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Chinese Whispers

Whisper a word or sentence down the line and see how it changes.

⏱ 10-15 min⚡ Low energy👥 Teams of 6-8

• any lesson vocabulary

• simple sentences

• phonics words

• spelling practice

• No materials needed

• Optional: word cards for the first child

📋 How to Play

Divide the class into teams of 6-8. Each team sits or stands in a line.
Teacher whispers a vocabulary word or short sentence to the first child in each line.
That child whispers it to the next child — only once, no repeating.
The message passes down the line until it reaches the last child.
The last child says the word or sentence out loud.
Teacher reveals the original word — compare how much it changed!
The team closest to the original word wins a point.
Play 5-6 rounds with different words each time.

✓Start with single words before moving to sentences.

✓Use words from the current lesson — it reinforces pronunciation.

✓The results are always funny — children love hearing how the word changed.

✓Remind children to whisper quietly — shouting defeats the whole purpose!

→Use a sentence from the lesson — "The cat sat on the mat."

→Draw the word instead of whispering — pass a drawing down the line.

→Race two teams simultaneously — first team to finish with the correct word wins.

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