Introduction

This game is perfect for a group made of six to ten people. It lasts from ten to 15 minutes. It makes the pupils interact with each other, makes them learn and memorize vocabulary and  lastly it makes them move a little bit in class.

Target group and Time

fifth to seventh grade and it can be played for 15 minutes, but also for a longer time

Learning objectives

-practice new vocabulary, concentrated on one special topic

-learn to be creative without using language

-understanding gestures/ the pantomime

Instructions to set up the activity

In order to prepare for the actual game, the teacher is firstly building a circle with the students by letting them all sit down. The teacher is going to ask questions about the pupil's plans for the summer holidays, therefore they already collect common vocabulary for the topic, the teacher chose for the game: in this case it is "Summer Holidays". Naturally, it is possible to focus the game on a different topic.

However, the discussion in the circle helps the students to already get out of their comfort zone, as the game will require afterwards. It is important that everyone in the group says something.

After having shared the plans for the summer with the group, they get divided into pairs of two and a pantomime game will be played. For the different pantomime-gestures the teacher has prepared about 20 terms concerning the “summer-holidays” (or whatever topic the teacher chose). The terms are written on a piece of paper.

One pair will start and pick a piece of paper and will secretly read what is written on it. The pair will act out the gesture/ term without making any noise. The pair that will guess the gesture first, is going to pick the next paper with the gesture and act that one out. This way the game continues, so that every pair can act out more terms until the terms are finished.

Letting it run

If there is more time left and the children have already acted out all the pantomime terms, the pupils themselves can propose terms that they than have to act out. The teacher would have to write the words on a black board. Afterwords a pair will secretly choose one of the terms to act out and the rest of the group needs guess which one of the words on the blackboard is being presented. The first pair with the right guess will continue with acting out and so on.