This game was created to use with my younger students to review colors. Many of them are into Halloween right now, so this is a good way to keep them engaged. This game is played just like any “Would You Rather?” type of game, where you have a set of questions and students respond to choose what they prefer.
In this case, you might want to review colors first. As you can see in the pictures, there are two little hands. Students can respond by saying “uno” or “dos” or by pointing with their hands. Another option would be to divide or mark your room with the numerals 1 and 2 for students to go stand at to show their answers. You can also replace the numbers with actions like “jump” if you prefer, or “dance” if you prefer. It all depends on your space and how you are teaching these days (remotely or in-person). No matter how you are teaching these days, I am sure this will add some fun to your classes.
Before bringing this game to your classes, make sure that all your students are okay with Halloween celebrations. As a personal experience, a few years ago I had a student in one class who didn’t feel comfortable with Halloween, so in the class, we shifted to focus on the autumn season and still got to use some pumpkins and put emotions in it.
I just ended our 3rd week of distance learning, however this was my first week teaching live online classes. I do have to say that it has been exhausting trying to figure out how to make the class interactive and engaging while being so far apart from my students and only interacting through a screen. Learning new tools is a plus but is also exhausting. By my first class session I thought I had mastered Zoom, but it when I taught my first class (a second grade group), I realized that there were more things to learn. I shared my plan for the class using the screen sharing function of Zoom. One of my students then started using the annotation tool to scribble over the shared screen agenda, and that’s when I knew I needed to learn more. It was a bit funny but frustrating at the same time.
Anyway, we came up with the list below while brainstorming with some of my students about quick games we could do in class without the need to share my screen. By not sharing a screen, it also becomes possible to see every student. We have played these games in our classroom before, so the students should know them well. It is necessary to adapt some of these games to make it work for our current online setting.
Simón dice: We usually play this game in class by saying “Señora dice” instead of Simón dice. Sometimes I like choosing a student to be “it” and the name “Simón” will be replaced by that student’s name. Choose one person to give directions or say a command. Everyone should follow the direction only if they hear “______ dice.” If someone follow directions when the person directing hasn’t said “_____ dice”, that person will be out of the game. You can continue until one of few people are left in the game.
Charades: I usually have between 8 to 16 students on a live class on Zoom, so it’s not easy to divide the groups, or at least I haven’t tried it. This works great with students 2nd grade and up. You will need to use the chat tool for this game. I am not familiar with platforms other than Zoom, but in Zoom the host can choose to privately chat with a student. The rules for this game are simple. No words or pointing at anything, just acting it out for other students to guess. Choose one student to act out a word. Send the word in a private message to the chosen student only. Have the student act out the word and give students turns to guess. Whoever guesses first will become the next actor. You might want to write the word on a piece of paper or board to show to the students later.
Color colorcito: This is a game that my kindergarteners love playing in the classroom. It usually involves one person naming colors and the other students running to find the color. If the person naming the color tags someone who is not touching the color, then that person becomes the new “it.” See my previous post here for a longer explanation of the way I usually play it in the classroom. Because it’s impossible to play a “virtual” tagging game, we made it for students to look for an object of that color in the room. The person who finds the color last will say the new color.
La caja mágica: You could either use a box or a bag. Place and object inside, describe it and have your students guess it. Click hereto find more ideas.
Sigue al líder: Play some music and choose one student to lead the class in different dance movements.
Congelado: Play music for a few seconds, stop the music and everyone has to freeze. If anyone continues moving, they will join you to find other students who are not freezing or continue moving when you stop the music.
El director de orquesta: This game is known as “Follow the leader.” Choose one student to close his or her eyes, and this student will have to guess who is directing the group. While that student has his/her eyes closed, choose another student to direct the group. Write the name of the “director” on a white board or a piece of paper and show it to the group. The student directing then has to do movements or gestures that everyone else will copy. The student who is guessing will have three opportunities to guess who is directing the group. If the student doesn’t guess, you can reveal the name of the student director, and then you can all clap for him or her. You can decide how long you want to continue with this game.
