Memory of a Goldfish

This is a devilishly simple warmer, which will get all of your students involved from the get go! This ESL warmer for kids will test their vocabulary skills, their recall ability and, most importantly, their ability to remember what the other kids in the class have said before them.

Get everyone sat in a circle. The teacher starts this one off by saying "Last week, I went to the shops and bought a hat..."

The teacher now prompts the next student to repeat the sentence, but add something new on the end. For example:

Student 1: "Last week, I went to the shops and bought a hat....and a box of milk..."

Student 2: "Last week, I went to the shops and bought a hat, a box of milk....and a teapot."

Student 3: "Last week, I went to the shops and bought a hat, a box of milk, a teapot...and a spoon."

Each student needs to remember what the teacher and other students have said before, say it and then add a new item at the end.

Keep going around the class until either a mistake is made, or until you've reached 15 or so items! Your class will now be nicely warmed up and ready for your lesson.