Fruit Basket Activity for Teaching Languages
Aim
The Fruit Basket game is a lively activity for young learners designed to reinforce vocabulary, enhance communication skills, and create a fun learning atmosphere. This game encourages students to actively participate while improving their grasp of English words and phrases. This page show how the Fruit Basket can be used in ESL and language learning classes.
Materials Needed
- Small Flashcards: Prepare multiple sets of flashcards, containing the lesson's vocabulary.
- Chairs: Arrange chairs in a circle to create the "Fruit Basket" seating arrangement. There should be one chair less than the number of students playing.
Preparation
Teach the pronunciation of the vocabulary using a set of large flashcards. Display them to ensure students are familiar with the words.
How to Play
- Create the "Fruit Basket": Arrange the student's chairs in a circle. Each student is given a flashcard and keeps it secret.
- Start the Game: Ask for a volunteer to start. This student ("the caller") stands in the center of the circle (the "Fruit Basket"). Their task is to call out one of the English words from the vocabulary. Make sure the students can see the large flashcards so they can choose a word easily.
- Remove a Chair: When the student has stood in the center remove their chair.
- Changing Seats: When the caller shouts out a word from the vocabulary, all students holding flashcards with that word must quickly leave their chairs and find a new one within the circle. Meanwhile, the caller attempts to sit down in one of the empty seats. Students rush to find a vacant chair, and the one left standing without a seat becomes the new caller for the next round.
- Repeat and Rotate: Continue playing, with each new round featuring a different caller and a new vocabulary word or phrase. This rotation ensures that every student has a chance to participate and call out words.
