Games for esl first graders

Do as I say, not as I do: A 'Simon says' game with a difference. First practice Simon Says with the students so that they understand the game and body parts. I find it works just as well omitting the 'Simon says'. Now tell them to do as you SAY, not as you do, and repeat playing the game - only this time, when you say 'touch your knees' etc, touch your ears instead, or any other part of your body.

This is a good way to see who is listening to you correctly and who is just copying your movements. Students find this game much more fun than the original. Teacher walks around the outside of the circle patting the students on the head saying "dog" each time. The teacher must try to sit in the S's spot before being tagged by the chasing S. If teacher makes it back without being touched then the chasing S walks around the circle touching heads. This can be done with any variation of words.

Draw and Roll: Split class into 2 teams. If the drawing is correct then the student rolls a dice for points. This game can be played 2 ways: The fastest person to draw the picture rolls the dice. Or the other way is to allow any student to roll the dice as long as the picture is recognizable and correct. I made my dice out of a box from the Yen store.

Songs for ESL Kids. All songs are made specifically for teaching English to children. Just download and play in your lessons. Exercises: This one is great for over excited students who need to burn off a bit of energy. It's also good for classroom commands and numbers. Stand the students in a line and call out instructions: "Jump 10 times", "Turn around 4 times" etc. Explosion: Give the students a topic and an object to pass around.

Each student has to say a word in that topic e. If the time limit ends the student left holding the object loses. Fish: Before this game you need to have the students in pairs draw and cut out a picture of a fish for each pair.

While they are doing that put 2 parallel lines of tape on the floor a few meters apart. Have students play in twos - each student behind a different line. Teacher asks S1 a question.

Next, teacher asks S2. The S who blows the fish over the tapped line is the winner. Fly swatter game : Divide the students into 2 teams. Give the first in each team a fly swatter. Write the same array of answers on the board for each side. Ask student A a question a letter, blend, word, math problem, number, definition, etc. The first one to slap the write answer on the board wins a point.

They get three questions and then they pass it to the next one. When the first player gets back to the front. Change the answers and do it again! Submitted by Tammy Edwards. The teacher does an action and shouts out the word for that action. The students copy the action and repeat the word. Get Dressed! Split the class into 2 or 3 teams. On the board write teams 1, 2 and 3 plus the names of the team members. Each team needs to designate who they are going to dress. Write items of clothing between 4 and 6 items under each group.

Tell the children that the first team to dress their person is the winner. Tell them to 'get ready', count down and then empty a bin bag of clothes on the floor. The kids loved this game. Even the 2 children who wanted to sit out and watch were screeching with laughter. To add a bit more fun, if the team has chosen to dress a boy in their group I add 'dress' or 'skirt' to their list. Submitted by G Holwill. Give Me Game: You can use with objects or flashcards.

This works well with plastic fruit: Gather and elicit the different kinds of plastic fruit you have. Then throw all the fruit around the classroom it's fun just to throw the whole lot in the air and watch the chaos of the students scrabbling to pick them up.

Once the students have collected the fruit they'll probably do their best to hide it in their pockets, etc. Avoid having the fruit thrown back to you as they can go anywhere and takes a long time to finish this game.

All craft sheets are made specifically for teaching English to children. Just print and use in your lessons. Hangman: The old favorite. Very good for reviewing vocab from past lessons.

I spy: Teacher says "I spy with my little eye something that begins with B". Students try to guess the object e. Colors are a good alternative for younger students " Juice: Bring a small bottle of juice e. At some point during the lesson take out the bottle and have a sip.

This almost certainly will cause a mini-riot of kids asking for some. Here's an ideal opportunity to teach "Can I have some juice, please?

Bring juice along every week, and before long your students will be requesting a drink in prefect English! If you don't want your students to be drinking out of the same bottle as you bring along a few plastic cups.

Knock-Knock: This can be used at the beginning of each class. Teach the students to knock on the door before entering the classroom. There are 2 variations for the next step: 1. When the S knocks, teacher says "Who's there? When the S knocks the teacher must guess who it is "Is that Koji? The S replies yes or no - if no, the teacher continues guessing.

Having your students develop their own knocking styles makes this even more fun. Certificates, attendance sheets, lesson records, lesson plan tamplates.

Label It: This works well with newcomers of all ages who need an introduction to basic vocabulary. As long as the learners are able to identify beginning letter sounds, they should be able to do this activity. To familiarize my students with names of objects found in the classroom, I label everything with an index card that has the item's name on it. Then I have them repeat what I read as they point to the item. The next day, I remove the cards and go through them one at a time and we place them on the correct item together.

