ALT Games/Activities

Please send your games/activities to altgame8 [at] gmail [dot com].

Ball Pass Game #1
Students make a circle.
Decide who goes first.
Student says "My name is..." and passes a ball.
The next student says "His/her name is...", "My name is...", and passes the ball.
If a student drops the ball, they're out.
The last student is the champion.

Ball Pass Game #2
Make a circle.
The first student says "I am going to the park." and passes the ball.
The next student says "I am going to the park and the library." and passes the ball.
Each student must add what the previous student said to their sentence.
If a student makes a mistake, they're out.
The last student left is the champion.

Belonging Game
Make teams of 4-5.
Choose a leader for each team.
Teams line up.
The leader asks the first student "Do you have... ?"
If they say "No.", the leader keeps asking them if the have different things until they say "Yes.".
If they say "Yes", the leader moves on to the next student.
The leader can't ask two different students the same question.
The first team to get a "Yes" reply from every member wins.

Bingo
Students make a grid and put random different words in each cell.
Call out random words.
Students circle the word if they have it.
When a student has circled all words in a line, either diagonal, horizontal, or vertical, they win and call out "Bingo!"

Bomb Game
Students make a circle.
Decide who is first, and give them a ball.
The student with the ball says "I am happy/scared/surprised/etc." and tosses the ball to someone else.
At the same time, start a timer for about 2 minutes.
The next student must say something different.
The student holding the ball when the timer goes off is out.

Body Change Game (Kimi no Na wa)
Students walk around the classroom and meet partners.
Students say "Hello, my name is..." and shake hands.
Students pretend to get an electrical shock and change bodies.
When students greet their next partner, they introduce themselves using their previous partner's name.

Color By Numbers
Call out numbers and colors such as "5 is blue".
Students color in areas labeled "5" with blue.
A hidden picture is revealed when the areas are colored in correctly.

Color Touch Game
Make pairs.
Each pair uses one set of colored pencils.
The first student chooses a pencil and says "What color is this?"
The second student touches an object of that color and gets a point.
If the student says the wrong word or can't find something within 10 seconds, they dont get a point.
Change roles.
Repeat 5 times.
The student with the most points wins.

Concentration #1 (Shinkei Suijaku)
Make pairs.
Pairs place cards face down between them.
Take turn turning two cards over and saying the object on the cards.
If the cards match, the student takes them.
The student with the most matches wins.

Concentration #2 (Blackboard Concentration)
Make two teams.
Put cards face down on the blackboard.
Label each row and column with letters of the alphabet.
Students say a row and column (e.g. QG) to "turn over" the card.
Members of each team take turns turning over cards.
When a match is found, that team gets a point.
The team with the most matches wins.

Directions Map Game
Students make pairs.
One student has a blank map and the other has a complete map.
The student with the blank map asks "Where is the... ?"
The other student gives directions (e.g. "Turn left/right", "Go straight", etc.).
The student with the blank map fills it in.

Do You Like Me?
Choose 2 challengers.
Give everyone else a card.
2 cards have a heart on them, and the others are blank.
Challengers go around and ask "Do you like me?"
Students with a blank card answer "No."
Students with a heart card answer "Yes! I like you."
The first challenger to find who likes them wins.

English Card Game
Students make a circle.
Choose a leader.
The leader gets a stack of word cards.
Spread matching picture cards on the floor.
The leader says "That is a pen/book/etc." while reading the word card.
The other students try to pick up the matching picture card while saying "This is the pen/book/etc."
The student with the most picture cards at the end is the champion.

Evolution Janken
Students start out as the same thing.
Walk around and meet partners.
Students introduce themselves as whatever they are (e.g. "I'm five years-old.")
Play Rock, Paper, Scissors.
The winner "evolves" and becomes something else (e.g. "ten years-old").
Students who reach the last stage win and sit down.

Evolution Janken #2 (Zombie)
The loser of Rock, Paper, Scissors evolves.
A fully-evolved player loses and becomes a ghost, zombie, etc.
Zombies keep playing.
When a zombie wins Rock, Paper, Scissors, their opponent instantly becomes a zombie.
The last person "alive" wins.

Fly Swatter Game
Make teams and decide an order for each team.
Put flashcards on the board.
Call out a flashcard.
One student from each team races to touch the card first with their fly swatter.
The fastest team gets one point.
Repeat.

Fruits Basket
Set out chairs for all but one person.
Decide who is Oni.
Everyone else sits.
Oni asks someone sitting, "Do you like this seat?"
If they answer "Yes", the Oni asks someone else.
If they answer "I like Kanako and Hiroshi's seat.", everyone but Kanako and Hiroshi must change seats.
Students can't sit in a seat they were sitting in or a nearby seat.
If they answer "No", everyone changes seats.
The last person standing is the new Oni.
The Oni can also ask "Do you like Kenta's seat" and if the student answers "Yes.", everyone but Kenta must change seats.

Guess Who?
Give half the students a card with a random person on it.
Spread matching cards on the floor.
Students make pairs.
One students is the hint-giver and the other is the guesser.
Set a timer for about 1 minute.
Hint-givers say things like "I am not a woman."
Guessers pick cards on the floor.
If students guess correctly, the pair gets a point.
Pairs who don't a point are out.
Students change roles.
The pair with the most points at  the end wins.

Gesture Game
Guesture a word.
Students guess what it is.
Call on students to guesture words too.

