We continue with our series of short activities to engage EAL learners at home during the school closures. This activity comes from Stuart Scott and Shirley Berry of the Collaborative Learning project.

You can either download this activity at: www.collaborativelearning.org/ifanimals.pdf
or you can improvise by using picture books or pictures of animals in magazines. The “if” cards are vital and we have produced a mini version. They can be copied and of course you can add and/or subtract cards which might be too difficult for a your child. If you don’t have counters you can use bits of pasta or hula hoops or…..

You need:

1 pack of animal cards piled face down on the table.

1 pack of 48 ‘If’ cards piled face down on the table (see below)

A box of counters.

How to play:

Pick up one card from each pile.
Read the ‘if sentence’. Look at the Animal card.
Collect counters according to instructions on the if card. Everyone has to agree with the decisions.
Replace cards at the bottom of the pile.

‘If’ Cards:

Download a handy PDF version of this game here.

Developed by Shirley Berry and the EAL service in Wrexham in 2010. A set of 48 ‘if’ cards with categories/characteristics and animal picture cards (which of course you can add to, change or use your own) with names. Can be played in a variety of ways.

Please take a look at the collaborative learning website and you will find lotto and pairs games at every level and in every subject.

We are also providing a follow up webpage (see bottom of page) for 21st March SATEAL conference which unfortunately had to be cancelled. Their theme was “Beyond the Classroom” so you will find links there to activities for parents and children.