[STCrowley]

These were two great suggestions and I'm going to be trying them this week. I wanted to add another that I've found: I've been adapting other games I know (meaning, mainly, drinking games) and one that DIDN'T work was requiring students to answer questions with a question: "What time is it?" "Do you have a watch?" "Where did I put it?" "Where did you have it last?" . . . The idea is that you have to do it in a circle and the first person who answers with a statement 'loses.' (It's from the drinking game 'Kings,' you might recognize it.)

My students aren't great at forming questions, and the 'game' didn't go over well. (It became 'practice,' which we all know isn't fun. Also, I think it required too much thinking on their feet for early in the morning.)

A game that DID work was 'categories.' Basically, one student names a category and the others have to name things in the category without using a dictionary. It's simple, makes them review things they know, and they're allowed to help each other if they do it in English.

Also, I've been able to use the categories game to transition to 'class time:' I'll name the last category ('Things you can do somewhere hot') and that gets them talking about the subject of the day's lesson.

Any more ideas?