Here's a slightly new version of a Bomb Game. I call it "Flick Racer". The point of this is, instead of gaining points, to flick an object around a track made on some tables in the front. The team who gets the farthest before class is over wins!
(Idea originally shown here:
http://www.eslcafe.com/idea/index.cgi?display:1044336289-13423.txt )
What you will need:
This powerpoint (with appropriate changes for your class),
Three or more tiny easily flickable objects (I used board magnets),
One or two tables placed in the front with some distinguishing marks to note a "start",
Books, boxes, etc. to place on the tables such that the perimeter of the table is a track, and
Small objects, such as erasers, to use as "road blocks".
What you do:
Play as a normal bomb-style game. The only difference is that when a team answers a question correctly, they get an appropriate number of flicks on their object. Should their object fall off the table, they return to start. I recommend making checkpoints or save points at various places as well, so that if they fall off after there, they can return to a save point. If a team gets a road block (the noted white board erasers worked rather well), that team must place their road block before flicking, if they have any flicks. Change icons can be either direct--specifically the two colors shown change, or can be more free.
I was a little strict with what counts as a flick. I enforced that the player had to either use their index or middle finger and could not simply "push" their object. In the 8 classes that I've tested this on, it has taken about 5 minutes to explain the game and get it started, but it keeps kids' attention for as long as it's being played. For my 6th grade 1st semester review (which this version was made for), even in intense heat, the kids stayed into it the full 30 minutes we played. It's a great success!
