Jazz Up Your Lesson

1. Warm Wind (ice-breaker)

You may prefer to play this ice-breaking game at your first lesson with a new group/if you have some new students in class/if you replace another teacher or just for fun!

Students stand in a circle. The leader says: “Warm wind blows at somebody who…” If it is true about someone from the group, he or she should stand up and change places with the leader.

Ideas for the leader:

“Warm wind blows at somebody who…

• can say that he/she likes the color blue.

• has a collection of something at home.

• has siblings (brothers or sisters).

• speaks a foreign language other than English.

• plays any musical instrument.

• has ever done any team-sport.

• likes sweets.

• has been to England.

• plays table-tennis well.

• likes big parties.

• has his/her birthday in summer.

• likes to watch sport competitions on TV.

2. True or False?

It is another ice-breaking game. Students stand in a circle.

Every person should say one fact about him/herself.

His/her neighbour to the left should guess if the statement is true or false.

If the neighbour guesses correctly – the person who told him the fact about him/herself should take a forfeit. If the neighbour is wrong in his/her guess he or she takes the forfeit him/herself.

Linguistic forfeits can be written on sheets of papers that the players can pick.

Forfeit variants:

What makes you happy?

What is your favourite place on Earth?

What is your favourite book?

What is your hobby?

What do you like doing at weekends?

Tell everyone what you would do if you had $1 million.

Tell everybody what you would like to change in your life.

Tell everybody 3 things about your family.

Tell us what sport you would like to try at least once in your life.

Tell us 3 things that you like.

Tell everyone about your dream.

Tell us where you would like to live.

Tell everybody what your favourite food is.

Tell everybody about your favourite holiday.

Tell us what skill you do well.

Tell everyone what bores you.

Tell us 3 things you dislike.

Name 2 things you are afraid of.

Name 2 good and 2 bad traits of your character.

3. Camomile Waltz

The aim of the game is to get to know each other better. The teacher has to prepare the paper-made flowers with 5 petals each according to the number of students that are going to play. The flowers are placed everywhere in the room where the game is going to take place. (You may also prefer to put one flower on the whiteboard as an example. The topics may be Tennis, Dancing, Rock Music, Traveling, Cooking.)

Firstly, the participants gather the flowers and write down the topics they wish to talk about on every petal.

Secondly, the participants get together in pairs, look at each others’ camomiles and talk about the topics mentioned. When the teacher claps his/her hands, the players should change partners.

Thirdly, all the players sit down in a circle and one by one tell one interesting or surprising thing about somebody they have just got acquainted with.

4. Guess my profession!

This is a group guessing game. One player picks up a card with a profession on it. The others should not know what is on his/her card. Then all the participants should ask questions trying to guess what his/her profession is. The one who guessed it right picks up the next card.

Here are the variants of professions:

football player; scientist; pediatrician; babysitter; reporter; gardener; secretary; lion tamer; bodyguard; dentist; street cleaner; fashion designer; teacher; librarian; cook; sailor; zoo keeper; actor; top manager