to guess (the verbal clues are forbidden), if the person
cannot say the word, zombies will move forward 1 step and scream.
When the zombies nearly touch the person, they will all touch the person and
make him/her laugh.
When the human is teased by the zombies, another student will be chosen as a
new human in the game.
Divide the class into Teams A and B. Team A sits in a group on one side of the
classroom, Team B sits on the other side. Bring two chairs to the front of the
room so that when seated, a student is facing his or her respective team and
their back is to the blackboard or white board. One member from each team sits
in their team's chair. The teacher writes a word, phrase, or sentence on the
board. The students in the chairs mustn't see what's written on the board. Once
the teacher yells 'go', the teams have one minute, using only verbal clues, to get
their seated teammate to say the item written on the board. The only rule (or
taboo) is that they MUSTN'T say the item written on the board, in full or part.
The first student in the hot seat to utter the word scores a point for their team.
When the round is over, two new team players are rotated into the hot seat and
a new item is written up. The first team to score X number of points wins.
Variation: To ensure a slightly quieter and less chaotic game, the teams can take
it in turns. Rather than two students in the hot seat, only one member from each
team plays at a time. The teacher as usual scribbles a word on the board and

gives the team one minute to get their teammate to say the item. If the hotseated player manages to say the word, the teacher quickly writes another item
on the board and so on until the minute is up. The team scores a point for every
item they manage to say within one minute.


3

Pictionary

Easy

All
ages

Divide the class into Teams A and B. Team A sits in a group on one side of the
classroom, Team B sits on the other side. One member from each team goes to
the board. The teacher flashes them a word, phrase, or expression written on a
piece of paper. The students have one minute to get their respective team to say
the item only by drawing pictorial clues on the board. Written words, verbal
clues, or gestures are forbidden. The first team to say the word scores a point.

4

Outburst

Medium

9+

5

Last
one
standing

Easy

9+

6

The alphabet
game

Medium

10+

Divide the class into Teams A and B. The teacher assigns each team a particular
topic which is to be kept secret from the other team. Each team meets for 5
minutes in private and collectively draws up a list of ten items related to the
topic. After the lists are made, the game begins. The teacher tells Team A the
name of Team B's topic. Team A then has one minute to try to guess the items on
Team B's list (hence producing a noisy outburst). The members of Team B must
listen and tick the items which Team A manages to guess. For every word Team A
guesses correctly, they score a point. For every word they miss, Team B gets a
point. After the points are recorded, it's Team B turn to guess Team A's list.
Additional rounds can be played with different topics assigned by the teacher.
The first team to score X number of points wins.
Give the class a topic and ask them to stand up, in a circle if possible. Clap out a

beat and say, one, two, three, followed by a topic-related word. After the next
three beats, the next student in the circle gives a word related to the topic, and
so it continues. Anyone who can't think of a word or repeats a word already said
has to sit down and it's the next person's turn. The winner is the last one
standing.
Divide the class into 3 or 4 teams and assign a secretary for each group. On one
side of the board, write down six categories related to a topic. To start the game,
the teacher randomly selects a letter of the alphabet and scribbles it onto the
board. Each team must then work together to quickly find a word for each of the
six categories that starts with the chosen letter. The first team to complete all six


7

Listen, point
and say

Easy

8+

categories shouts "stop!" The class then stops writing, and a member of the team
goes to the board to fill in the categories. The teacher then checks each word
with the class and also elicits what other teams had for each category. If the
quickest team has filled in each category correctly, they earn one point for their
team. The teacher then chooses a different letter and another round is played.
The first team to score X number of points wins.
• Place flashcards or objects for the key vocabulary around the classroom.
• Call out a vocabulary word, e.g. bag. The students (Ss) point to the correct
flashcard or object.

• Now the teacher point to the flashcard or object. The Ss say the word.
Option: Describe the location of the card, e.g. It's next to the door. What is it? The
Ss then say the word.

