Crocodile

 Crocodile

This game is more suitable for younger students. As with Face-off, the students are again at a stage where they should know the FC vocabulary well, and just like with Face-off, this is again a ‘fun’ test of their ability to say each FC. This is a slower game however, and more attention can be focussed on pronunciation.

You begin by setting up a line of FCs along the floor, just like with Target, Jump and Run and Touch. Although for this game, make the line a little more disorganised:

WHITEBOARD

TA                                 FC                             TB

#1s                                        FC                          #1s

#2s                                  FC                                 #2s

#3s                                          FC                           #3s

#4s                                             FC                        #4s

#5s                                  FC                                  #5s

#6s                              FC                                      #6s

Next you explain the game on the whiteboard by drawing a picture of a river with some stepping stones. You point to the floor, saying that this is the, “River” or “Water” and make clear that the FCs are the stepping stones.

Then draw a picture of a crocodile in the river (usually the students get excited by this) and finally (often to more excitement) you explain that you are the crocodile.

Individual students now take turns to ‘cross the river’. Each time they step on an FC, they must say what this FC is. If they forget or mispronounce the FC, the teacher runs at them and ‘gobbles them up’ (usually using your arms as the crocodile’s jaws, you can mime gobbling them up without actually touching them – some teachers, if they have a good relationship with the students and the kids are young, may opt for picking the kids up or something like this; but be careful not to be too scary!)

If the student successfully ‘crosses the river’ without being ‘eaten by the crocodile’ they can receive an award of points for their team.

Just like the Target game, it is best to ask for volunteers to play Crocodile when you first introduce this activity to the class. It is a high pressure game and some of the more reticent students may need time before they are brave enough to try ‘crossing the river’.

Usually it works best if the teacher is the crocodile, although the option is always there to have a student taking up this role.