Hello Game I use Hello Game as an icebreaker to encourage 7-year-old children, i.e.

first graders, to say their names and greet the other classmates. I chose it because children enjoy TPR activities and this is one of them. I got the idea while searching for new teaching activities on the Internet. The original game is called The Magic Word but I adapted it to help children introduce themselves. It is suitable not only for preschoolers (3-5 years) but also for primary levels. Once you got a ball and you are ready to have fun, you can start the game. The aim of this activity is to practise functional language: Hello, whats your name? My name is Being an icebreaker, the only things that you can do before are to create a friendly environment and help children feel at ease. Also, be ready to prompt as some children, with no previous knowledge in English, may have difficulties is saying Whats your name? My name is. The second problem that you might encounter is connected to the fact that some children may be reluctant to participate, especially if they are newcomers. In this case, encourage them to get involved and give praise whenever they make correct utterances. After this stage, you can start the activity by showing the children a ball and asking them to name the object. Prepare the children for the activity by setting a routine that you want them to get used to: Lets play! Stand up and push in your chairs! Description 1. The children make a circle. 2. The teacher throws the ball to one child; the whole class asks him: Whats your name? When catching the ball, he answers: My name is Andrew. 3. The class greets him, Hello, Andrew, and jump twice. Repeat the procedure with the other children. You can add variations to each name: make funny noises and then suddenly bend down, spin around, run to, clap, jump, etc. Give clear, short instructions and use body language when necessary; the teacher can demonstrate the activity with one of the children. After this icebreaker, the teacher can set-up an activity aimed to introduce and help children get familiar with the new course book and the characters, if the case may be. Pupils enjoyed this game because it was fun and interactive. It was a form of socializing as they learned to cooperate and work in team. When they asked for this game again, I adapted it to practise have got can you? there is/are. I used the activity again for preschoolers, 5 year olds, but I set it up in a different way. Instead of asking a question (Whats your name) I started by saying a magic word, for example house. Then, I added door, floor, wall, window, house, etc. When they heard the magic word the children repeated it and clapped their hands three times. This game proved to be very good for icebreaking, practicing new vocabulary, revising words and having fun.