8

Word chain

Easy

All ages

• Place four or five flashcards on the board in a given sequence, e.g. bag, pencil,
pen, ruler.
• Point to a student (S). He /She says the first word in the sequence, e.g. bag.
• Point to another child. He or she says the next word in the sequence, e.g. pencil.
• Continue with each child saying the next word in the sequence, returning to the
beginning when necessary.
Option: Remove one flashcard. The class repeats the sequence, including the
missing word. Remove one more flashcard each time, until Ss are saying the whole
sequence from memory.

9

Jump

Easy

All ages

10

Whispers

Easy

All ages

• Hold up a flashcard from the vocabulary set and say a word.
• If the word is the same as the flashcard, Ss jump. If it isn't, they keep still.
Option: Ask Ss to put their hands up if the words teacher says and the flashcard
are the same.
• Show a flashcard to the first S in each group. This S whispers the word to the S
next to him / her.


• Ss continue whispering the word to the S next to them until the word reaches
the final S.
• The final S says the word aloud, and the first S holds up the flashcard to see
whether the word and the flashcard are the same.
11

Where was it? Easy

All ages

• Lay a number of flashcards face up on the table or on the board. Give the class
five seconds to look at the cards.
• Now turn al l the cards over so that they are face down.
• Ask e.g.: Where's the dress? The Ss try to remember the position of the card.

• Give several Ss an opportunity to guess. Ask them to say the word before they
point to the card.

12

What's
missing?

Easy

All ages

• Display the flashcards from the vocabulary set on the board. Point to each one in
turn for Ss to say the words. Give the class a few seconds to look at them.
• Ask Ss to turn around. Remove a card.
• Display the cards again and ask What's missing?
• When Ss have identified the missing card, shuffle the cards again and repeat the
procedure.
Option: To make the game harder, add a new card from a related lexical set each
time.

13

Slow/Fast
motion

Easy

All ages

• Cover a flashcard with a piece of paper.
• Hold up the covered card. Slowly/quickly remove the paper, then cover it again
• The S who first identifies and names the item can take on the role of the teacher.

14

Memory list

Easy

All ages

• Have Ss sit in a circle.
• Have S1 say a word, e.g. pencil. Have S2 repeat what S1 said and add another
word, e.g. pencil, pen.
• Continue around the circle until the list is too long for Ss to remember. Start


15

What’s
different?

Easy

All ages

16

Pass it quick!

Easy

All ages

17

What's the
picture?

Easy

All ages

18

Book race

Easy

All ages

again.
• Place six to eight flashcards on the table (with the picture sides showing).
• Have Ss look at them for a few seconds and then close their eyes.
• Change the position of one or more cards for more challenge. Have Ss open their
eyes and ask them What’s different?
• Have Ss name the item on the card(s) that was moved.
• Have Ss stand/sit in a circle.
• Hold up a flashcard and name it. Hand the card to the S standing /sitting next to

you.
• Have the S name it and pass it to the next S, who name it and so on.
• Ss continue the procedure until the teacher says Stop. The S who holds the
flashcard is out of the game.
• Invite a student to come to the front of the class. Whisper the name of an object
he I she has to draw
• The student draws the picture on the board for the rest of the class to guess
what it is.
• The first student who guesses correctly comes to the front of the class to draw
the next picture.
• Repeat until all of the target vocabulary has been used.
• Use this activity in the last lesson of the unit to look back at the unit, or the first
lesson to look back at the previous unit.
• Tell students they're going to do a book race. When you say words or phrases,
the students have to find and point to a picture of that word or phrase in the
unit, but they have to be quick
• Call out words or phrases students have just learnt, e.g. food words or rules with
you must and you mustn't.
• Students look quickly through the unit and find the pictures.
• Do an example with students, allowing them plenty of time to find the correct


picture.
• Call out the first words or phrases slowly and gradually reduce the interval until
it is a race to keep up with you.
19

Do it!

Easy

All ages

20

Freeze

Easy

All ages

21

Simon says...

