One of the best things about kids is that small things can make them so happy! You may know that many of the things that I do regularly is make materials and games/learning opportunities that (after the lesson) I turn over to the kids to play with. They then turn around, play the game/do the activity and teach each other and review the lesson regularly.
For example, I will make vocabulary cards (laminated) and then hole punch them at the top and put a binder hoop through it. Then I just put it on the bookshelf. I've caught my students playing "what's this" so often that most of the cards are ready to be thrown out! Since my students are all EFL students, this is a great example of vocabulary review and using English on their own.
All of the games mentioned are able to be put into regular play boxes or in the outside toys until they are ready to be replaced.
The clip art used can be found at prettygrafik. Samples of the vocabulary cards are in the Halloween Materials section of this site.
BOWLING
What child doesn't like rolling balls and knocking stuff down? I'm <redacted> years old, and I still like knocking things down with a rolling ball! Even bowling can be used for lessons - colors, letters, phonics, numbers, characters/vocabulary, etc.
For colors - measure the circumference of a bottle (for little kids, I use bigger bottles). Add 2 inches (or 5 cm) for the width of the paper and the same height as the bottle as for the height of the paper.
For my example, I'm using numbers. For itty bitties, you can use this as a simple numbers game. "I got 2 and 5" For slightly older (4-6 years old) you can use it as basic adding or even adding and subtracting.
Adding the numbers of the pins knocked down. "I got 2 and 3 and 5. 2+3+5=10!" So 10 points!
Adding the numbers of the pins knocked down and subtracting the remaining ones. "I got 2 and 3 and 5. 2+3+5=10. I didn't get 3. 10-3=7. I didn't get 4. 7-4=3." So 3 points.
I've also made the same game with monster faces of different colors, different vocabulary pictures, letters, and more.
TOSS THE BEANBAG
A chance to throw things is definitely a fun thing - especially if they can't get in trouble for it. By making small plaques for the front of plastic baskets, laminated, with numbers on them can be used for a great time! By adding characters to the points plaques, you can add some easy language practice or vocabulary practice.
"It's in the monster basket! It's in the witch basket!" (vocabulary and "in")
"I got two monsters and one witch!" (single vs. plural nouns)
"One black! One purple!"
PAPER CUP TOWER
One of my favorite games is the paper cup tower. A simple game that technically requires nothing but paper cups and vocabulary cards, you can make it slightly more exciting by making the cups into characters. I can't, sadly, get black cups. I really want to make bat cups. And my school's paint is water soluble which comes off on sweaty hands, so I can't paint them. But I can make ghosts and witches!
Have the kids sit in a circle. Put a cup in the middle. Spread the cards upside down on the floor.
Each child (in turn) picks up a card, either says the vocabulary or grammar point, and puts it on the cup in the middle. Then they put a new cup on top. This repeats until the tower falls down.
MATCHING GAMES
We all know how to play memory. Two sets of cards upside down. Flip two cards. If they match, you get the cards/points.
How can you make it more exciting?
Try separating the cards. One set on the board, one on the floor. Have one child point out or call out a card from the board (asking a question that has a yes/no answer is great here - "Do you like witches?" "yes, I do" or "no, I don't") and the other student tries to pick the correct one on the floor. If they find the right one, yay! If they don't, flip it back over. In this game, I like to have a large set of cards on the board and two sets of small cards on the floor.
Add in some "Uno" type cards. Skip a turn. Reshuffle. Try again.
Separate the piles to opposite sides of the room. Make it a race. Flip one card. Rush to the other area and repeatedly try to find the matching card by flipping one card at a time (and flipping back right away). When you find the pair, rush back. Then the next person on your team can go (for team games) or you can start again if it's one vs one.
I hope you can find something fun to use during your Halloween Lessons! See you tomorrow!
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