Musical chairs is a game that I play that we all really enjoy and that is also productive. I laugh out loud a lot and so do the students. What language games are like that for you and your students? If you are not a teacher, but have been a student at one time, what did your language teacher do that helped you and that was fun? Please post a reply!
Spanish Musical Chairs: increases accuracy, increases fluency, gets kids grooving to a cool salsa beat, gives everyone a break from the normal classroom routine. I usually save this for the mid-point of the year or later. You’ll want to pick out an upbeat salsa song to play in the background. If I have a child with a physical disability, I let them control the music, which is a ton of fun, too.
Sounds complicated when explained verbally, but it isn’t. As you read it try to visualize it and don’t try to explain it too much to the kids. Just guide them through a round and they will get it.
1. Arrange desks or chairs in a circle, front of the desk to the back of the next desk, like a train. Desks should open to the inside of the circle.
2. There should be one less desk than the number of people participating.
3. Play the music and stop when you are ready and students have to walk to open seats.
4. The student that remains standing is in a “high risk situation” because they are in danger of getting out.** They can challenge another student with a question to try to stay in the game.
5. Using an index card with questions that each student prepared earlier,* the student in the center challenges a student of their choice. If the seated student gets the correct answer, they can stay seated and the high risk student is out. If they miss, they then become the “high risk” student in the center.***
6. The game can last up to about 40 minutes if you want it to. It is a great review before a test on the block, or a great Friday activity for shorter periods.
*This game is best for complicated objectives that need lots of practice. I usually do this during Double Object Pronoun season. Students would, for example, write questions in advance on an index card that require an answer with a double object pronoun. For instance, ¿Quién te regaló los zapatos? To stay in the game, the seated student would have to answer something like, “Mi mamá me los regaló.”
**”Out” means that the student has to sit in a desk and write the answers to the questions that are asked during the game. Seated students turn in papers for a participation grade at the end of the activity. Standing students win because they get a perfect participation grade without having to write. Yay!
***Students will usually target other students that they think may not know the answer. To give the students who are struggling a chance to stay in the game longer, I let a losing student challenge another student for a chance to stay in the game. If the seated student loses that time, I let them challenge one more time for a total of three “rounds.” If the standing student loses, they don’t get to challenge another student and are out. That is why their position is “high risk.”
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