Easy

All ages

22

So as I say, Easy
not as I do

All ages

• You can play this game with any vocabulary set.
• Assign each student a word from the vocabulary you are covering, e.g. blue,
green, red, yellow, etc.
• Give instructions, e.g. Yellows, jump! Blues, stamp your feet! Ss who have that

word assigned to them do the action.
• Give a series of instructions, e.g. wave, run, jump.
Ss mime the actions.
• When you say Freeze!, the Ss must stop what they are doing and stand still.
• The Ss who are slowest to stop are out and have to sit down.
• Continue the game until there is one winner left standing, or a group of winners
if you prefer.
• Explain that you are going to give commands. If the command begins with the
words Simon says..., Ss must do as you ask. If not, they should stand still and wait
for the next command. Any S who gets this wrong is out of the game and has to sit
down.
• Give a command that is relevant to the unit's language, e.g. Simon says... point
to your nose; Simon says... point to something red; Simon says... eat an apple.
• Intermittently insert a command which is not preceded by Simon says... to see
which Ss are really paying attention.
• Continue the game until there is one winner left standing, or a group of
winners if you prefer.
Give commands and model them. Model some commands incorrectly e.g. say
Touch your head but model touching your toes.
• Have Ss do the actions you say, not the ones you do.


23

Bingo

Easy

All ages

• Ask the students to draw a grid, three by three (or three by two) squares. In
each of the squares, they write a different word from the vocabulary set they are
studying.
• Call out words from the vocabulary set in any order. Keep a record of the words
as you say them, so that you don't say the same word twice. The students cross
off the words in their grid as they hear them. The first student to complete a line
of three shouts Bingo!

24

True or false?

Easy

8+

• Say a true or false statement about a topic or using a grammar point you want to
practice, e.g. I've got two sisters.
• If students think you are telling the truth, they call out True! If they don't, they
call out False! Alternatively, students can do one of two agreed actions.
• Choose a student and then tell him or her if his / her answer is correct. Ask that
student to say a true or false sentence for the class. Continue in this way around
the class.
Option: Ask students to close their books. Say true or false sentences about the
story episode or reading text that they have just read. Students listen to the
statements and write Tor F in their notebooks. Go through the answers with the
class, reading out the sentences again, and asking students to call out True! or
False!

25

Wrong word

Easy

All ages

• Write six to eight sentences on the board about a story, poem or factual l text
that students have just read. One word in each sentence must be incorrect.
• Ask students to find the incorrect word in each sentence and then rewrite the
sentences so that they are correct.

26

Guess the
word

Easy

8+

• Write words from a vocabulary set students have just studied on the board,
showing only the first two letters and the number of missing letters, e.g. li _ ___


(litter).
• Divide the class into two teams. A student from Team A chooses a word and tries
to guess the correct answer. If he/ she gets the answer correct, complete the
word on the board and give the team a point. If the student guesses incorrectly,
Team B gets a point.

• The winner of the game is the team with the most points.
Option: You may ask students to come up to the board and complete the words if
your classroom is suitable.
27

I spy

Easy

10+

28

Tic-tac-toe

Easy

9+

29

Picasso

Easy

All ages

• Think of a review word visible in the room. It can be a flashcard, an object in the
room, or an object in a specific color. Say I spy.
• Have Ss ask question to try to guess the word, e.g. Is it red? Is it a ball?

• Have the S who guesses correctly be the next to say I spy.
• Divide Ss into group A and group B and distribute different markers to each
group.
• Place 9 flashcards of items to review on the table (with the card sides showing)
in the shape of a tic-tac-toe board (a nine-square grid).
• Have group A turn over a card and try to name it. If they name it correctly, have
they put one of their markers on the card. If they cannot name it correctly, have
them turn the card over again.
• Have group B choose another card. If they name it correctly, have them put one
of their markers on the card.
• Have groups try to be the first to have markers on three cards in a row.
• Choose 5 to 10 flashcards. Divide Ss into 2 teams standing in 2 lines.
• Show S1s the same card. Have AS1s run to the board and draw that item.
• Have their teams try to guess the item.
• Have S1s then go to the back of their lines, and continue the activity with the
next Ss in line.


