Level: Intermediate-advanced

Grammar: Present perfect and simple past

Directions: First, do a model round. You can use pennies or nickels to make this one fun. Start out by telling the class something you’ve never done. For example, “I’ve never been to India.” Anyone who has been to India must tell the story. After they tell the story and their classmates ask follow-up questions, they receive a penny. Play continues to the right as the next person says, “I’ve never…” Again, students who have done this receive a penny. Once the students have gotten the idea, put them in groups to continue the activity. (You could continue to play as a whole class, but there’s more time for language production if they’re in groups.) At the end, see who has the most pennies and joke about this person being the most experienced.

Variation: A much faster version, may be better for grammatical review than conversation practice. Play this as a whole class game. Start with everyone standing up. Students sit down if they’ve never done something. Those standing should tell their stories to the whole class. The person with the most experience is the only one left standing. That person wins the game.

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