How do you play hot potato ESL?

Play some music. Students stand in a circle and throw the ball to each other in a random order. Stop the music at a random time, while facing away from the students. The student holding the ball when the music stops has to complete one of the challenges as a forfeit.

What is a hot potato activity?

In hot potato, students are put into groups and each student in the group is given a sheet of paper with a different topic or a question written at the top of the page. Each time they receive a new topic the students read what is already written and add their statements.

How do you play Hot Potato in ESL?

Procedure for this ESL Speaking Game: If possible, move students into a circle. Simply have them stand around the edge of the classroom. Begin moving a “potato” around the circle. Set a timer for a random (brief) amount of time. Five to fifteen seconds is good, with an occasional shorter or longer time.

How do you get out of a hot potato game?

The person holding the ball when the music stops is out of the game. Keep passing the potato around the circle until 1 person is left. Once the first person is out, restart the music and start passing the potato around the circle again. Stop the music again to get another person out of the game.

Can you play Hot Potato in a circle?

If there is not a practical way to play in a circle, have a contingency for the last student getting the potato back to the first student, such as pausing the timer. When the timer goes off, the student with the potato is shown a flashcard.

Why is hot potato a good classroom game?

Benefits: This game is excellent for two main reasons. One is that it gets the mind thinking without really thinking too much. This is perfect for starting off the class and warming up. The second reason is that it is unpredictable in nature.