30

Stop the bus

Difficult

11+

• Put the students into
teams of three or four.
• Draw on the board a
table like the ones

below and get each
team to copy it onto a
piece of paper.
• Students simply have
to think of one item to
go in each category
beginning with the set
letter.
• Give an example line
of answers for the first
time you play with a
new group.
• The first team to finish
shouts “Stop the Bus!”
• Check their answers
and write them up on
the board and if they
are all okay that team
wins a point. If there are
any mistakes in their
words, let the game
continue for another
few minutes.
• If it gets too difficult


with certain letters (and
you can’t think of one
for each category)
reduce the amount of

words they have to get.
You can say. “Ok. For
this round you can Stop
the Bus with 4
columns”.
Animal Cols
ours

Food

Clothe
s

Turquoise Tuna Trousers
31

Back writing

Easy

All ages

• Put students into teams (no more than 8 or so in each team) and get each team
to line up facing the board.
• The student at the front of each team needs chalk or a board pen.
• Show a word or a picture to all the students who are at the back of each line.
• The students at the back of the line should ‘write' each letter of the word with
their finger, on the back of the student in front of them in the line.
• The students pass the letters down the line by doing the same and ‘writing' the
letters in turn on the back of the student in front of them.

• The student at the front of the line writes the letters on the board to make the
word. The first team with the word written correctly on the board wins.

32

Memory
Challenge

Easy

All ages

Put the students into pairs or small groups. Give them a time limit (e.g. 3 minutes)
and ask them to write down as many words, phrases, and/or expressions as they
can from the last lesson on topic X. The pair or group that can remember the most
items wins.


33

Moving Name Easy

All ages

34

Name and Go

Easy

Above 7

Variation: To add a spelling accuracy component, teams can also earn an extra
point for each correctly spelt item.
This is the best game to start with when working with a new group. I’ve seen it
work with university students as well as with six year olds.
1.
Get your group into a circle.
2.
Say your name with a matching gesture and vocalisation. Samuel for
instance could be signalled with two punches and spoken in a high pitched
voice.
3.
Once you have performed your name, the whole group mimics you. They
must try to copy the way you said your name as well as the physical
movement.
4.
Continue this around the circle till each person has said their name.
Tip: the more whacky you set the standard the better result you’ll get from the
students.
Tip: encourage the students not to think too much, but to jump straight it –
looking stupid is mandatory.
I typically use this game after playing Moving Name. Hopefully the students have
learnt a few names and it is a good way to solidify names for you and the other
students.
1.
Get your group into a circle.
2.
You must make eye contact with someone in the circle, say their name and
move to take there place.

3.
The person whose name you called must pick another person in the circle,
say there name, and take there place in the circle.
4.
Continue this until each student has had a turn.
Tip: encourage students to relax and focus. If they get flustered and panic it
disrupts the flow of the game.


35

Me to you

Easy

All ages

This is a really simple exercise for a large group which encourages connection and
focus. It requires students to be hyperaware and really focus.
1.
Get your group into a circle.
2.
The person starting must make eye contact with someone else in the circle
(working across the circle is best).
3.
They then must gesture to themselves and say “me” followed by a gesture
at the other person in which they say: “to you”. It should seamless.
4.
If you are targeted you then accept the offer and continue in the same way
to a new person in the circle.

5.
Once this has gone around the circle a few times, lose the words and get
your students to simply use gesture and eye contact.
6.
If they are successful at this then drop the gesture and simply use eye
contact.
Tip: encourage your students to be clear and direct. Also make sure that all the
students get a turn.

36

Word

Medium

Late
primary
/ 2nd
school

1.
2.

Associa
tion
with
Clicks

3.
4.

5.

6.
7.

Get your group into a circle.
Firstly, teach your students the rhythm which they will make with their
bodies: thigh slap, clap, then click (right hand), click (left hand)
Get the group comfortable with this rhythm.
When clicking with the right hand the student whose turn it is must say the
persons before them’s word and then a new word that associates with that
word when clicking with the left hand.
The next person in the circle (work in a clockwise motion) must do the
same. They must repeat the last persons word with the right click and then
think of a new word when they click with the left hand.
The thigh slap and clap gives the game a steady rhythm and stops students
panicking.
Continue this until you have done a few successful laps around the circle.


