The Fruits Menu and Drinks Menu Games have proved really popular, but you can of course do the same game with any topic.
For example, how about this Halloween/Colours/Candies versions?
1. Make sure the kids know the colours ( Pirates with the Coloured Beards is the best way at this time of year!)
2. Put up several picture cards of different coloured candies on the board.
(I’m in a nice mood today, I’ve made some up for you, hope you like them!)
3. Next to each candy write a price.
4. Put the kids in two teams.
5. ย The kids ask “What would you like?” or “Trick or Treat” ย or whatever question you are teaching.
(At a push, if you have to teach the Hi Friends! textbook, you could always use their “What do you want?” phrase, although I always cringe at such impolite English!)
6. ย You say “I’d like …. ” plus several coloured candies, ย e.g. I’d like a red candy, a blue candy and four purple candies.
7. The kids look at the prices of each candy, totally up the numbers and shout out the total price in English! ย The fastest gets a point for their team.
8. ย Repeat from step 5, this time the kid who got it right gets to chose this time!
I’ve been trying this out over the summer and it’s been great.
The trick is to keep the maths tough – remember the average elementary school kid has much better math skills – because they do it everyday – than the average adult. ๐
You could also bring in the “How much?” phrase if you’ve done that lesson before.
Or next month you could try with “What would you like for Christmas?” with prices next to each present!
Do let me know what you think in the comments,
Be genki,
Richard
P.S. ย You could even do this with the transport theme or even the Halloween costumes theme.
P.P.S. ย I’ve just added more Halloween Games to the main Halloween page!
Earn More From Your Passion For Teaching English!
Love this idea!!! Taking a simple idea and making it challenging is a great technique to hold the kids attention. I have two elementary school classes at my school that this would be perfect for. Thanks heaps!!! And love the possibilities for both Halloween and Christmas use!!!
Great, simple but effective idea. I often use maths activities like this as I find that frequently it is the kids who don’t usually speak but are good at maths that answer the fastest. It helps their confidence and gets them involved.
In fact, I have just come out of a class where we were practising numbers up to 60. The HRT called out 2 or 3 students who told me their classroom number. I wrote these on the board, then added in +, – , x or division and =. The other kids shouted out the answer. They loved it!
Just an idea if you don’T have the time or equipment to print the cards:
Use real candies;
I got some tiny plastic “mayonaise cups” with a see through top ; in each one I put a different color candy and the price I wrote directly on the cup; very easy preperation and the kids love it because it looks so cute, and like a real shop.
As it’s halloween anyway, they can get a candy each at the end of the lesson.
For Christmas I will get those little cute erasers (ใใใใๆถใใดใ ๏ผใin the cups and play the game.
Thanks for the idea, Richard~
and great to see you, Julian!!!
Love this idea! A tip: you can use pictures or catalogues from your local supermarket, my pupils get overexcited every time they see the pictures of their favourite sweets or toys. I simplify the original prices, i.e 6 euros instead of 6.25, so they can count on their own….
Julian, I agree with you that such “number” games help shy kids, who are good at Maths, to feel more confident in the class ๐
Richard;these really look super.And great ideas in the other comments.Thank you.
I was wondering if I could be a pain and ask you if you could make these into the small playing cards.It would be great help…..beg,beg!
Thanks again for everything.
Big thanks for the blog,really wish I could express how much it has kept me going in the last few months through bad health.Strangest things!
Be Genki!
Hi Jaynie, thanks for the nice words, glad it helped!
For the Mini Cards, just set your printer to print them all on one page, instant mini cards!
Maybe the kids could bring their fluffy toy animals to class and have a ‘pet shop’ (with the prices on folded cards in front of each pet).
This sounds like a great game, thanks for putting it up! Also, thanks to Hanna for the tip about using pictures from an actual supermarket catalogue. I just have a question; I only teach two 8 year old students and was wondering how to adapt the game? I imagine competing against other students would motivate them a lot more, but if it’s just the two of them working together, it’s a bit more difficult.