The Act The Time ESL game is a really fun version of Reverse Charades in which students use their arms like clock hands.
4+
5-15 mins
Setup
If you have an Internet connection, the easiest way to play is to use our online Charades game. Just select ‘Times’ from the vocabulary drop-down menu.
Otherwise, you will need a list of times to present on the board one at a time. You could prepare these as a list to write on the board, or as a slideshow to project.
Divide the class into two teams.
Game
- Each team nominates a guesser, who stands at the front of class, facing away from the board.
- Project/write a time on the board. The students have to indicate the time shown on the board by using their arms as clock hands.
- The teams can either take turns playing (Timed version), or play at the same time (Head-to-Head version). In the Timed version, teams gain one point for each time guessed correctly in thirty seconds. In the Head-to-Head version, the team whose guesser guesses correctly first wins a point.
- At the end of each round, change the guessers.
- Repeat as many times as desired. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins.
Target Language
The Act The Time ESL game is designed for beginner students learning the time. It works really well with kids, but can be great fun with the right adult class too.
For a similar game, try Draw The Time.
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