Tip: Stress the importance of keeping the rhythm steady. Groups tend to naturally
speed up quite quickly. Students often find this game particularly funny, so try to
keep them focused.
Tip: If the rhythm is too confusing, try a simple game of word association around
the circle instead.
37

Add a Freeze

Easy

All ages

38

Freeze circle

Medium

All ages

This games works as a great warm up for more extensive improvisations.
1.
Get the students into pairs.
2.
Student A must create a pose (a frozen image with his or her body).
3.
Student B must then, without thinking about it too much, create their own
pose that compliments Student A’s pose. For example Student A may have
posed doing a karate chop, and student B may then freeze in a
scared/defensive pose.
4.
Student A then unfreezes and creates a new pose that compliments
Student B’s pose that they are still holding.
5.
This then continues in the same way until you feel the group begin to tire. I
have noticed that it works very well with high-school kids and older.
This is a great improvisation game. It is similar to the well known “Space Jump” but
a little easier to explain.

1.
Get your group into a circle.
2.
A student enters the circle and begins a solo improvisation. Get the group
to help come up with a scenario.
3.
Then say freeze at an appropriate moment.
4.
Some else from the group gets into the circle and starts a new
improvisation, inspired by the other persons frozen pose.
5.
Let the improvsiation run for around 30 seconds then say freeze when the
students are in an interesting position.
6.
A new person from the group then goes into the circle and tags out the one
who has been in the longest.


They then take up the exact position of the frozen person and start a new
scene, inspired by the combined frozen image.
8.
Keep going until everyone has had a go or the group starts to become
disinterested.
Tip: encourage your students to be creative and not just to aim at cheap/easy
comedy. There is no reason why improvisation can’t be serious or even moving.
7.

39

40

jump

Space

DVD game

Medium

All ages
(8+)

ur students go up on stage.
Number the students 1-4
The student who is number 1 comes onto the stage. The audience thinks of
a scenario for student 1. For example he/she may be in a zoo.
4.
Student number 1 then begins an improvisation about the given scenario.
When you feel it has gone on enough, usually about 20 seconds you call Space
Jump!
5.
Student 1 then freezes and student 2 comes on stage. They use the pose
student 1 is frozen in to inspire a new scene.
6.
The two actors then continue on until again you feel it has been long
enough and again call Space Jump!
7.
This same process happens for students 3 and 4.
8.
Once the final scene, which should have all 4 students in, has been going for

enough time you again call Space Jump! Student 4 then leaves the scene and
the scene reverts to what the 3 students were doing before.
9.
This reversal continues until there is only student 1 alone on stage
improvising in their first scenario.
Tip: Try to encourage a diverse range of scenarios. You often see the same stuff
over and over.

Easy

All ages

With large groups, getting students to go away and create something and then
come back and perform is really effective. This game encourages creativity and

1.
2.
3.


41

Four corners

Easy

All ages

42

Changing
character

Easy

All ages

physical expression.
1.
Split your group up into three. It doesn’t matter the size of each group.
2.
Instruct each group to come up with three poses or “statues” which portray
a story.
3.
The three poses should represent a beginning, middle and end of a story.
4.
Give each group around 5 minutes to prepare.
5.
Get the class to reform and let each group perform.
6.
Then get the rest of the class to explain what the story (DVD) was about.
Tip: give both the group performing and those guessing positive feedback if they
are successful.
I often use it to start a lesson as it’s simple to explain and gets the students
moving.
1.
Name or number the four corners of the room. If you have a themed lesson
you can name each corner something that suits the theme.
2.
Choose a student to stand in the middle of the room. You then make the

student close their eyes whilst you count down from 10. They can either spin
on the spot and stop when you reach zero, or they can stay still and then pick a
corner on zero. The latter is my preferred choice as it is more about listening to
the students moving around the room, rather than merely luck.
3.
The students who are in the corner that the student in the middle picks are
then out.
4.
The game continues until there is a winner.
5.
The winner then becomes the one in the centre.
Tip: Think of some really fun name of the corner. Kids, and adults for that matter,
love being involved in decisions!
This is often a great way to get a class going. It is not really an acting game, but
just playing with characters.
1.
Get the students to walk around the space.
2.
If you have a class theme choose some character appropriate to that theme


and get the students to walk in that manner. For example walk like a King,
Queen, Clown.
3.
You can also do this exercise with animals. Getting the students to gradually
become different animals.
4.
You can then get the students to interact as their characters or animals,
however sometimes this can result in bedlam.
5.

