Desert Island
Subject: Spelling
This competitive game is designed specially for helping you and your new students to learn and memorize their names on the first day of class.
Skills: Speaking, Listening
Level: Beginner
Recommended Age: 9-11 y.o.
Number of Participants: 6-12 players
Time: 15-20 minutes
Place: Classroom
Equipment: A black- or whiteboard
Materials: A piece of chalk or a marker
Preliminary Preparation: Not required
Immediate Preparation: (5-7 minutes).
1. If possible, arrange the game participants so that they are sitting or standing in a circle or a semi-circle.
2. Fitst of all, tell the children to imagine that you are the capitain of a ship, recruiting a crew for going to a desert island. Next, ask who wishes to go with you. When you see, that everyone does, explain, that you choose the crew memebers, depending on the thing, which a candidate is going to take with them.
How to Play. Your first 'interview' might look something like this:
You: What's your name?
Player А: Misha.
You: How do you spell that, please?
Player А: M - I - S - H - A.
You write on the board: Misha
You: Well, Misha, what are you going to take with you?
Player А: I'm going to take a tent.
You: Sorry, Misha, you don't match me.
Your second 'interview' migh look something like this:
You: What's your name?
Player В: Masha.
You: How do you spell that, please?
Player В: M - A - S - H - A.
You write on the board: Masha
You: So, Masha, what are you going to take with you?
Player В: I'm going to take a map.
You: Congratulations, Masha! You are in the team.
Why have you accepted Masha, but declined Misha? Because Masha said a word, beginning with the same letter as her name. But you should not say this to the players! They should guess it themselves by sorting out a lot of different words. The second and following rounds go without introduction. The game continues around the circle as long as all the players are 'on the shipboard'!