Play an Object Transformation Game To Teach Students English Online

What does a coat hanger, a spatula, a dish towel, and the lid of a pot have in common? They can be used to fuel your students’ imaginations through this simple drama game. It’s an easy way to teach English online that your students will love. The online class format can feel limiting at times but there are still plenty of opportunities to teach English through games to keep your students actively learning. With this game, you can have students play with objects they already have around their house.

Here’s how to play this drama game.

Ask your students to gather everyday household objects. They can be cooking utensils, office supplies, or clothing items. Stay away from glasses and plates that are breakable. While this is a very safe activity, we want to avoid any possible accidents from slippery fingers. Mum and Dad won’t be happy with that!

Once every student has the objects you’ve asked them to go find, demonstrate the activity. Pick one of the objects and enthusiastically act out like it’s something else. A coat hanger can become a guitar, a wooden spoon can become a conductor’s baton, two toilet roll holders can a become a pair of binoculars. Get creative!

Then, pick one student at a time, and have them mime what one of the objects could be. You’ll be surprised with how imaginative your students are. As they think of ideas, they might say things in their native language (perhaps you haven’t gotten to this kind of vocabulary yet). That’s okay because that makes for a great teachable moment. Help them with the translation or refer to ideas from past lessons.

This kind of drama game is great for teaching students English because it builds those connections between language and things they see on a day-to-day basis. Generally, using games to teach helps motivate students to learn English outside of class and it improves their focus to learn more in the moment. So, encourage them to have fun with it and you’ll bring your lesson to the next level!

For more ideas on how to teach English through drama, download the free e-book, Teach Children English Through Drama.

Visit the Kids English Theatre Youtube Channel for more drama games, language exercises, puppetting demos, and other fun ideas to make your lessons fun and unforgettable. 

Be theatrical!