Play until students start to get disinterested. It is just a simple way to get
students in the mood for acting.
Tip: This game has no right and wrong. It is just a simple way to warm up the class.
Tip: Act with the students. Show that you can’t be too stupid.
43

Opposites
Game

Easy

All ages

44

Guess the
Word

Easy

All ages

This is a really good game to start with when working with a big group. Basically
this game is for warming up and getting you thinking.
1.
Get the students to walk neutrally around the space
2.
If you say stop the students must go and vice versa. Explain this to the
students.
3.

Do this a few times to get them warmed up.
4.
Then teach the kids the swap of jump with clap. Then do this with the
students a few times.
5.
Now freely change between all the options, trying to catch them out.
6.
Carry on until the game begins to tire
It gets students using their bodies and increases observation skills.
1.
Split the group in half. If you have an uneven number you may have to take
part.
2.
Once everyone has lined up get them to pick a partner.
3.
Gather one half in and give them a word. It is best to use emotions for
example, passion, love, anxiety.
4.
The goal is for the students to express that word to their partners simply
using their bodies for expression.


Try to keep the two groups in two lines opposite each other so people
aren’t running into each other.
6.
The listening group then has to guess the word.
7.
Go through each person in the listening group and see if they have got it
right.
8.

Change groups and repeat using a new word. Go till the group starts to tire,
2 goes each is about right.
This is a quite a well-known game that isn’t necessarily related to acting; however,
it is a lot of fun and gets students moving and in a good mood.
1.
Choose one person to be “tagger” or “up” (the person who tags people). If
you have a large group 20+ get two or three people to be the taggers.
2.
If you are tagged you must stay still and outstretch your legs and arms, like
in a star jump.
3.
The goal is for the taggers to have the whole group stationary (stuck in the
mud).
4.
Those who are not taggers can free the others who are stuck by going
under their legs.
5.
End the game when either the taggers have got everyone or you can see
your students starting to tire.
6.
Let a few different students be taggers.
This is a really easy game that can be fun for all ages. It encourages team work and
creativity.
1.
One person from the group must stand on stage and make a repetitive
gesture. You can also have students add a sound to their movement.
2.
Another student jumps up and does a different repetitive gesture.
3.
Continue this until all the students have added to the “robot”

4.
The students must maintain their original gesture and the goal is to create
an interesting and diverse looking robot.
Tip: I wouldn’t recommend doing more than two robots as it can take time and
5.

45

Stuck in the
Mud

Easy

All ages

46

Build the
Robot

Easy

All ages


can be tiring for the group.
A fun little performance game.
1.
Choose four students to take part.
2.

Two students must then sit on stage in two chairs. It should be set up like
an interview.
3.
They must then put their hands behind their backs. The other two students
must hide behind the chairs and slip their hands through the seated student’s
so that it gives the impression they are the seated students arms.
4.
You then name an interviewer and interviewee. The interviewee must be an
‘expert’ in a particular field. Let the students help you pick scenarios.
5.
Let the interview begin and continue until it starts to lag.
Tip: Encourage the students who are doing the hands to not be too over the top.

47

Expert Double Easy
Figures

Late
primary
/ 2nd

48

Epic ScissorsPaperRock

Easy

All ages

This game is really only for fun, but it can be great to break up a class.
1.
Split the group in half and get each group to stand on either side of the
room.
2.
The game works in the same way as Scissors-Paper-Rock; however, instead
we use Wizard-Giant-Knight. Wizard beats the Giant, Giant beats the Knight
and Knight beats the Wizard.
3.
Teach the students the action of each character. Make it simply and bold
and representative of the character. Add a vocalisation if you wish.
4.
Each group then decides which one they will perform and on your signal
they do the action.
5.
Name the winner using the rules above.
6.
Usually playing best of three is more than enough

49

Easy
Chinese
Whispe
rs

All ages

Everyone knows this game, but it is fantastic and really useful, especially with
younger children. It encourages good diction and listening skills.

