Welcome to our latest post, where we’ll explore 10 exciting warm-up activities designed specifically for large EFL classes. These activities are not only fun but also easy to implement, making them perfect for engaging your students right from the beginning of your lesson. Whether you’re teaching a class of 30 or more, these warm-ups will help set a positive tone for learning and get everyone involved.
Simon Says
- Start giving commands, prefacing them with “Simon Says,” e.g., “Simon says, touch your nose.”
- Students should only follow commands preceded by “Simon Says.” If you give a command without “Simon Says,” and a student follows it, they are out.
- Continue until only one student remains, or use as a short, engaging warm-up.
The Name Game
- Have students stand in a circle.
- Start by saying your name with an accompanying action (e.g., clapping).
- The next student repeats your name and action and then says their name with a new action.
- Continue around the circle until everyone has had a turn.
Ball Toss
- Have students stand in a circle.
- Start with a soft ball and toss it to a student, saying their name.
- That student tosses the ball to someone else, saying their name.
- Continue until everyone has had a turn or use a timer for a quick warm-up.
Word Chain
- Choose a category (e.g., animals, food, countries).
- Start by saying a word from that category (e.g., “dog”).
- The next student says a word that starts with the last letter of the previous word (e.g., “giraffe”).
- Continue until someone repeats a word, hesitates, or takes too long.
Charades
- Write down various actions, animals, or objects on slips of paper and place them in a hat or bowl.
- Have a student pick a slip and act out what’s written without speaking.
- The other students guess what it is.
Two Truths and a Lie
- Have each student think of two truths and one lie about themselves.
- In turns, each student shares their three statements, and the rest of the class guesses which statement is the lie.
Alphabet Categories
- Choose a category (e.g., fruits, countries, colors).
- Students take turns naming items from that category in alphabetical order (e.g., “apple, banana, cherry”).
20 Questions
- Think of an object, person, or place.
- Students take turns asking yes or no questions to guess what it is (e.g., “Is it a living thing?” “Is it bigger than a car?”).
Countdown
- Start counting down from a high number (e.g., 100).
- Students take turns saying the next number in sequence.
- The goal is to reach zero without two students speaking at the same time.
Story Starters
- Provide the beginning of a story (e.g., “Once upon a time, there was a lonely dragon…”).
- Each student adds a sentence to continue the story, building on what the previous student said.
These 10 warm-up activities are not only great for engaging large EFL classes but also for promoting teamwork, creativity, and communication skills. Whether you’re looking for a quick icebreaker or a longer activity to kick off your lesson, these warm-ups are sure to get your students excited about learning English. Try them out and see the positive impact they can have on your classroom dynamics!