Communicative activities

2. CLASS MANAGEMENT
Hands Up!
In your first class teach your Ss that whenever you shout out "Hands Up!" they must instantly
stop whatever they are doing, put their hands up in the air and remain perfectly still and
silent. They can only put their hands down again when T say "Hands down". You can then use
this technique any time your Ss are getting a bit noisy or you need to get everyone's attention.
Silent Ball
If the Ss are being loud and off task play this game with them. It really works and they love to
play it. Have all the Ss stand up and give one student a ball (make sure it is soft). Have the
students toss the ball to each other without saying a word. Any student who drops the ball or
talks must sit down. (Submitted by Samantha Marchessault)

3. MY NAME IS
1. Name Game
Good for a first class. Sit the Ss in a circle. Point to yourself and say your name "I'm Jason".
Then Ss say their names around the circle.
2. Guess who said your name
One student stands with their back to the class, another student calls out his name.
The one with their back to the group turns around and guesses who said it.
They get 3 chances.
3. Name Memorizing Game
Have children sit in a circle. Start by saying "my name is.." and then answer a question about
yourself. For example "My name is Jo and I like the color Purple." The next person says "This
is Jo and he likes the color purple and my name is Rose and I am 8 years old." The next
person says "That is Jo he likes Purple, this is Rose and she is 8 and I am Jeremy and I like the
color blue." It's a chain and the kids have to repeat what the last people have said about
themselves. It's really hard to be the last person in the circle! (Submitted by Danielle)
Easier: instead of answering a questions, students say their name and a word starting with the
same letter.
4. Pass your name
Everyone sitting in a circle or standing up. On the first clap, you say your name, and on the
second clap you say the name of someone in the circle. Then they say their own name on the
first clap and the name of another student on the second, and so it goes on.
When they have got the idea, use different lexical sets. For example, everyone says their
favourite sport first then use these to play the game instead of saying names.
You can also use flashcards or real objects such as fruit and vegetables or classroom objects.
Place a flashcard or an object by each student’s feet and they use these as they do the claps
and pass the turn.

4. NUMBER GAMES
1. Number Group Game
Play some music and have your Ss walk around the classroom. Stop the music
suddenly and call out a number. The Ss must quickly get together in a group of that
number. Any Ss who didn't make it sit out until the next round.
2. Number Codes
Number mini flashcards (from 0 to 9) for each student. Students place the numbers in a
line as you call them out. This also works well for phone numbers.
3. Bingo
Prepare enough bingo grids for all of your students and numbers on pieces of paper.
The winner is the first to either get a line or full house.
4. Number Board Scramble
T writes numbers on the blackboard in a scramble here and there, but low enough that
the Ss can reach. Have two teams and call out a number. The person that is able to find
and circle it first wins a point for their team. Even more challenging- have four teams all
looking for the same number. The kids just love it. (Submitted by Susie).
5. Buzz
A counting game. Have the Ss sit in a circle. The Ss pass the ball around while counting
(1, 2, 3, etc.). When the number reaches 7, any number with a 7 and any multiple of 7
the S must say buzz.
6. Battleship
Every student has a Battleships board or just get them to copy a board in their notebook.
Write on the board a group of words you want your students to practise. Students
choose some of them to write anywhere they like on their battleship board.
Students work in pairs facing one another. They ask questions to find the words. E.g. ‘E,
40. If there is a letter in it. they get a ‘HIT’ and they are said this letter they found. If there
was nothing in that square they get a ‘MISS’ and carry on. The first student to find all
the words is the winner
7. Blind Toss
Students sit down in a circle. Place a mat on the floor with numbers and a flashcard
(target vocabulary) on each number. Taking turns, each S gets blindfolded and throw a
ball to hit a number. S/he must call out that word the same number of times as the
number indicates. For example: 4-dog, then "Dog, Dog, Dog, Dog! and the S gets the
equal points (4). At the end, the S with the most points wins! Good for memorizing
vocabulary since they are repeating words. (Submitted by Salvador Domingo).

5. COLORS GAMES
1. Color Game
Put colors flashcards around a circle. Play some music and have the children march around
the circle. Then, stop the music and all the children must sit down next to a color. Pick a color
and sing (to the tune of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star"): "Who's beside the color (insert name of
color)? Please stand up, if it's you." At that point, the child next to the color mentioned stands
up.
2. Miniflashcards activities
T calls a color (e.g. "Blue") and the Ss hold it up.
T calls a color and an action (e.g. "Blue - Jump!"). Students take the color and do the action.
Make a line of papers with the Rainbow Song - as the song is played Ss put the papers in the
same order as the song. Then, listen to the song and touch.
3. High Five
Give each S a color and make sure at least 2 Ss have the same color. T says "Blues, high 5!"
and the kids with blue paper have to find each other and High 5.
4. Color Circles (Touch it and color it)
Pin circles on different walls in the classroom. Model the activity: Say "Blue", take a blue
crayon, walk over to one circle and color a small part of the circle. Do this for each color you
plan to teach. Then, say a color ("Blue") to a S and s/he should pick up the blue crayon and go
over to the circle you colored in blue. Let him/her color it a little and then call him/her back.
Continue with other Ss.
5. Touch Color
T says "I spy with my little eye something that is red". Ss tocuh something with this color in
the class and stay there.

6. WEATHER GAMES
1. Today's Weather Board
Ss draw or color one set of weather picture cards for the classroom (rainy, windy, snowy,
sunny, hot, warm, cold, etc.) with the written word on the cards. Before the next class
laminate the cards as you will need to use them every week. Each lesson, Ss have to take out
the cards which best describe the weather and pin them to the board. The board could also
have days of the week cards, months of the year cards, date cards, etc. which the Ss pin to the
board each class.
2. Weather Memory Game
Print out two sets of weather flashcards per group. Mix them up and lay face-down on the
table. Each S can turn over two cards to try and find the same two weather pictures. If the two
pictures are different the S turns them back over again. However, if the pictures are the same
he/she keeps the cards. The player with the most cards at the end is the winner.