Games we play

The number game
Two students stand in front of the chalkboard. I say a number in English and they must quickly write the numeral. Fastest kid wins and takes on a new opponent. Tricks: distinguishing thirteen from thirty, fourteen from forty, etc.

The letter game
Same concept as the number game, except I say a letter of the alphabet in English. Tricks: A vs. H, I vs. Y vs. E, G vs. J, and (to my surprise) O vs. R.

The school supply game
Students are divided into two teams and told to choose two school supplies that we've learned, such as a pen and a pencil sharpener. Each team sits in a line with me in the middle and with the collection of things at the back of the line. I say the name of an item and student at the back of the line must choose the correct item and then the team must relay it to me. First team to give me the correct item gets a point. Tip: Don't allow scissors.

The emotion game
Students are divided into two teams. A representative of each team comes to the front of the room. I tell them an emotion to mime. We all say together, "How do you feel?" and the two students (silently) demonstrate that emotion while their teammates guess. The first team to guess correctly gets a point.

Number bingo
Students make a 5x5 card and write in any numerals of their choosing from, say, 1-99. I say the numbers and they mark the corresponding numeral. First kid to get a line of 5 numbers in a row wins but must read the numbers in English to claim his/her prize. Tip: Make sure they're crossing out the correct numerals.

Letter bingo
This has the same premise as number bingo. The main difference is that I distribute pre-made bingo cards which the students must color according to our phonetic color code. When we start playing, this allows for some self-checking: If students are confused about the letter I've said, other students can tell them the color as a hint.