10 quick & easy games to play while teaching English to kids!

1. Name games

Name games are a really good way to start a lesson, they are especially helpful at the start of the year to help you remember the names of all your new students! Go round the circle and have the children say their name and one of their favourite things. When the next child introduces themselves, they must first introduce the child that went before them and so on until the last child remembers the names and favourite things of everyone in the group! This can be made harder for older students by having a rule that their favourite thing must begin with the same letter as their first name.

2. Charades

This is a game that I’ve found to be popular with children of all ages! I’ve used an envelope full of cut out words or a set of picture flashcards for younger students to play this. Secretly show a student a word or flashcard and then have them silently act it out while the other children call out – in English – what they think the secret word is. The children get super competitive over this and the mimes can be hilarious! Charades can also be adapted to learn almost any vocabulary – animals, sports, hobbies, emotions – so it is endlessly useful!

3. Pictionary

Similar to charades, but you draw the secret word instead of acting it out. I’ve found that children love being given to chance to use a marker and whiteboard – and to show off their artistic skills.

4. Stand up if you…

This game works best with a larger group and you need to have an open space to play in. Get all the children to form a large circle with you standing in the middle. You should then call out a sentence such as ‘stand up if you’re wearing shorts’ and everyone wearing shorts must switch places with each other in the circle while you try and steal one of their spots. The child left in the middle then gets to call out the next question. This game can be easily adapted to suit the vocabulary the class is learning such as appearance, clothing, likes/dislikes, family members, holidays – it’s amazing!

5. Guess the flashcard

This game is very simple but very effective. While holding a hidden set of flashcards in your hands, slowly reveal them one at a time while the students guess what it is. The child who guesses correctly gets to keep the flashcards – something they absolutely love – and the child with the most flashcards at the end is the winner!

6. Slam

This is another flashcard game which works best with small groups. Place all the flashcards on the floor and have the children gather around them. Then call out the name of the flashcard and have the children ‘slam’ their hands onto the correct card. The child whose hand is at the bottom of the pile – and is, therefore, the fastest – wins! Get them to keep their hands on their heads until you call out a word so they don’t hover over the pictures!

7. Memory

For this game, you need to have two sets of matching flashcards or a set of pictures and corresponding words. Simply place all the cards face down on the floor and have the children take turns picking two cards until they match a pair. Children love this game and I’ve found it engages even the most easily distracted students. Again, it can be adapted to teach lots of different vocabulary – this week I used this game to teach Halloween words and it worked really well!

8. Bingo

To play this you need a Bingo grid with pictures, words, or desired vocabulary (there are lots you can print for free on the internet) or you can make your own! Give each child a grid to mark off as you call out words – the first to get a row or to complete their grid is the winner. Make sure you check the winner’s grid to ensure they have matched the words correctly! This can be made harder by giving the children clues to the correct picture rather than the word itself.

9. Questions

This game is great as it allows students to practice forming questions in English as well as revising their target vocabulary. Have a student think of a secret word while the other students take it in turns to ask questions and guess what they’re thinking. You can give them subject-specific vocabulary or you can let them use their imaginations!

10. Find the color

This game is a fantastic way to teach colors and is extremely popular with younger students. The rules are pretty simple, gather all the students together and call out ‘find something….’ The children then have to run around the classroom and touch something that’s the same color. This is a great way to get the children moving, active and engaged. Plus, it can be pretty funny when they find the color on you!

Negative nucleic acid report required when returning home

Confirmed! Nucleic acid negative certificate need to be provided when returning home during the Spring Festival

“Returning people must provide a negative certificate of coronavirus within 7 days, and implement home health monitoring for 14 days after the returning. During this period, they can not gather or move, and must take a nucleic acid test every 07 days. The Regional coronavirus Pneumonia Epidemic Prevention and Control Work Plan will deploy related epidemic prevention work in rural areas and returnees. The National Health Commission answered questions on key questions on the evening of the 20th:

Why should we strengthen the management of epidemic prevention and control for returnees?

Since the beginning of winter, sporadic cases and local clusters of epidemics have increased significantly in rural areas, seriously affecting the normal order of local life. The prevention and control capacity in rural areas is weak, and the prevention and control of the epidemic is difficult. Especially during the Spring Festival period, the number of returnees and the increase in personnel flow will increase the risk of epidemic transmission. In order to strictly implement the prevention and control strategy of internal rebound prevention, it is necessary to strengthen the management of epidemic prevention and control for returnees. Nucleic acid testing is currently an effective means to detect people infected with the coronavirus as early as possible. Returning people with negative nucleic acid test can effectively reduce the risk of the epidemic entering the countryside and ensure that everyone has a healthy and safe Spring Festival.

Who are the returnees mentioned in the work plan?

The returnees referred to in the work plan are those returning to rural areas from other places, mainly including:

1. Returning people across provinces;

2. Returning personnel from the medium-high-risk areas in the city (in principle, the personnel in the medium-high-risk areas will not flow);

3. Imported cold chain food workers in the province, port direct contact with imported goods workers, workers in isolation places, workers transportation vehicles and other key groups.

How to obtain a negative nucleic acid test certificate before returning home?

Returnees can be tested at any medical institution, disease control institution or third-party testing institution that is qualified for nucleic acid testing at the place of departure or destination, with a certificate of negative nucleic acid test within 7 days or a health pass that contains negative information on nucleic acid testing within 7 days Code “Green Code” returns to rural areas.

Who is responsible for checking the negative certificate of nucleic acid test?

Returnees should inform the local village committee before returning to their hometown. After returning to their hometown, the village committee will check the negative certificate of nucleic acid test within 7 days or the health pass code “green code” that contains negative information of nucleic acid test within 7 days.

When will the policy start?

Returning home with a negative nucleic acid test will be implemented from the beginning of the Spring Festival ( January 28 to the end of the Spring Festival travel on March 8) .

Do I need to be isolated after returning home with a negative nucleic acid test?

Those who have a negative nucleic acid test certificate do not need to be quarantined after returning to their hometown, but they need to be monitored for home health for 14 days, monitor their body temperature and symptoms, and do not go out or gather unless necessary. Personal protection must be done when going out, and after returning home A nucleic acid test was done on the 7th day and the 14th day. Those who return to their hometown within 14 days shall implement the home health monitoring and nucleic acid testing requirements based on the actual return time.

How do localities implement this policy?

All localities should determine the scope of rural areas in accordance with local actual conditions and combined with national policies, formulate the implementation rules of the province, and provide relevant supporting services.