As far as I know, this game is only played in Colombia, but I am sure there are other variations in other parts of Latin America. I have been using this game as an energizer in my 4th and 5th grade classes. My students have really loved playing this game. I thought it would be great to share this with other teachers here.
In preparation for this game, all you need is a space where your students can sit in a circle and an object to pass around. I use a small ball made of fabric. I try not to use anything that will bounce off their hands because then it becomes a distraction for the students.
Students sit in a circle. Choose one student who will close her eyes and will be the one chanting “tingo….tango.” The children in the circle will be passing the object while she chants “tingo, tingo, tingo…” as much as possible. When the student who is chanting “tingo” says “tango,” the student who has the ball or small object must come to the middle of the circle to choose a “penalty.” I added a chart with penalties that I project up on the board in my room, so this way it is easier for my students to choose a penalty to do. I also added that the whole class says “penitencia” when the person who is saying “tingo” says “tango.” Some of the “penitencias” I use are taken from the movement cards I have previously shared in this blog. The penitencias are simple – for example, sing like a rooster, dance like ghost, or move your head like a turkey.
Once the student has completed the penalty, this same student takes the place of the person who was chanting “tingo….tango,” and the game starts all over again.
This is the last set of Movements Cards that I post for this year. This time of the year goes so fast and I wanted to make sure you have these Christmas Movement cards in Spanish. My kinder students have loved all the different versions and I can’t wait to show them these ones. Just in case you missed the Movements cards I shared in the past, here is the list:
My younger students love all kinds of movement cards. We use them as quick brain brains. Movement cards are also a great opportunity to connect language with movement. If you explore my blog you will find that I have made different ones related to different holidays or topics that are of the interest of my students. The movement cards also have a lot repetition. You will find the same action verb or object in different cards.
How do they work? Just read them to your students and have them act every card. These Thanksgiving movement cards have been a hit these days! Download yours here and let the fun begin!
My students really love the Movement Cards I shared on Spanish Playground. I though I will surprise them with a Halloween version! My students have been talking about Halloween since the middle of September. Halloween time is an opportunity to make connections with something students really love. You can find so many concepts to incorporate in Spanish class such as colors, shapes, sizes, feelings and so on. Here is an opportunity to teach some movement words in Spanish. I have added these cards to the brain breaks I will be using with my younger students during October. Download yours here!
Yoga is an awesome brain break and energizer tool. I use a few Yoga poses in my classes to get my students moving and they love it. My students learn about 10 names of Yoga poses in Spanish and we use them throughout the school year. I use them as a quick way to make them move. We play “Simón dice” with them. We also play “Haz lo que digo”, for example. I say the name of a pose, but I show a different one, then whoever does the one I am doing is out of the game. They love it! We do it fast too! I like to use cards with the picture of the pose and the picture of what it means.
I lately tried something new! I combined Yoga with storytelling and the students love it. Here is the sample of the story I create to go along with the Yoga cards.
I already made it clear in my last post that you don’t have to wait until Friday to dance in class. It’s important to get your students moving to help them stay in tuned with you. The Zumba routines below are easy to follow and the songs are very catchy.