The third day, I let them label whatever they can on their own. I continue this for a few days. When they are able to independently label most of the items, I surprise them by having them labeled incorrectly. Then they have to straighten out the mess. You can adapt this to any noun-based vocabulary list e. Your website has amazing flashcards and pictures that can be printed out and used for this.

Have the students sit in a circle with you. Teacher starts by saying a word, then the S to the T's right must make a word that starts with the last letter of the word that the teacher said e. Continue around the circle until someone makes a mistake. Line True or False: Put a line of tape on the floor and designate one side "True" and the other "False".

Hold up an object or flashcard and say its word. If students think that you have said the correct word they jump on the True side, if not they jump on the False side. Incorrect students sit out until the next game. Machine: This is good for practicing emotions and sounds.

Pick one S to start. Give that S an emotion or a feeling to act. They must do an action and make a noise. One at a time students can add to it and you essentially create a "machine".

This is a really fun game! Submitted by N. Make Words Game: Write a few random letters on the board. Possible words: cat, peg, tea, hat, get, etc. The team with the most words is the winner. You'll need a fairly long classroom with space for everyone to march up and down.

Teacher stands at one end of the room against the left wall. Line the students up along sideteacher and teacher says "Go! As you all march together, teacher starts calling out the months in order "January", " February", etc. Students repeat each month Teacher:"January", Students:"January".

March along at a slow pace, but smartly backs straight, arms swinging. At certain points teacher suddenly shouts "Stop!

If someone is out of line order them back in line and then continue marching where you left off. Turn around each time you reach the end of the room and continue the march. Once finished start again, but this time walk briskly.

You can do it the final time running! After a few lessons you shouldn't have to chorus the words - just get the students to chant together as they march. Name Game: Good for a first class. Sit the students in a circle. Point to yourself and say your name "I'm Jason". Then students say their names around the circle. Name Memorizing Game: Have children sit in a circle. Start by saying "my name is.. For example "My name is Jo and I like the color Purple.

It's really hard to be the last person in the circle! Submitted by Danielle. Number Codes: Cut out some squares and write numbers from on them. Put the numbers in a box and then instruct the students to place the numbers in a line as you call them out. This also works well for phone numbers. Number Group Game: Play some music and have your students walk around the classroom. Stop the music suddenly and call out a number up to the number of students in your class.

The students must quickly get together in a group of that number. Any students who didn't make it sit out until the next round. Odd-One-Out: Write 3 or four words on the board. Sudents must circle the odd-one-out e. Pass: Sit the students with you in a circle. Teacher holds up an object or flashcard and says its name e. Teacher passes it on to the next S who also says its name and passes it on to the next S.

Variations: change directions, speed rounds, have many objects going round at the same time. Pictionary: Good for reviewing vocab. The S draws the picture on the board and the first S to guess the picture gets to draw the next picture. This can also be played in teams with a point system. Tell the teams that they are going to race each other to say everyone's name in their team.

Give the first student in each team a ball. The first student begins by saying their name, e. The first student then passes the ball to the second student. The second student repeats the first student's name and then says their own name, e. The second student passes the ball to the next student.

The next student continues, e. She's Kate, and I'm Amiko'. The game continues until all the names have been said. If a student forgets the name of a teammate, the team starts over from the first student. The first team to finish wins the round and scores a point. Then, start with a different student and repeat the game with other personal information, e. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins. Trip to the Moon. Here is an entertaining way to get students to introduce themselves to the class.

This introduction game works best with young learners. Begin the game by saying, "I'm the captain of a spaceship. I'm going on a trip to the moon. Who wants to go with me and what are you going to bring? The students who are allowed to go are the ones who bring something that begins with the first letter of their name.

However, don't explain this to the students. It's up to them to work it out! The first student then stands up and says, "Hi, my name is If a student manages to work it out or accidentally says an item matching with the first letter of their name, you accept them on board and write up their name. Eventually, most of the students will understand the game when they see that some students are allowed to go. You can also have the students give more information about themselves e. My Life in Five Sentences.

This is a great icebreaker activity for the first day of class to help students get to know each other. In the activity, students use sequence words to order information about a partner. Write five sentences on the board in a random order about interesting things you have done in your life.

Then, write some sequence words on the board, e. Tell the students that the sentences on the board are things you have done in your life but the order is wrong.

Have the students put the five sentences in the correct order using the sequence words on the board. The students can do this verbally or you can have them write the sentences.

Then, ask the students for their sequence until someone gives you the right order. Next, tell the students to write five sentences in a random order about interesting things they have done. Tell the students to avoid writing sentences where the chronological order is obvious. When the students have finished writing, divide them into pairs.

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