Learning English can sometimes seem difficult at any level. Teachers understand this, so they try to diversify the standard lessons with something new and exciting. A large selection of options appears when teaching children. For teachers, games in the classroom are a way to captivate even the most modest and taciturn child. Learning animals in English is a great topic for the youngest students. It fuels sympathy and curiosity. Because everyone loves fluffy cats and fears toothy sharks.
For teachers, this is a chance to present the material in different ways. Animal names are convenient to use in any topic, whether it's grammar, vocabulary or listening comprehension. In this article, we will introduce you to ready-made games about animals and consider the schemes for their implementation in online and offline lessons.
Get your TEFL TESOL certification
Travel, work online, get a job abroad, or be
an EFL and ESL teacher in your country.
"Show me"
An analogue of the game "crocodile". Suitable for the youngest students to remember the names of animals. The teacher thinks of a word and says it in the child's ear. He must depict the hidden gestures, and the other participants name their options in English. The game continues until someone guesses correctly. Next, the participant who just showed the word comes up with the word. And on the impromptu stage, now he guessed it.
Matching
The most popular animal memorization task is matching. There are many variations depending on the purpose of the lesson. You can prepare cards in which you need to match animals:
- with their habitat;
- with actions;
- with sounds;
- with flowers;
- with the food they eat.
You can adapt this exercise for face-to-face and online classes.
"Color me"
If you feel that the children are sitting too long, it's time to get creative, and at the same time remember the colors in English. You can find coloring pages online or print them out. Say what color you want to paint over the animal. Keep track of time. Then ask the children to show their work. They will look at each other's pictures with curiosity.
YouTube
At the first acquaintance of children with the names of animals, you can check which ones they already know. For this, videos from children's channels are perfect. This is a small cartoon, where the main animals are described in short and understandable phrases. There are pauses in it that you should use to ask a leading question: " What animal is it?" ".
The following fragment will fit perfectly into the lesson with listening. Children will have to memorize and repeat the sounds of animals. The lesson will be fun and energetic.
Grammar will be easier if children have visual confirmation of what they are saying. And the modal verb can fits in well with this video.
The convenience of working with videos is that you can come up with your own exercises. For example, turn it on again without sound and ask the children to voice the characters.
"Fast freaky animals"
Another fun way to repeat the verb to be. You need to distribute cards with pets to the children and ask them not to show each other. On the command " Go ", the students begin to draw an animal from the picture, they have 30 seconds for this. Afterwards, ask them to put their pencils on the desk as a sign that they are done. Now they have to understand what everyone has drawn by asking questions.
For example, one asks another: " Is it a snake?" »
If the child guessed correctly, then both get 2 points. If not, the one who asked the question gets 1 point, and the one who drew 0. If the children know adjectives, remind them of this so that they use them in questions: “ Is your animal strong?” »
"Describe Animals"
When children have the necessary vocabulary, practice speaking. The student gets a card with an animal, which he will verbally describe to his classmates without naming it. The first one to guess takes over and describes the next creature in the picture. In the course is all the passed vocabulary and grammar.
"Scrabble"
A popular educational game that is designed to practice spelling. When children know how animals sound in English, they have to learn how to write it. This game can be found on the Internet or created independently, using the passed words on the topic " animals ". The task is to mix the letters in the words so that you have to think which word is encrypted here.
"Who am I?"
Online service where children need to remember the name of the animal from pictures and voice acting. A small interactive that can dilute a standard lesson and make a fun break for a few minutes. You can start the lesson with it as a review to make sure the children remember the new words.
Board game
Many adults love board games because of the excitement. Children know this feeling too. You will have the opportunity to organize speaking, and the child will be motivated to answer questions. In this online game you need to roll a virtual die. To reach the finish line, you have to correctly answer the questions of the game about animals.
"quiz show"
A game for children with a level above the initial. You have to work with the word order in the sentence. The quiz offers question words to put together a leading question that will help you figure out which animal you are talking about. There are also different grammatical structures.
You can practice speaking on the following topics:
- modal verbs;
- present simple;
- special questions.
Comparative and superlative adjectives
If you have gone through the topic of degrees of comparison of adjectives, then the easiest way to consolidate the result is to compare animals. It will be easier for children to perceive new grammar in combination with vocabulary that they already know. You can make multiple slides. Write adjectives and draw animals. For example, on a slide, draw 4 animals and the word big. Ask students to compare who is bigger, a whale or a rhinoceros. Thus, they will not only visually work out the grammar, but also understand the meaning of its use.
Poems
Poems help develop memory and rhyme. This is an easy and simple exercise to learn animal names. Suitable for children aged 3-6 years.
Verse 1
Two little birds
Sitting on a wall,
One called Peter,
One called Paul.
Fly away Peter,
Fly away Paul,
Come back Peter,
Come back Paul.
Verse 2
I love my cat.
It is warm and fat.
My cat is grey.
It likes to play.
Verse 3
Cock is happy,
Fox is sad.
Cat is pretty,
Wolf is bad.
Conclusion
Get your TEFL TESOL certification
Travel, work online, get a job abroad, or be
an EFL and ESL teacher in your country.
Games for kids in English are a fun way to show that language is important in real life. Communication is a major factor in language learning and each exercise should reflect the purpose of the current lesson. What will the children be able to say after they leave the classroom? Every English teacher asks himself this question. If you are looking for professional development to make your lessons more effective, we recommend that you take the TEFL/TESOL course. In it you will find answers to questions about teaching methods and the possibility of practice. Click here to get an international qualification and purchase a course with a 50% discount. Feel free to leave your opinion in the comments below, we'd love to hear.