Activity

Keyword Game - Social Distancing

This is a variation of the eraser grabbing keyword game commonly played throughout Japanese schools! Its a simple variation with no prep!

Pretty much any ALT thats been to an elementar school has done the traditional keyword game: students pair up with one eraser between them and you run through a list of vocab words. When you say the preselected keyword, the students try to be the first to gab the eraser.

Well, it's 2020 and Corona is still rampaging, so this isn't a social distance friendly game.

However, now it can be!

In this easy, last minute, no prep variation, you can still get your students to practice their vocab, but in a socially distant direction!

In this variation, every student will have an eraser on their desk. You'll put picture cards on the board like usual and decide a keyword. However, decide on an action the students have to do after they grab the eraser. For example, I have them grab their eraser and then stand up. Once you say the keyword, they have to grab their eraser and do that action. Then, choose another keyword. And another action. Tack that action onto the last one. For example, once you say the keyword, they have to grab their eraser, stand up, and turn around twice.

It very simple, and the students absolutely love it (I've done it with 3rd, 4th, and 6th graders at 2 different schools). Just keep tacking actions on for as long as you need this activity to run.

4
Submitted by WrathfulGinger September 18, 2020 Estimated time: 5+ minutes
  1. UonumaRobert September 18, 2020

    Cool, I bet they get a kick out of that. With my ES 3rd graders and 4th graders they compete against the HRT rather then each other. They try to grab and raise their pencil cases faster than her.

Sign in or create an account to leave a comment.