There’s nothing scarier for a new teacher than when you finish a lesson, look at the clock, and realize you still have 15 minutes left and nothing left to do. Here are some time-filler games that require no preparation and are both fun and educational!
1. Yo….¡Yo también!
I learned this as an ice-breaker game during staff development and modified it for my class. All the students sit on their desks and one student makes a true statement about themselves. If another student has that in common with them, they raise their hand and call out ¡Yo también! (Me too!) and say a new statement about themselves. After they participate, they sit in their seat and the goal is to get everyone to say something and show that we are all connected in some way.
2. Circumlocution riddles
Have students create definitions in Spanish for their current vocabulary list and share them with the class as riddles. Increase the complexity of the game by letting them pick any word they can define in Spanish. Whoever solves the riddle can make up the next one!
Ex: Es una fruta roja. (una manzana)
Es para escribir. (un lápiz)
You can use these posters in Spanish or French to help teach them the basics of circumlocution.
3. Quizlet Live
I’ve written an entire series of articles about the amazing features Quizlet offers, and why I think it’s the coolest thing since sliced bread, but this is the ultimate no planning required time filler!
4. Duolingo
I love this app too because you can use it for full class practice or let kids go off and do their own thing. It’s an awesome time filler! Check out this blog post all about it!
5. ¡Adiós!
Students form a line shoulder to shoulder. The teacher provides a word and the students have to spell it one letter at a time. (TIP: I type the word on my Smart Board as they say each letter for those visual learners). If we are spelling HOLA, the students go down the line and say (in Spanish) H-O-L-A. The next person says the definition in English, the person after that says ¡Adios! (or any “magic” word you want. My students tell me their 5th grade teacher made them say his name as the magic word) and the following person is out for no reason at all. You are also out if you get your letter or definition wrong.
I have recently modified this so that the first person to get out for no reason as all, goes to the back of the line so they have a chance to play, but only the very first person. Another variation is lighting round, in which you can get back in when the person who got you out gets out, but this kind of makes the game never-ending, so use it sparingly.
Great ideas!! Muchas gracias
I love them I teach first and second, but I totally see myself integrating them into on off my activities.
Just played adios today as a filler activity… the kids loved it and I love that it required no prep!!!