Played initially in a circle. Circle games are an opportunity to practice sharing focus, taking turns and active listening. Once students know the structure, they can play in partners in order to maximize the time spent speaking in the target language.

To play: Two players enter the circle. One student mentions a made-up problem that they have, and an object that they have which is unrelated to the problem, for example:

Player 1: « J’ai mal à la tête, et j’ai un crayon. »

Player 2 (repeats the process): « J’ai perdu mon chien, et j’ai un chandail. »

One at a time, each student will find a way to solve the other’s problem using their object.

For example:
« Je vais utiliser mon chandail pour emballer ta tête pour que tu n’entendes pas des bruits. »

« Je vais dessiner des affiches pour avertir les autres que tu cherches ton chien. »

This game requires creative, on-the-spot thinking, and allows students to use their imaginations to respond to the “problems” of their peers.

«Que fais-tu? »

In a circle. One person mimes an activity (e.g. cooking), one person comes out and asks «Que fais-tu? » (“What are you doing?” The first player answers, but says an entirely different activity from what they were doing (e.g. « Je saute sur un trampoline» – “I’m jumping on a trampoline.”). The second player mimes jumping on a trampoline and the sequence continues.