Traditional games

Some games that passed from generation to generation can be used in English class. Personally, I use in class especially three games which are very popular and appreciated for it's funny. Here we have some examples of games that children really enjoy:

One, two, three, carabin caraban:

The rules are similar as the traditional game, but we change the statement. It's easy to teach because many children know the game. One child will count "one, two, three, carabin caraban" with the back turned to students. When he or she finishes, turns. And he/she discovers who child is moving. That child must come back to the start line. The rest will continue moving forward only when the child who's counting don't look at them.

Grandma, grandma:

One child will be the "grandma" or the "grandpa". He or she will be on one side of the classroom, waiting for the question. If you want, you can dress him or her with a wig, or a scarf, or a blanket...
The rest of the children will be on the other side of the classroom, and they will be the grand-kids. One by one, they'll ask the question, and if the grandma likes that thing, he or she will go ahead as many steps as the grandma wants. And that steps could be "big" or "little". On the contrary, if grandma doesn't like that thing, the grandchild will move back as many steps as the grandma wants. Finally, the grandchild who arrive the first at the grandma's side, will win the game.

We can play with many topics: food, animals, sports, hobbies, colours... And the statement will be:
Grandma, grandma, do you like...(pizza)? - Yes, I like. Go ahead three big steps.

Here we have an example:
- (Grand-kid): "Grandma, grandma, do you like rainy days?"
- (Grandma): "No, I don't like. Move back four little steps."

Who took the cookie from the cookie jar?

All children will sit on the floor making a circle. All children except one, who will hide the cookie at the back of one child, when they have closed their eyes. When he/she finishes, everyone open their eyes and start singing the song:

- (All) Who took the cookie from the cookie jar? Clara took the cookie from the cookie jar?
- (Clara) Who, me?
- (All) Yes, you!
- (Clara) Not me.
- (All) Then, who?
- (Clara) Sara!
- (All) Who took the cookie from the cookie jar? Sara took the cookie from the cookie jar?
- (Sara) Who, me?
- (All) Yes, you!
- (Sara) Yes, me!

Here you have a video with the song:

For me it's important to use the clapping. That will help us to set the beat and also, for sing at the same rhythm.

Washday!

Today is the turn of washing! Do you have some dirty clothes? Ok, let's go to the laundry!

There are some activities for kids to learn the vocabulary about clothes:

The laundry:

Make a false washing machine with a carton box, or with a bascket and a cartel. Then, you can introduce it to the students, who have to put the clothes that you order them into the box or bascket. After that, you shake the box as it is working and later, you open the box and take out the clothes one by one and giving them to the kids. You can ask them: It's your T-shirt? It's your sweater?...
For this activity you can use real clothes or flashcards.

The clothes dryer:

What do you do when you take out the wet through clothes from the washing machine? Probably if you don't have a dryer machine you use a clothes dryer. That is what we'll use with the students: you can use cords and clothespins to simulate a real clothes dryer. Tell the students that they have to take a piece of clothing (for example, the dress), and they have to hang up it. Otherwise, you can have the clothes in the clothes dryer and ask the students for a piece of clothing. For this activity you can use real clothes or flashcards.

What are you wearing today?

For this activity you'll ask the students the next question: What are you wearing today? And they have to answer telling you the clothes that they wear. You can use a poster to help them.

The puppet:

This consist of a piece of paper named "Max". You and the students can change the Max's clothes opening and closing the tabs of the paper, and dress the drawing as you want.

Welcome spring!

Today is the firsth day of spring, so let's go to enjoy it!

I planned a game for young kids named the gardener, which consist of one person will be the gardener, and he or she must "plant a flower" in the class. The gardener will "plant" hiding the flower. The rest of the children have to find the flower.

Instructions:

We'll imaging that we have a garden in the centre of the classroom. There, we can place some flowers. And the children will sit arround the garden, making a circle. They will be the wather, the Sun, the soil, the watering can, the shovel, the rain, the bee... And they will be the guardians and protectors of the flower, because they have all the things that the flower needs to survive.

The game starts "at night", when all the guardians are sleeping. The teacher can turn off the lights and the guardians have to close their eyes. Then, the gardener go into the garden and take a flower. He or she has to hide it somewhere in the classroom. After that, the teacher turn on the lights and the guardians start to look for the flower. To help them, the gardener can show 2 posters: "hot" and "cold". Hot: when the guardians are near the flower. Cold: when they are far away.

Materials:

- Flower: we can use a drawing made for the children, or a picture, or a plastic flower.

- Garden: we can use a drawing, or many flowers made for the children...

Extra:

- For the gardener: he or she can wear a hat or a scarf, or a watering can, or gloves, to pretend a real gardener.

- For the guardians: they can wear a pendant with the image of a Sun, or a bee, or a wathering can... to pretend a charm.

¡En marcha!

¿Qué es "el recreo creativo"?

El recreo creativo es una recopilación de algunas de las actividades que realizo en el aula para alumnos de Infantil y Primaria, así como juegos y sesiones que tanto padres como profesores pueden realizar con los niños, todo ello con un fin didáctico. De esta forma, pretendo poner mi granito de arena para crear un amplio banco de recursos libres que podamos compartir, mejorar, y tomar como inspiración.

¿Por qué es un blog bilingüe?

El plurilingüismo es una necesidad real que tiene la educación actual de formar a ciudadanos libres y competentes, lo que conlleva a establecer una base cultural y lingüística que incluya el aprendizaje de varios idiomas. Actualmente es el inglés el idioma internacional en mayor uso, y el que nos abre las puertas a otros conocimientos. Por ello no debe faltar en la enseñanza. De ahí que algunas de las publicaciones del blog sean en inglés, pues atienden al tipo de actividad y de destrezas que desarrollan.