EAL warmers, games, and activities (part two).

A lot of the ideas I wrote in the last post on this topic were class activities, rather than warmers, which was the request that originally encouraged me to write in the first place. So, the following activities are intended to act as warmers to get the students thinking, perhaps at the beginning of class, or in the morning, etc. A lot of them DON'T have clear educational outcomes but I have found that they can get people thinking and work particularly well with children and teenagers.

Zip Zap Boing
Ok, this isn't going to be easy to explain... Firstly you need to get your students into a small circle in the middle of the room. I don't recommend more than 12/14 students in one circle so you may have to divide the class if it's bigger than that. You need to let them know what a 'zip' is, what a 'zap' is and what a 'boing' is. Put your hand into the shape of a gun and point to the person to your RIGHT and clearly say, 'zip!' The student should do the same to the person to their right and so on until the 'zip' goes around the circle and comes back to you. Then you need to explain a 'zap'. Clearly point your 'gun' at a student ACROSS the circle and say, 'zap!' That student must then 'zip' the student to their right and so the game continues. You need to make it clear that you cannot 'zap' a 'zap' - only 'zip' to your right. Finally, you need to explain a 'boing'. Send a 'zip' around the circle and when it comes back to you, face the person who 'zipped' you and shout 'boing' while doing a star-jump. That student should then send the 'zip' in the opposite direction. You need to make it clear that you cannot 'boing' a 'boing'. You can either 'zip' it or 'zap' it. Have a couple of practice rounds to get the students used to the rules but the best way to learn it is simply by doing it. Students are 'out' if they make a mistake or hesitate. The aim of the game is to have it as fast as possible and ensure that the students' movements are big. The best way to do this is to lead by example. The last two remaining students are the winners.

Splat Bang
This warmer is similar to Zip, Zap, Boing in that the aim is to get the students going both mentally and physically. At first, you should be 'it' but after the students understand the activity, one of them can do it and you can simply adjudicate. Again, arrange the students into a circle in the middle of the room. Whoever is 'it' should stand in the middle of the room, and put their hand into the shape of a gun. That person will choose a pupil at random, point the gun, and shout "splat!". The student who is pointed at should duck (to avoid the 'splat') whilst the two students either side point their guns and shout 'bang!' at each other. The student who was slowest to 'shoot' the other student is out. You can also be out if you are 'splatted' but fail to duck, or make another mistake. Again, the two students remaining at the end of the game are the winners. This game tends to get better the more you do it, as students get smarter about how they can catch other students out. If you want to decide a winner between the final two, you can have them stand back to back and give them a count. With each count they should take a step apart (back-to-back) until the moment you choose to shout 'splat!', at which point they try to outdraw each other.

Numbers Game
I can't think of a better name for this one... Very simply, have the students walk around the class at a brisk (but safe) pace, constantly changing direction and avoiding contact with each other. Tell them that when you shout 'one!' they should touch the ground (and then continue walking). Try this out a couple of times until you're sure that they understand the basic premise of the activity. Then introduce other numbers (in order, up to five), and corresponding actions. It can be a good idea to review some things you have been doing in class (verbs, body parts, etc.). Some things I usually say are, 'do a star jump', 'change direction', 'shout a color', 'twirl around', etc. I don't usually turn this into a competition but, if you wanted, you could eliminate pupils who make a mistake. The main aim is that the students keep moving around and that the numbers you call out are suitably random and muddled out to get them focused and concentrating before the start of the lesson proper.

That's it for today but there's plenty more where that came from. Please share any ideas you have or give me feedback on the suggestions I have already made.