A fun, classic young learner's game is "Simon Says". In this classic game, one student tells the other students what to do by beginning: "Simon says ... touch your nose / count to five , etc. ". If the student says "touch your nose" and the students perform the command they are out. Of course, this game takes a lot of attention on the part of the teacher.
In this variation on "Simon Says" students break up into small groups and play a board game following commands similar to those of "Simon Says". After the students have completed the game, they create their own board game using commands they have created on their own.
Many thanks to my niece, Laura Vranos, who was so kind as to draw these beautiful game boards!
Aim: Fun and vocabulary learning focusing on various movements and commands
Activity: Board Game
Level: Young Learner's lower level classes
Outline:
- Have students write four or five commands they have learned in class down in a notebook (i.e. touch your nose, clap your hands, count to five, etc.).
- Make photocopies of the board game with the commands. Break students up into groups of four and five and take turns.
- Moves are based on the toss of a coin: heads (the face side) move two spaces - tails (the number side) move one space.
- Circulate around the room making sure that the students are performing the commands correctly.
- Once students have played the ready version of the game, give them the empty copy - or have them draw their own - of the board game.
- Have students combine their various commands and write them out, dividing the board into 12 to 15 spaces.
- Get students to exchange their games, challenging other groups to complete the games they have designed on their own.
Back to lessons resource page
