This is a game that you can do to break the ice and learn the names of students on the first day in class.
It can be done at all levels and it can be played in ten minutes or half an hour depending on the level of fun the students will have. It will require the students to sit in a circle and push the tables aside but it is really worth it. Before you start teaching your first lesson, you can do this activity with your students to give yourself a chance to remember their names.
The game is called “The Hot Seat”.
Get the students to bring chairs and make one big circle by moving all the tables to the side of the class. Point to your chair and say “This is the Hot Seat”. Sit down and say “ My name is …………… and I have black hair”. Ask them to stand up if this is true to them. Ask the students who have stood up to exchange their places quickly with others who have stood up but remind them that they are not allowed to sit down on the same chair. You have to leave your Hot Seat so another student can come and say “My name is ………… " and mentions another fact.
If the students don’t fully understand what you are doing, you can use sentences that are common to everyone:
My name is ……………… and I have two eyes.
My name is ……………… and I have a car.
My name is ………………… and I had breakfast this morning.
My name is ………………… and I come from Asia. My name is ………………… and I learn English in this class.
I hope you have fun doing this activity on the first day in class.