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There is this saying: "work hard, play hard," and that is the situation with children through to adults. Studying does not always have to be hard, stressful, and tiring. The teachers are there to help their students to learn English and have fun while doing it. The focus of this essay will be on young children and the games that are being played by them. Playing games in the classroom are essential for many reasons. Teachers and parents want their children to enjoy their English classes. When the children have fun, they will create a positive connection with not only the teacher but also with learning English. Children at such a young age (3-6years old) tend to lose interest quickly if something does not interest them. Their attention span is much shorter than those in primary, middle, and high school students. Therefore the teacher should make sure all the students focused at all times, and by doing that, the teacher can use fun, useful, and interactive games in their classrooms. The atmosphere in the classroom should always be enjoyable, relaxed, and positive. When children feel comfortable, they are more willing to participate in activities. There will always be students that are better than others; therefore, the teacher should choose her/ his games appropriately. The teacher has to make sure that the stronger students don't dominate in the game. All students should take turns, let each other talk, and listen to each other. Usually, shyer students will also participate in group games. Playing games is an excellent way for them to gain confidence, it increases motivation, they pay more attention to the work/game (because they don’t want to lose) and they get a sense of responsibility. Students can get extremely competitive. The teacher should pay attention to controlled competitiveness. It is an excellent opportunity for the teacher to explain to the students that in a game, like in real life, there will be a loser, and not everyone can win. When playing games, students can encourage each other, and they can share their knowledge with their peers. If someone can't answer a question or do a specific task /activity, they should always be encouraged to ask for a friends' help. Through playing games, it provides the students a sense of belonging, to be part of a team. Therefore they will have the courage to explore more because they are not afraid to make a mistake. Here are a few ideas for ice breakers and starters for students. Open the class with a dance or sing a song that they are familiar with and which they like. Use various songs and dances so that it doesn't bore them. If the song can relate to the topic, it is even better. When handling a specific topic with the students, for example, "Clothes," have flashcards and real objects available for display, and the teacher can use it during the lesson. 1. “Hangman” focuses on their pronunciation, which is an ideal game to get started. It allows the students to hear and see what the alphabet letter looks like and sounds. The students enjoy this game a lot. For more advanced classes, the teacher can ask volunteers to stand at the board and replace the teacher, or the teacher can request a different student to come up front and write a letter. 2. Another game the teacher can play with flashcards of varying clothing items is to place the cards on the board, divide the class into two groups. Each group has one volunteer. The two volunteers run on the teacher's count to the board and slap the word the teacher said on the count of 3. This game can get very competitive. To make it more active, the teacher can say they have to turn around four times before they run towards the board or lie on their tummies and get up. There are many ways to make the game more entertaining. 3. For role-playing, the teacher can have real clothing items and let volunteers get dressed. The teacher can ask them what the weather is like, and students can cover accordingly. To make this game fun is by bringing the teacher's clothes. Two or more students can then complement each other on their appearance. 4. Another game to get everyone involved at the same time is for the class to make a bid circle, facing each other. The teacher has three to four or five clothing items which she will put in the ring for students to pass around. Almost like musical chairs, except for running around, the students will stay put and move the item around. When the music stops, they can stand up, and the teacher may ask them, "What do you have?". The individual can answer by saying, "I have a scarf." The teacher can ask all the students, "What does she have?" where the students will reply with, "She has a scarf." The interest of students to learn a new language depends solemnly on the teacher. Therefore the teacher must make sure students find classes exciting, fun, and helpful. By playing games it helps students building their confidence. They learn to support and share; they get a sense of belonging, and most of all, they are having fun while learning.
