English Genie

Players: 2+

Materials: scrabble letters, a table or other flat surface, a pen, a piece of paper

Time: 15+ minutes

Instructions:

Download, print, and cut out the scrabble letters (print and cutout as many as you need to ensure you don’t run out).

Get a piece of paper and a pen.

Shuffle the letters and give each player 7 letters.

Put the remaining letters face down in a pile.

Choose one player to go first.

Player 1 must make a word on the table with his or her letters.

Total the numbers from each letter of the word and write the player’s score on a piece of paper.

Player 2 must make a word using at least one of her letters plus one of the letters from a word on the table.

If no words can be formed, Player 2 must give up her turn. She has the option of exchanging some or all of her letters with letters in the pile.

The game is over when the time is up, the table is full, the letters are exhausted, or no words can be made.

The most points wins the game.

Players: 15+

Materials: objects that can easily be held and hidden

Time: 10+ minutes

Instructions:

3-5 thieves are chosen to “steal” something from other students.

The thieves stand at the front of the room, side by side.

All other students choose something to hold (a pen, notebook, eraser, etc.).

When the teacher says, “Lights out!” students must close their eyes and bury their heads in their arms on their desks.

One arm should be across the desk gently holding the object.

The thieves will then go around the class and choose one object each before returning to the front of the class hiding the objects behind their backs.

When the teacher says, “Time to get up!” students raise their heads and try to guess who stole their items. Two things must happen here:

First, victims must describe their items to everyone so the class can help guess who stole each item.

Example:

Victim 1: Someone stole my red pen! It was long and thin with a white shaft (body) and red cap.

Victim 2: Someone stole my book! It was a thick math book.

 Second, the class must ask each thief about what he or she stole using yes or no questions

Example:

Student A: Thief 1, is your object long and thin?

Thief 1: No, it isn’t.

Student B: Thief 1, is your object heavy?

Thief 1: Yes, it’s kind of heavy.

Class: I know! You stole Victim 2’s book!

Thief 1: You got me!  / You got the wrong guy

Each question allows the thieves to take a step toward the door. Once the thieves get through the door, they are free.

False accusations allow the thieves three steps toward the door.

Variations

The decoy

Five students stand at the front of the room. Four are thieves as usual, but the fifth takes a neutral object (not from one of the students)

The liar

Make 1 student a liar. He or she doesn’t take anything, but will pretend to have a victim’s item.

Players: 2+

Materials: a deck of cards (you can use a business card or square piece of paper instead); an erasable marker; a white board eraser; a wet sponge or cloth

Time: 10+ minutes

Instructions:

Take a card and write a famous person’s name on it. This must be a person everyone will know, including the person guessing. Your country’s current president is a good idea; your country’s third president might not be.

Add a little water to the side of the card you didn’t write on and slap it on another player’s forehead. If you can’t do this due to hairstyle or makeup, stick it under their hat, tape it to their back or make them hold it.

The guesser must ask questions to deduce the famous person’s name (maximum 5).

If the guesser doesn’t know who he is after 5 questions, his turn is over.

The card is kept on your head until you are able to guess who you are.

Easy: informative responses

Example:

Guesser: Am I a man or woman?

Other players: A man

Guesser: Am I alive or dead?

Other players: You’re alive

Guesser: Where do I live?

Other players: You live in America

Guesser: What do I do?

Other players: You’re a politician

Guesser: What am I famous for?

Other players: Becoming the first black President of the USA

Guesser: I know; I’m Barack Obama!

You got it! Now take that stupid card off your head!

Hard: Yes or No responses

Example:

Guesser: Am I a woman?

Other players: No, you’re not

Guesser: Am I alive?

Other players: Yes, you are

Guesser: Do I work in the USA?

Other players: Yes you do

Guesser: Am I American?

Other players: No, you aren’t

Guesser: Hmm. I work in the US but I’m not American…am I Canadian?

Other players: Yes, you are. Who are you?

Guesser: I don’t know!

Guesser 2: My turn!

Variations

Guess the card

Instead of writing on the cards, try to guess what card your partner put on your head. Use words like between, over, under, greater than, and less than to narrow your card down,

Example:

Player 1: Is my card less than 10?

Player 2: Yes.

Player 1: Is my card greater than 5?

Player 2: No.

Player 1: So my card is between 1 and 5?

Player 2: Yes, that’s right.

Player 1: Is my card greater than 3 or less than 3?

Player 2: Neither.

Player 1: Ah! It’s a 3! Is it red?

Player 2: Yes.

Player 1: Is it a diamond?

Player 2: No.

Player 1: My card is the 3 of hearts.

Drinking game

This was originally a drinking game. When the guesser identifies the person on the card, everyone else has a drink. If the guesser is incorrect, the guesser must drink their entire glass or bottle in one shot.

Players: 2+ (groups of 4 work well, but these instructions are for 2 players)

Materials: a table or desk

Time: 5+ minutes

Instructions:

Two or more players sit across from each other at a table.

Choose one player to be Mr.Wolf. Mr. Wolf must sit on one side opposite to the other players. His eyes should be closed.

Each player’s hands should be placed naturally at the edge of the table closest to them.

The other players ask, “What time is it Mr. Wolf?”

Mr. Wolf says a time of day. Whatever time Mr. Wolf says, Player 2 must “walk” that distance with his or her fingers. For example, five o’clock means Player 2 will take five finger steps. It’s your choice how big or small those steps are.

When Mr. Wolf thinks Player 2 is close enough to catch, he will respond, “Lunch time!” open his eyes, and quickly try to touch Player 2’s hand.

If Mr. Wolf succeeds, Player 2 then becomes Mr. Wolf. If not, they start again.

Variations

The original game is played outside with an entire class in a large open area. Mr. Wolf turns his back and everyone else yells, “What time is it Mr. Wolf? With each time Mr. Wolf says, the other players walk forward that many steps. When players get close enough, Mr. Wolf responds, “Time for Lunch” and turns to chase his victims. Once he catches someone, that person becomes Mr. Wolf.