Fizz, Boing, Bounce

Level: Elementary, Intermediate and Advanced.

Skills: listening and speaking.

Topic: warmer.

Materials: none.

Time: 5 to 10 minutes.

A warming-up game aimed at focusing students' attention. Sit the students in a circle. Tell them they have to pass an imaginary (invisible) ball to each other (it's a nice touch if you hold the ball in your hands, pretending it is there). Every time they pass the ball, they have to say 'fizz'. If they fold one of their arms, with their fist clenched (show it to the students, as if you were defending yourself from an attack), they say 'boing', and they change the direction of the imaginary ball, rebounding it to the previous student. If they say 'bounce' (make the gesture of a bump, as in volleyball games), they skip one person (it doesn't change direction, but the imaginary ball goes over someone's head, to the next student). 

The student who commits a mistake while moving the ball (saying the wrong command or not following the previous student's command appropriately, for example) must make a brief speech (one-minute talks are very appropriate) about a topic you determine (examples include their last holiday, their favourite foods, what they are planning to do next weekend, or any other suitable themes, depending on their level).