1.
Get your group into a circle, either seated or standing.


Start by whispering a short sentence into the ear of the person next to you.
Let the sentence travel around the circle in this same manner and see if it
comes back to you the same as it started.
4.
The goal is to get it back intact, but it can provide some great fun when it
goes horribly wrong.
Primary A really silly and easy game that can help relax students.
1.
Get your group into a circle.
2.
Walk around the circle and number off the students 1,2 or 3
3.
Then simply come up with fun things for the students to act. For example:
1’s are wild animals etc.
4.
Continue until each number has had a few goes.
All ages A really simple game to burn some time at the end of a class.
(primary 1.
Get the students to sit in a line.
ideal)
2.
Place a chair facing away from the students.
3.
One student is chosen to sit in the chair. He/She must then shut their eyes.
4.
Students are then picked from the line to sneak up behind the student in

the chair, and in a weird or different voice, they say: Greetings Your Majesty.
5.
This student then returns to their seat in the line.
6.
The student in the chair must guess which student it was.
7.
If the student in the chair gets it right they stay in the chair, and this will
continue until they get five right in a row.
8.
If they get in wrong, however, the student who tricked them becomes the
one in the chair.
9.
This continues until the game tires.
This game works really well at the start of a lesson, and is very easy to explain and
everyone gets a go.
1.
Make a circle out of chairs, with one chair in the middle
2.
The person in the middle says: “the monster calls all those people who
have… (think of something that will apply to most of the children, for example
2.
3.

50

1-2-3

Easy

51

Greetings
Your
Majest
y

Easy

52

The Monster
Calls
All
Those
Who…

Easy


blue eyes, bare feet, boys and so forth)”.
3.
The people who that call applies to have to get up and move seats. The
person who is last to take a new seat is now in the middle.
4.
Continue this until everyone has had a go. Each time they must think of a
new thing to call out.
5.
You can change monster to anything that fits with your class.
Tip: Try to encourage kids that being the last one to find a seat is not good,
otherwise they may try and lose on purpose, which isn’t good for the flow of the

game.
53

The bears are Easy
coming

6-10

54

Blind Man's
Bluff

6+

Easy

This is a silly game that can work really well with a younger group.
1.
Begin by telling a story to the children about an age without technology
where people had to chop wood etc.
2.
All the children then have to find some physical action, based on an old
fashioned job like wood chopping, hunting, or washing clothes and begin doing
this action somewhere in the room.
3.
The teacher then leaves the room momentarily and returns as the bear.
4.
Once the bear arrives, the students must freeze where they are, and as the
bear you must try to make the students laugh.

5.
If a student laughs they join you as a bear and you work together until you
have made everyone laugh.
Tip: The bears cannot touch the frozen children!
You will need:
All you will need is a blindfold and enough space for some excitable children!
How to play:
Choose one child to be "it", and blindfold him or her. Turn her round a few times
to disorientate her a little, while the other children group themselves around her.
Then let her try to tag one of the other children, who will then become "it".


55

Call My Bluff

Medium

2nd ideal

56

Capture The
Flag

Easy

All ages

Variation:

Play as above, but when a child is caught the blindfolded child must try to guess
who it is by carefully feeling their face and hair.
This is a fun word game which can help children to learn new words, practise
dictionary work and presentation skills! It works best in a classroom or large group
setting, and you will need time to prepare.
You will need a large dictionary and at least 4 players, preferably more.
3 players are chosen to give the first presentation. They must choose a difficult
word from the dictionary (which they hope no-one will know) and write 3
definitions for the word. One of the definitions must be true, and the other two
should be plausible (but can be funny).
Now write the word on a card or the chalkboard and ask the 3 children to read out
their words to the group of class, giving no indication which is right and which are
wrong. Make sure the children adopt a good poker face when giving their
definitions!
The audience now votes on which is the right definition. If they guess right, the
audience gets a point. If they guess wrong, each of the other 2 presenters gets a
point!
Variations:
3 adults or older children can prepare a number of words in advance, and present
them to younger children. Instead of using word definitions, you can write 3 or
more "truths" about a character you are studying, or perhaps a favourite celebrity.
The audience has to guess whether the "facts" are right or wrong.
Capture The Flag has always been a huge favourite with my kids.
You will need:
A large group of children
2 flags or markers (anything bright and light-weight, such as a Tshirt, will do)
A large area, which can be roughly divided into two


