Collection of games

Level: fairly elementary

Age: young children

Group size: whole class (small)

Use: to practise possessives and to brush up vocabulary

This is an occasional activity for a small class. The children, and also the teacher, put various articles (including models) into a large bag. Later, everybody takes out one without looking to see what it is. Informal conversation: What have you got, Pamela? An aeroplane, miss. Oh, that’s good. What have you got, Jack? What’s it called? It’s a calendar. And so on.

If most of the articles belong to the children, there can now be exchange. Whose is this? Is this yours or his? It’s mine, etc.

A few of the articles, not belonging to the children, can be marked ‘First prize’, ‘Second prize’, etc. Those who have them will keep these.

There may also be a few ‘messages’ inside small envelopes, e. g. Find something behind this cupboard. Look it my left pocket. There is something behind the green books. The articles hidden there should be similar to those in the bag.

Everybody gets his own article back, and may get another one also.

Teach the children to ask one another some of the questions, so that the teacher is not the only one to talk.
Where are you off to…? (or Where are you going?)