The countdown shell game.

  

The countdown shell game.
Subject	A game for practicing vocabulary. A simple game designed primarily for smaller students as everyone wins something.
Richard’s comments.	A take on the fairground favourite. Nice and simple and just requiring a set of focus cards.
Group size:	Played individually (but quickly)
Team teaching game?	This game can be played with one teacher.

   

Materials	Vocabulary focus cards. Points or tokens
Game set up.	Go through the focus cards with the students before playing the game. Repeat the drill for the three cards to be used. Play in a shell game format. Two players across a table. ‘Dealer’ lays down the three cards, each with a point.

  

Playing rules.

Go through the vocabulary each time. Take three cards from the shuffled pack and lay them face down on the table with a point each. Ask the question as required. The player answers and then choose a card. If they match the answer with the card, they win the three points. If they fail to make a match, then the ‘dealer’’ takes a point. The player tries again choosing from the two cards and for two points. If they fail to make a match, then the ‘dealer’’ takes another point. Now for the final card, you can win a point for the correct answer.

Variations.

You could play with four or five cards and make it a team game. Let the older ones play each other in a ‘fairground’ role play.