How to play:

Split the children into two teams and allocate each team with one half of the area.
Each team chooses a base position, where they keep their "flag", and a gaol
position, where they will keep their prisoners, and makes it known to the other
team.
Each team now tries to capture the other team's flag. Whenever a team member
ventures onto the other team's territory, he is at risk of being caught (tagged) by
the enemy team. When caught he is taken to that team's gaol, where he must
remain until he is freed (touched) by one of his team members.
When someone manages to capture the other team's flag and return it to their
own territory, their team wins.
Hints:
Older children will probably organize their teams so that some players guard,
others hunt. Younger children will probably run around a great deal and just have
fun!
In a large space, especially one with hiding places, this game can go on for an hour
or more.
57

Cat Catching
Mice

Easy

All ages

This traditional Chinese chase game can cause much screeching and excitement!
Play outdoors - or indoors, if you have a large room. It is also known simply as "Cat
and Mouse".
One child is chosen to be the Cat (the chaser) and one child is chosen to become
the Mouse. All the other children form a circle, holding hands, with the Mouse

inside and the Cat outside.
The children in the circle move around while calling out the following rhyme:
"What time is it?"
"Just struck nine."
"Is the cat at home?"
"He's about to dine."


When the rhyme stops, the children stop moving and the Cat starts to chase the
Mouse, weaving in and out of the ring of children to do so. However, the Cat
MUST follow the mouse's path. When he catches the Mouse he can enjoy
pretending to "eat" him, and then two more children take a turn.
58

Catch The
Dragon's Tail

Easy

All ages

This traditional Chinese game is great fun for the playground. You will need a large
group of children - at least 10, but the more the merrier!
The children all form a line with their hands on the shoulders of the child in front.
The first in line is the dragon's head, the last in line is the dragon's tail.
The dragon's head then tries to catch the tail by manoeuvring the line around so
that he can tag the last player. All the players in the middle do their best to hinder
the dragon's head. Don't let the line break!
When the head catches the tail, the tail player takes the front position and
becomes the new dragon's head. All the other players move back one position.

59

Chase The
Rabbit

Easy

All ages

This easy circle game for children needs no equipment and tires the kids out
quickly!
All the children kneel on the floor in a ring with their hands on each other's
shoulders.
One is chosen to be the "rabbit". The rabbit walks around the outside of the ring.
He chooses one of the children as he passes them and taps them on the shoulder.
That child then has to chase the rabbit around the ring and try to tag him before
the rabbit can kneel down in the child's space.
If the rabbit succeeds, the other child becomes the new rabbit. Otherwise, the
original rabbit has another go.
This game is similar to Duck Duck Goose and Name Chase

60

Chinese Ball

Easy

6+ ideal

This traditional Chinese playground game develops children's ball skills and their
concentration - it really keeps them on their toes!


Children stand around in a circle with a ball as appropriate for the age group (such
as a basketball).
The ball is thrown quickly around and across the circle. When a child catches the
ball, the children on either side must raise one arm - the arm nearest the child
with the ball - and hold it in the air until the ball is passed on to another child.
If a child fails to catch the ball, or fails to raise the correct arm when their
neighbour catches the ball, or is too slow to pass the ball along, they drop out.
When there are only 5 children left in the circle, they are all declared winners, and
the game starts again.
61

Concentration Easy

6+

There is something about the clapping and chanting rhythm of this game that used
to keep my school friends and I occupied for hours! Best played with kids of the
same age, or the game will be unequal.
The children sit in a circle and take a number each, starting with 1.
They then start a chant by slapping their thighs twice then clapping their hands
twice and saying
Concentration
(slap slap clap clap)
Are you ready?
(slap slap clap clap)
If - so (slap slap clap clap)

Let’s - go!
(slap slap clap clap)
Then player 1, continuing the rhythm, says her own number twice followed by
another number. For example:
1, 1, 4, 4
(slap slap clap clap)