From the Inbox— Quick & Easy, No-prep Game

Dear Reader,

I'm loving hearing all of your CI stories. If you haven't sent me yours, please do so! They're incredible to read!

Today, I want to talk to you about a game I learned about at the end of last school year and my kids LOVED playing it.

I learned it from a colleague, so I don't know where it originated, but I love it because it's absolutely no prep and it's a great game to soak up the last few minutes of class after a lesson finishes. It's also great for a brain break or just any time your kids could use a game.

It's called TEN! (¡Diez!) in Spanish.

The basic premise is that students sit or stand in a circle and start counting. They must count in order and can say anywhere from one to three numbers in a row. The person who says, "ten" is out.

So here's an example gameplay:

First student says, "one, two."

Second student says, "three, four, five."

Third student says, "six."

Fourth student says, "seven, eight, nine."

Fifth student says, "ten." And they are out.

It's fun and quick and simple to understand.

My friend, Janique, suggested two variations that I haven't tried but will when we go back to school: months of the year and days of the week. So instead of counting, students would say the day of the week or month of the year in order and would go out on December or Sunday.

Save this idea for a game wherever you keep ideas for the upcoming school year. I'm sure it will come in handy.

Do you have any quick and easy games you'd like to share? Share them in the comments below! I'd love to have more in my game toolbox!