During this time of the year, you come across lots of ‘back to school’ activities. Considering breaking some blocks of ice, I have created this ice-breaker activity. The only thing you need is a dice and I guarantee a lot of smiles:) Let’s break some ice with a dice:)

I like hanging around stationeries and toy shops and I always discover a way to use some of the stuff out there as a possible teaching tool in my class (I wonder if this is kind of weird:)). This time, I saw the sweet soft cubes in the photo. First, I thought they were dice, but then I realized that they were ‘foam stamps’.  When I was a child, we used to cut potatoes and colour them to stamp. These stamps are cool, but they seem to limit the creativity with the ready – made shapes on them, but of course that’s another story:) Anyways, have a look at my activity. It can be used both as an ice-breaker and a warmer in your class.

ICE, DICE and SMILES

Level / Age: Adaptable for all age groups and levels.

Time: 5 – 10 minutes

Procedure: – For each shape on the dice, provide a question (on the board or on a handout).

- Put the Ss into groups of 4 or 5.

- Each group is given a different dice with different shapes on them.

- Students  throw the dice in turns and answer the question referring to the shape on the dice.

- After a couple of turns, students can swap the dice and try out the new questions.

Here is a possible set of questions  (Pre-Intermediate level):

Notes:

* You may ask your students to create questions for each shape.

* You can make your own dice and create your own shapes using a piece of cardboard.

* If you buy a set of foam stamps, you should add two shapes for each, because they have only four shapes.

* You may provide more than one question for each shape.

* Keep your dice somewhere safe to use them in another activity later on.

Other possible ideas for the shapes:

* Answers (in different tenses) to make up the questions

* Time expressions to make sample sentences with the correct tense

* Vocabulary themes

* Imperatives to be ordered

* Tongue twisters to be repeated

* Names of the songs to be repeated

* Words to be rhymed

* Synonyms / Antonyms

Hope your students will enjoy the icebreaking dice activity:) Have a fab academic year full of excitement and success!

You might also like:

Welcome Back to ‘School Sweet School’

Catch the sparkle

1. 

   Çiğdem İskent

   17 September 2012 at 10:06

   Hi, Merve!

   First, May you have a wonderful academic year. Then, Your idea is great and joyful
   To be honest, I like hanging around stationeries and toy shops,too.So, You are not alone

   Best,

   Reply
   1. 

      Merve Oflaz

      17 September 2012 at 11:23

      I’m very much relieved now dear Cigdem:) We are on the same boat:))
      Thanks for stopping by and your lovely comment.
      Best

      Reply
2. 

   Candan Büge

   17 September 2012 at 11:54

   Hi Merve!

   What a lovely back-to-school activity:)) Thanks for sharing with us.. I also feel lucky to be your new desk-mate:))

   Hope it will be a great year for all of us!

   Cheers!

   Reply
   1. 

      Merve Oflaz

      17 September 2012 at 12:32

      Thank you Hocam:) That’s so sweet of you to stop by and leave a comment.
      Our feelings are perfectly mutual about being desk mates. I’m sure we’ll be sharing lots throughout the year:)
      Love:)

      Reply
3. 

   Mürüvvet Çelik

   17 September 2012 at 12:53

   Dear Merve Hocam,
   What you present here is very active and colourful as you;thanks a lot

   Reply
   1. 

      Merve Oflaz

      17 September 2012 at 14:05

      I’m glad you liked it Muruvvet Hocam:) And thank you for the compliment:)
      Wishing you a wonderful academic year.
      Cheers

      Reply