And the least wonderful time of ‘lucky’ t-shirts, no bath, ‘magic’ pens and vows of silence is just around the corner. I’ve also decided to add some charm into revision classes.

Here’s a game you can play with your learners to have them go through key vocabulary or grammar or speaking assignments. At a snail’s pace.

Snail Race

This game can be played in pairs, or small teams, or as a whole class.

Materials: the Snail Race Board, 5 tokens/pawns or coins, and a die

To begin the game line up the ‘snails’ (tokens/pawns or coins). Then each player has to place a bet on which snail (‘1’, ‘2’, ‘3’, ‘4’ or ‘5’) they think will come first and last. Players then take it in turns to roll the die, whichever number is rolled, that snail is moved forward one space, and if the die shows ‘6’, the player may choose any snail to move forward (or backward).

To make a move, players should do one item in the revision assignment/make a sentence with a word, etc.

Players alternate their moves (they may move their tokens one space at a time). The game stops when the snail has crossed the finish line. The winner is the player who guessed most accurately which snails would ‘s-nail it’ or lose.

Customising the game

You can use the game board with a set of cards or customise the game board to practise certain vocabulary or grammar (see below the game board to practise irregular verbs – to make a move, players should give forms/make up sentences with irregular verbs).

Snail Race Board

Snail Race Irregular Verbs

I hope your students enjoy the game!

Disclaimer: no snails were harmed in the making of this game.

* * *

More ideas for revision:

A Homemade Revision Game from Sandy Millin – low-prep and much fun!

The Real Trick: Turning a Test into a Game – my guest post for Tekhnologic

If you have some interesting ideas or links for revision games, please leave me a comment!

2 Comments

  1. «…if the die shows ‘6’, the player may choose any snail to move forward.» or backward?
    Great ideas, as usual.
    Thank you very much!

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