Do you have any other games to add to this list? Feel free to share them in the comments or email them to me for updates to this post.
I have blogged about this traditional game in the past. This game is usually played without props, but to make it comprehensible I have created some to go along with the game. I am not the best illustrator, but I am happy to share this with you since some teachers were requesting the template to create their own. Stop by my previous post to understand how to play this game. Remember to download the props here! Once you download the props, print them on stock paper, laminate them for durability, and add some magnets on the back to place them on a magnetic board or cookie sheet just like the picture below. Please click hereto learn how to play this game.
Get ready to play the game and sing along with this video:
Luis Pescetti is an Argentinian musician, writer, actor, and storyteller. He is also known for for his great group activities that are fun and encourage movement (which is why they are called ‘dinámicas’ in Spanish). Some of his group games work great in the Spanish classroom and can be used as energizers or brain breaks for you and your students.
For this game I would suggest you ask your students to be in groups of five or less to keep it safe.
¿Por qué me sube la bilirubina? No sé porque.
¿Por qué me sube la bilirubina? No sé porque.
A moler café, a moler café, a moler a moler a moler café.
A moler café, a moler café, a moler a moler a moler café.
This is simple but a bit challenging for second graders. I mostly use it for third graders and up. A lot of fun!
Palo, palo, palo, palo bonito, palo eh,
eh, eh, eh, palo bonito, palo eh.
This is one of the group activities my first graders love. The first time they saw the video they were scared, but we couldn’t stop laughing afterwards. It’s great to use during Halloween!
Se hace de noche,
se ve un castillo,
se abre una puerta,
sale un vampiro,
saca un cuchillo y …
unta pan con mantequilla,
unta pan con mantequilla,
unta pan con mantequilla.
This activity works great in a circle. This one gets everyone quiet and focused on the movement. My students were a little frustrated at first, but once we all got it, it became a fun challenge.
Bale, bale, bale, pata zum, zum, zum,
bale, zum, zum, zum,
pata zum, zum, zum.
Bale, bale, bale, pata zum, zum, zum,
bale, zum, pata zum, bale zum.
This can be done with different ages. It can be done fast or slow. A lot of fun!
A ram sam sam,
guli, guli, guli, guli, ram sam sam.
Arabi, arabi,
guli, guli, guli, guli, ram sam sam.
This video gives a little background for the song “A ram sam sam”.
This is a low prep activity that you can use after any break. It involves some movement and questions that can be asked about each slide. If you have used my “A mí también” activity, this works exactly the same way. If you haven’t used the activity, visit this link to learn how to use it.
If you don’t know the “Running Dictation” activity, this link has a great explanation about it. This game is a variation of the Running Dictation. I call it “Telephone Dictation” just to give it a new name, but I am sure someone else has adapted it too. I have used it with third and fourth graders, but I am sure it works with upper levels as well.
You will need:
A clipboard.
Five pieces of blank paper.
A pencil.
A chair or a place to put the sentences.
Five or more sentences.
I divide my classes in groups of three or four. Each group gets a clipboard, a pencil, and five pieces of paper. Then I instruct them to sit in a line. I place all the materials in front of the line. I also place a chair with with 4 or 5 sentences at the end of the line. I recommend not using more than 5 sentences with lower grades.
The student who is at the end takes a sentence and reads it to the student sitting in front of him/her. Then that student whispers the sentence in the ear of the next student. They keep passing the message along until it makes it to the student at the front of the line. That student takes one of the pieces of paper and writes the message. When that student is done, he goes to the end of the line, takes a new sentence, and it starts all over again. I ask the student at the end of the line who is reading the sentence to crumple it up once they are done reading it.
Once they are all done with the sentences they have to get together to organize them and make sense of them. Taken together, the sentences usually relate to a story or book we are reading in class.
Are you ready to try this activity in your next class? Let me know how it goes!