Guess the Number
Choose a secret number.
Students guess the number.
Say "higher" or "lower" if they guess wrong.
Use number flashcards and arrow flashcards (for "higher" and "lower") to make the game easier.

Hide the Object
Put flashcards on the board.
Students close their eyes.
Hide an object behind one of the flashcards.
Students open their eyes.
Students guess where the object is hidden by calling out each flashcard.

Hot-Cold
Choose a volunteer (teacher or teacher).
Hide an object/flashcard in the room.
Students say the name of the object loudly or quietly depending on how far away the volunteer is.
The volunteer tries to find the object/flashcard.

Hunt the Ring
Make two teams.
Decide team leaders.
Teams make lines facing each other.
The first team passes a ring around behind their backs.
The second team decide who to ask, and the team leader asks "Do you have the ring?"
If they're correct, they get a point.
Teams change roles.
Repeat 5 times.
The team with the most points wins.

Interview Game
Students walk around and meet partners.
Students their partner questions and record the answers on a worksheet.
The student who talked to the most people is the champion.
Consider playing "Who am I?" afterward with the worksheets.

Introduce Card Game
Give each student 6-10 cards.
Set timer for about 3 minutes.
Studens find partners.
Students say "Hello. My name is..."
Students play Rock, Paper, Scissors.
Winner receives a card.
Students who run out of cards lose.
The student with the most cards at the end is the champion.

Is This A Nose?
Students  make groups of 4-5.
Draw a head for each group on the blackboard.
Decide a leader for each group.
Blindfold the leader.
The leader takes out one face part (e.g. nose, eye, etc.) from a box.
The leader asks "Is this a nose/eye/etc.?"
Teammates answer "Yes, it is." or "No, it is not."
The leader keeps asking until they know what the part is.
The leader puts the part on the face.
The leader can only place the part once.
The team with the best face at the end wins.

Is This Yours?
Collect 3 items from each student and put them in a box.
Mix the items.
Give each student a paper and 3 random items.
Students search for the owner of each item.
Students ask "Is this yours?" and answer "Yes." or "No."
When students find an owner, they write the name of the item in English and the owner on their paper.
Students who find all 3 owners return to their seat.
The fastest student to return to their seat is the champion.

Karuta
Make pairs.
Pairs spread cards out between them.
Optionally, students put their hands on their heads.
Call out cards.
The first student to grab the card when it is called keeps the card.
Continue until all cards have been called.
The student with the most cards wins.
Variation: If a student grabs the wrong card, they lose a point.
Variation: If a student grabs the wrong card, they can't move when the next card is called.

Keyword Game
Make pairs.
Pairs put an eraser between them.
Choose a keyword.
Call out random words and have students repeat them.
When the keyword is called, the first student to grab the eraser gets a point.
Repeat.

Keyword Game #2 (Don't Say the Keyword)
Make pairs.
Choose a keyword.
Call out random words and have students repeat them.
If a student says the keyword, their opponent gets a point.
Repeat.

Mannequin Challenge
Say "Play baseball/soccer/etc."
Students gesture playing baseball/soccer/etc.
Say "Freeze!"
Students must hold their pose.
Students who move are out and join the teacher.

Matching Game
Hand out cards with random occupations on them.
Students say "Hello. I am a pilot/singer/etc."
If their partner has a different card, they continue searching.
Students who find someone with the same card win.

Meet Friends Game
Students make an inside and outside group.
Play music.
The students in the outside group spin clockwise.
The students in the inside group spin counter-clockwise.
Stop the music.
Students greet, using "Hello. My name is...", the person in front of them.
Repeat 5-6 times.
Say "Meet your second/third friend!"
If students find them, they say "Long time no see!" and sit down.
Wait 10 seconds.
Students who met their second friend win.

Memory Game
Make two teams.
The students on the first team each take a card.
Each students says "I can play... " followed by thet sport on the card.
Repeat 3 times.
The second team chooses one person on the first team and asks "Can you play... ?"
The person responds "Yes" or "No".
If the second team gets all three sports the person said correct, the get a point.
Teams change roles.
Repeat 5 times.
The team with the most points wins.

Missing Game
Put flashcards on the board.
Students close their eyes.
Remove 1-3 flashcards.
Students open their eyes.
Ask "What's missing?"

Pictionary
Make teams of 4-5.
Decide an order for each team.
Start a timer for about 5 minutes.
Show the first student in each team a word card.
Students draw a picture of the word on the blackboard and ask "What is this?"
Teammates respond "It is a cap."
When a teammate guesses correctly, the team gets a point, and the next student draws.
The team with the most points when the timer goes off wins.

Pointing Game
Make pairs.
Pairs place a picture between them.
Call out objects in the picture.
The first student to point to the object gets a point.
Repeat.

Shadow Picture Game
Make two teams.
The first team holds up a sheet and shines a light behind an object to make a shadow on the sheet.
The second team decides what it is, and everyone says "It is a ball." at the same time.
Correct answers get one point.
Teams change roles 5 times.
The team with the most points wins.

Simon Says
Give commands to students.
Students gesture.
Students who gesture when you don't say "Simon says..." are out.
The remaining students win.

Telephone (Dengon Game)
Students make teams and form lines.
Whisper a word/phrase to the last student on each team.
They whisper it to the next person on their team.
Confirm the answer with the first student on each team.

Who am I?
Give about three hints describing someone in the room.
Ask "Who am I?"
Call on students.
The student who answers correctly wins.