Here is a list of games that I incorporate into my instruction. 

Tout le monde qui…  Put chairs in a circle.  There should be one less chair than people.  One person stands in the middle and they will say “tout le monde qui _____________”.  Anyone who fits into this category (including the person in the middle) must get up and find a new chair.  They must choose a chair that is not their own, nor a neighboring chair.  There will always be one person who is seat-less, so that remaining person is the person in the middle.

Some themes are colors (tout le monde qui porte _____), clothing (tout le monde qui porte _____ ), family (tout le monde qui a _______), and food (tout le monde qui aime _______).  From jemappellemadame.blogspot.com   Document: Tout le monde qui

Pictionary  Divide the class into two teams and have one member of the first team go to the board.  The teacher gives an index card with a word written on it to that student who tries to get his team to guess the word only through drawing.  If the team guesses it within 45 seconds the team gets a point and then the other team goes.  Other words are not permitted to be written.  Document: Food Pictionary

Hollywood Squares  Choose four “superstars” to sit at the front of the room.  Divide the rest of the class into two teams.  Questions used for the game can be review for a test or any questions.  Play alternates between the two teams with one member as a representative.  The teacher asks the team representative to pick a super star.  The super star answers the question and then the representative has the option of agreeing or disagreeing and giving his or her own answer.  If the superstar is right and is confirmed by the representative the team get to put an “x” or “o” in the tic tac toe board.  If the superstar is wrong and the representative is right than the representative takes over the superstar seat and gets to put an “x” or “o” on the board.  If the superstar is right and the representative is wrong, play just continues.  Once one team gets three in a row, the team gets a point and new superstars are picked.   Document: Hollywood Squares

Monstre Vert  Have one student cover his or her eyes and turn his or her back to the class.  Pick a student to be the Monstre Vert.  The student who had turned away from the group now turns back and asks each student in the class a question, which they in turn answer.  When the person gets to the Monstre Vert instead of answering that person says Monstre Vert and everyone in the class jumps up and grabs a new seat, which leaves one student standing.  The new odd person out hides his or her eyes.  Continue play.  From Helena Curtin, Conference, 1999 (She called it Hodgy Podgy)   Document: Monstre Vert

Taboo  One student comes to the front of the room.  Another student volunteers to write one of our vocabulary words on the board behind him or her.  The class needs to get the person at the front to guess the word, but they are not allowed to say it themselves, nor make gestures.   Document: Food and Clothing Taboo

Charades  Students are divided into two teams. Pick a team to go first. One representative will come to the front of the room and choose a card with a vocabulary word. He or she will try to get the group to guess the word by acting it out. If he or she is able to get a correct guess a point is earned. If he or she can’t get the team to guess it, he or she may pass. The player returns to his or her seat and a new representative goes. Play continues for five minutes and then the other team goes. It is a competition between the two teams to see which can earn more points in five minutes.

Boggle The game is played by chaining the letters together to form an French word. Prepare matrixes by embedding words, but any French word is allowed. Hand out to teams of four one a prepared matrixes. Have them keep it upside down until play starts. Teams turn the paper over when you tell them to and get started. One team member writes the words that are found in the matrix. Play is allowed to continue for five minutes. At the end of five minutes, papers rotate from one team to the next so that each team is not correcting their own list. Words are read to the teacher who checks them. Teams correcting lists must listen so that they don’t repeat words. A check is made next to any word that is confirmed by the teacher. Checks are counted up and teams earn a score.

7 up Pick seven students to stand at the front of the room. The remaining students put their heads down. The seven standing students are each given two matching index cards, with words or pictures. They leave one of their cards at a student’s desk. When all seven are back at the front of the room, ask the students to uncover their eyes. One by one the students guess who left them a card by incorporating the word on the card into the given question. If the student guesses right he or she takes the place of the standing student and the standing student returns to his or her desk. Possible grammar points: Classroom supplies– Tu as ___ ? Oui, j’ai un ___ . / Non, je n’ai pas de ___ . Or past tense activities– Tu as chanté? Non, je n’ai pas chanté.

$10,000 Pyramid Create a large game board with 21 boxes and numbers. Prepare 21 questions and assign each question a random point value. Points can be anything you want them to be, but usually between -50 and +50– yes, there are negative points. Also assign a few questions to have consequences instead of point values. Form between 2 and 4 teams. Each team will choose a number between 1 and 21 and try answering the corresponding question. If the team answers correctly, they get to choose whether to keep or give away the points. Don’t reveal the point value under after the question is answered which makes the game unpredictable and fun.

Circonlocution This is a variation of Taboo, played as teams. Put groups of 6-8 words on slides to project one at a time to the class. In the teams, choose a scribe, a describer and the rest of the group guesses. Only the describer is allowed to look at the list. They use circumlocution and gestures if necessary to get the group to guess the list of words. The scribe can guess and also writes down all the words. First team to finish the whole list, wins that round. Rotate roles and play again.

Scattergories Give students categories. They think of 4 examples that fall into each category. The first team to complete the list calls, « Arrêtez » and play stops. We compare the lists and any team who has a word that is a good fit and no one else found, gets a point. Then play next rounds.

La cuillère It’s a true or false game played in pairs (if odd number then 1 group of 3) using plastic spoons. Students compete against each other, 1 on 1. They sit facing each other with nothing between them but a spoon. The teacher reads a statement in the Target Language. If the statement is true, the students grab the spoon. The first student to grab it, earns a point. If the statement is false, they do not touch the spoon. If a student touches the spoon for a false statement, his partner/opponent gets 2 points. Students keep track of their scores.