Hot Potato for Grammar and Vocabulary

(TESOL Ideas--Any Grammar Point, Any Vocabulary Set)

Hot Potato Song

I already mention hot potato in my previous post, Activities That Can Be Used for Any Grammar Point, in which I said: 

Hot Potato Sentences (Materials: a set of cards containing the appropriate prompts) (Preparation:  Make cards, cut up and shuffle them--20 minutes)

 Students are put in a circle, and given a prompt, and must respond to it using the target language.  (e.g. “What must you do at school?” “What will you do if it rains today?” “What should I do if…?”)   The first student is given 5 seconds to respond, and then the next student must respond to the same prompt using the same target language, but with a new sentence.  If a student cannot think of a new sentence, or repeats a previously mentioned sentence, they are out.  (Or lose a point.  Or have to sit in the middle.  Or whatever penalty you chose to use with this game).

This can be played as a whole class or in small groups--I usually set it up by playing as a whole class first, and then move the students into small groups.

Variation:

 The game can also be played with a “hot potato” (or something representing a hot potato--e.g. a ball).  Put on music.  (Youtube has various “hot potato” music videos which play songs, and then stop the songs at random moments.)  The student must make a sentence, and then pass the “hot potato” to the next person.  They cannot pass the ball until they have made the sentence.  When the music stops, whoever is holding the hot potato is out.

But I've recently discovered that this game words well for vocabulary practice as well.   

I give the students a card with one of the vocabulary words on it.  They have to make a sentence with the target vocabulary, and then pass it to the next student.  The student stuck holding the card when the music stops is out.

I've also known teachers who play a slightly different version.  In this version, the students pass the vocabulary card around the circle until the music stops playing.  No one needs to say anything, until the music stops, and then the student left holding the card has to make a sentence.

There are many different Youtube videos suitable for this activity, but the one I'm linking to at the top of this post  is one that I stumbled upon years ago, and have found always works well for me.