The EFL Playhouse Games for Young Learners: I'm Going to the Supermarket

Skills: naming food items, listing items in alphabetical order, identifying initials sounds, recalling items in a series
Group Size: 2 to 36
Prep Time: none
Playing Time: 5-15 minutes
Interest Level: ages 3 to adult
Ability Level: beginning to lower intermediate

Choose a student to begin. This student will say, "I'm going to the supermarket to buy [food item beginning with "a"]." The next student will then say, "I'm going to the supermarket to buy [food item beginning with "a" named by first student] and [food item beginning with "b"].

Play continues, with each student recalling all previously mentioned items and adding another item in alphabetical sequence. If a student misses an item or cannot think of an item to add, he or she is out. The last remaining student wins.

If play continues after all letters have been exhausted, students repeat all previously named words, then add a new word beginning with "a" and continue through the alphabet once more. For example, "I'm going to the supermarket to buy apples and . . . zebra meat and apple juice . . . "

Note: The letters "q," "x," and "z" may be ommitted if you like. Or you may encourage creativity--quiche, a xylophone-shaped cake, zebra meat, etc...

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