Here are 10 fun and easy EFL warmups/icebreakers that use just a dice:
1. Find Someone Who…
- Level: Beginner-Intermediate
- Instructions:
- Write different questions on a sheet of paper (e.g., Has been to the beach this year, Speaks three languages).
- Students roll the dice and answer the question corresponding to the number rolled.
- They mingle and find classmates who can answer “yes” and write their names next to the question.
- First to complete the sheet wins!
2. Describe Yourself
- Level: Beginner-Advanced
- Instructions:
- Assign numbers to vocabulary categories (e.g., 1- Food, 2- Hobbies, 3- Adjectives).
- Students roll twice: once for the category, again for a number within that category.
- They take turns describing themselves using the rolled category and number (e.g., I love pizza (Food, 1)).
3. Story Time
- Level: Beginner-Advanced
- Instructions:
- Assign verb tenses to numbers (e.g., 1- Past Simple, 2- Present Continuous, 3- Future).
- Students take turns rolling twice: once for the tense, again for a number you provide beforehand (e.g., places, actions).
- Each student contributes a sentence to a story based on the rolled tense and number (e.g., She walked (Past Simple, 1) to the park (number 1)).
4. Would You Rather?
- Level: Intermediate-Advanced
- Instructions:
- Prepare “Would You Rather?” questions beforehand on slips of paper.
- Students roll the dice. If it’s an even number, they pick a question and read it aloud. If odd, they answer the question based on the previous roll.
- Students discuss their choices and reasons.
5. Number Bingo
- Level: Beginner-Intermediate
- Instructions:
- Prepare bingo cards with numbers 1-6 written randomly.
- Students roll the dice. Whoever gets the number on their card first shouts “Bingo!”
- Variation: Use vocabulary words instead of numbers.
6. Guess the Number
- Level: Beginner-Intermediate
- Instructions:
- One student thinks of a number between 1-6. Others take turns rolling the dice and guessing the number.
- After a wrong guess, the student gives a clue related to the number (e.g., higher, lower).
7. Alphabet Chain
- Level: Beginner-Intermediate
- Instructions:
- Students sit in a circle. The first student rolls the dice and says a word that starts with the corresponding letter of the alphabet.
- Others take turns rolling and saying a word that starts with the next letter (following the chain).
- Repeat until someone hesitates or repeats a word.
8. Categories
- Level: Intermediate-Advanced
- Instructions:
- Choose 5-6 categories (e.g., Countries, Food, Colors).
- Students roll the dice to choose a category. Then, they take turns rolling again and saying a word related to the rolled number and chosen category.
9. Verb Conjugation Race
- Level: Intermediate-Advanced
- Instructions:
- Divide students into teams.
- Write different verb tenses on the board (e.g., Present Simple, Past Continuous).
- Teams take turns rolling the dice. Students conjugate a verb (provided by the teacher) according to the rolled tense.
- First team to conjugate correctly wins a point.
10. Storytelling Relay
- Level: Beginner-Advanced
- Instructions:
- Divide students into teams.
- Students take turns rolling the dice. Based on the number rolled, they contribute a sentence to a story (e.g., 1- Character, 2- Setting, 3- Action).
- The next student continues based on the previous sentence. The most creative story wins!
All set to roll into some fun EFL activities? Don’t forget the dice! Get yours from here, and get ready to energize your classroom!
These are just a few ideas to get you started. Remember to adjust the difficulty and instructions based on your students’ level and age. Have fun!