This is an adaptation of the game I call Train Wreck. However, this game also goes by other names. The general idea is that everyone is sitting with their chairs in a circle while one person is in the middle. In the classic version, the person in the middle could say something along the lines of "everyone wearing something blue." Everyone wearing blue must then stand up and find a new seat that isn't the one directly to the left or right of their old seat. The one left standing is now in the middle, and the game continues like so. This game can be adapted for a variety of topics in the classroom (i.e., vocabulary, grammar concepts).
For this pre-school adaptation, I decided to review the colors. Normally, one could review colors in Train Wreck using the children's clothing. However, in this particular school they were all wearing green, the color of their compulsory uniforms. To solve this issue, I gave students various cards that I colored with markers. Each student received two cards. I acted as the facilitator to tell which students to switch seats, although there was still a student "in the middle." For example, I said, "Everyone with yellow, find a new seat!" To make things more interesting later on, I sometimes called out two colors. For example, "Everyone with green or pink, find a new seat!" Depending on the age and English listening skills, students may need help with the process of identifying their colors and finding a new seat. Once they got the hang of it, the activity went much more smoothly.
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