The EFL Playhouse Games for Young Learners: Blind Postman

Language Objective: review of geographic locations and modes of travel.
Game Objective: a blindfolded player tries to sit in an empty seat while two or more players or changing places.
Group Size: 4 to 24
Prep Time: > 5 minutes
Playing Time: 5-20 minutes
Interest Level: ages 4 to 12
Ability Level: beginning to intermediate

Preparation: Place chairs equal to number of students minus one in circle. (For example, if twelve students are present, you should place eleven chairs in circle.) Assign each student a name. You may name students after cities, states or provinces, countries, or specific locations [bank, grocer, hospital, bookstore, etc.]. All names, however, should come from the SAME category.

Game: Choose one student to the postmaster. The postmaster is blindfolded, led to the middle of the circle, and spun around a couple of times so that he or she is somewhat disoriented. Warning: DO NOT spin the student around more than a couple of times; young children especially may get sick! The postmaster then announces that a letter has been sent between two locations. For instance, "A letter is going from Japan to China." Players bearing the aforementioned names must then switch places while the postman attempts to steal on of their seats. If the students called upon reach their seats, the postman must announce another letter. If, however, the postman manages to steal a seat, the player without a seat becomes the new postman.

Variation: The postman may also say how the letter is to travel, thus indicating how students must move. (The postman must use the same mode of travel.) Suggestions include the following:

By air--Students move quickly.
By train--Students march at a steady pace.
By water--Students crawl slowly.
By foot--Students walk normally.
By horse--Students gallop like horses.
By bicycle--Students skip.
By unicycle--Students hop on one foot.

Advanced Variation: The postman may announce more than one letter at a time. For instance, "A letter is going from the school to the bank and from the doctor's office to the hospital." For added interest, the postman may send these letters by different modes of transportation. For example, "A letter has been sent by air from Seoul to New York and by boat from London to Jerusalem." In this instance, the postman may travel by either mode of transportation.

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