Here’s Mido Farid’s game of the week – this is a lot of fun!
This time we’re using it for Days of the Week but it works for any theme.
(If you’re on email and can’t see the video, click here)
You need two plastic cups
1. Write or put up picture cards of two lists of the same vocab on different sides of the board.
2. Leave a marker pen on each side of the board.
3. Divide the students into two teams and have them stand in two lines at the back of the classroom.
4. Have the first student in each line balance an (empty!) plastic cup on their head with their hands behind their back.
5. When you say “go” these students should walk quickly to the whiteboard, say each of the words/sentences in the list.
6. If the cup falls off at any time,the student must stop on the spot,pick up the cup and put it back on his head before continuing – or go back to the beginning!
You can also use three cups to make it faster!
What theme’s would you like to use it with?
Earn More From Your Passion For Teaching English!
This looks like a fun game, and I think my kids will love it.I will try it tomorrow with “What are you doing?”. But what are the markers for that are mentioned in #2?
Brilliant! I’ll be returning to schoool mid-March after my enforced recuperation and can’t wait to try this out as a revision game – clothes, weather, food, actions, body parts, colours, personal pronouns…. You name it, it can be done!
Thank you.
@Kristin:
To see who’s really reading the instructions! 😉
Mido originally had the game where the kids had to put a cross next to each piece of vocab as they said it.
They said, “Boo” when they lost, that made me laugh.
Yeah they hadn’t learnt all the GE rules yet!
Thanks for this great idea.
The balancing action keeps the kids really concentrated.
I did the following:
I used beanbags instead of cups, it’s a bit easier (but still difficult enough), and cups would have taken up a bit too much time.
I took a set of winter clothes for myself and had them line up in two groups. First player with teh beanbag on the head, has to come to the other side of the room, where I’m standing and tell me “put on your…” or “take of your…” They get a point for they team when they say it correctly. Go back to their group and it’s the next person’s turn.
It is really busy for me , but it is amazing. I used it for 4,5,6,7 and 8 year olds and they all were able to do it.
The other game I played was I made two corners the first one having brother and sister cards the other corner months.
EAch group asked the player with the beanbag:
“do you have any brothers or sisters?”
Then the first player would balance to the first corner take a card and answer according to it (it’s always ONE brother or One sister)
Having answered the group asks “When is his/her birthday.
The player balances to the birthday card corner takes a card and answers.
Same way this would be the perfect solution for the “I like pink fish” game; I always had a hard time to play it as the room is too small, but with this game it’s possible.
I think this is going to be my favorite game.
Thank you.
oh nice idea margit
hope u enjoy my games
mido
Hello Margit, I have a question for you… How many students do you have in the classroom you did those games?
Hi Angelica,
between 5-8 students.
But I can imagine it with bigger classes; just make more groups.
This game was amazing! I played it with 10 year olds, and they took it one step up by challenging to balance the cup on their elbows, on their back (crawling) on their knees (hopping), on their face (!), on the tops of their hands, etc. I even used it for more advanced grammar (present perfect; already, yet, just!) They loved it! Thank you so so so much!
Hi Margit sensie,
I loved your idea and if you don’t mind, I have one question here. What kind of beanbag are we talking here? I did try using a plastic cups by myself and it was very annoying it dropped many times, so I think I’ll go with your ideas.
Thank you very much for your input.