Body Building Game-works for any age, any topic!
I can't take credit for this game (unfortunately, because it's fantasic) I swiped it out of a Language Teaching and Materials handbook that I have here in Japan in order to share it because it works SO well for SO many different topics!. It has gone over fantasticly well both in Elementary and Junior High (no more trying to figure out how to get every kid to participate! this game makes them WANT to!)
1. Split the class into teams. If they are in columns of desks, saying the left hand column is team 1, the next team 2, etc. is usually best.
2. On the board draw limbless, featureless faces and bodies (the number you draw should correspond with the number of groups you have)
3. Tell the front person in each group to stand up.
4. You then ask the kids who are standing up a question. The quickest one to raise their hand can answer, if they're correct, they get to roll an inflatable dice (I actually made a big dice out of cardboard)
5. If they get a "1" they can draw an eye on their team's face. If they have a "2" they can draw an ear. Similarly, "3" is a nose, "4" is a mouth, "5" is an arm and "6" is a leg.
6. However, each team can only have one nose, one mouth, and two each of everything else. For example, if your team already has 2 arms, and you roll another number "5" then that go is a "pass" because you can't add another arm (this gives an added competitive bit to the game, complete with praying, clapping and cheering!)
7. The next person in each group stands up and repeats from step 4,
8. The winning team is the first team to get 2 eyes, 2 ears, 1 nose, 1 mouth, 2 arms and 2 legs. If you run out of time then the team with the most features is the winner!
Even Junior High kids with the visable, "I can't be bothered about school/English" attitude were getting into the game, it was great! Enjoy!