Hide the penny is an old-school game that can be played at any time but its main goal is to practice clothing and color vocabulary. It is zero prep, easy to set up, and provides a lot of fun in the classroom. In this post, you will learn how to play the game and when to use it in your classroom.
What is hide the penny?
Hide the penny might be the easiest game to play in your language classroom. Not only is it zero prep, but it is also fun and engaging. All you need is a penny or any small object that can be hidden under the palm of the hand.
The goal of hide the penny is for a student to ask yes or no questions to other students in the classroom in order to guess who has the penny. The game allows students to practice asking questions in a no-stress environment (hey we are playing a game not being graded). And what language student doesn’t need question-asking practice?
How to play hide the penny
To play hide the penny, select one student (A) to step outside of the room. Then select one student (B) to hold the penny. The student who will hold the penny should come to the front of the classroom so everyone can see what they are wearing. You don’t want students in the classroom looking at this person when student (A) is asking questions. It is best to pick someone that is wearing similar clothing and colors as multiple people in the room.
Once the class feels they know what student (B) is wearing, have the whole class sit at their desks, facing forward, with their palms flat on the desk. Call in student (A). Student (A) will come into the room and ask yes and no questions until they can guess who has the penny. Questions will focus on clothing (Is the person wearing jeans?), colors (Is the person wearing a blue shirt), and physical appearance (Is the person a girl? Does the person have a beard?). Students sitting at their desks will keep looking forward and shake their heads yes or no to answer student (A).
When to play hide the penny
As I mentioned before, hide the penny can be played at any time even though the game is meant to practice clothing and color vocabulary. So when can you play this game?
- In a clothing unit
- As a review of vocabulary
- Question practice
- Brain break
- Needing an extra 5 – 10 minute activity
- To add a little move
- Just because
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